WEEK TEN

Second to last week here in West Virginia and things are beginning to wind down. It is sad to think that we only have one more week to hang out with these people living inside this community. The youth come and go every week but the people here in West Virginia have become close friends throughout the weeks of this summer. We are planning on having a end of the summer party at a local community members house and we are going to invite most of the church and different schools to come. It will be sad to leave here but at the same time, I am excited to get back home to the ministry that awaits there.
This week has started out fairly well. There are only 35 kids here this week which is much smaller than usual. Sometimes it is good to only have a few people here because the atmosphere is more casual and laidback. These kids are a little tougher however because they cannot be anywhere on time! We have had to stress that point repeatedly and still they are always late. They are also struggling to participate in CLUB as well. Whenever I ask a question they usually look at me with a blank stare and it very frustrating. I guess it is good practice because I am learning how to combat akwardness.
My talks are going very well and I am finding that I am needing to use my references less and less. I am beginning to kind of speak from my heart more than my papers in front of me and I am really able to open up to the kids more this way. I am still amazed at the ammount of confidence I have gained throughout the past 8 weeks and I am excited to think about what God has planned for me in the future! Keep praying for us down here in West Virginia and I will be back home before too long!

WEEK NINE

Week nine here in Lincoln County, West Virginia and we are nearing the end. We only have two weeks of programming left until I get to go home and I am trying to squeeze the most out of them. This past week was the best week we have had here yet. The groups that came were amazing and I loved getting the chance to learn from them and share my life with them. The problem with having a great group like that is that the next week is usually not as great... which is sad. I know that I shouldn't be comparing weeks but it is hard when you have such a great experience one week and the next is hard. This week we have three groups here from MN, MA, and SC. We have run into some motivation problems this week which is something that I have not encountered yet. The moment they got here, one of the adult leaders told us that their group was having some attitude problems and they really didn't want to be here. That same adult leader is the one who has been giving us the most problems with motivation herself. It is just hard to see a leader have a bad attitude about things and then see here expecting her youth to have a better attitude.
I have been learning alot about what it means to live in the "gutter." I know that Lincoln County might not be a gutter compared to downtown Los Angeles but it is a gutter in and of itself. I think that gutters exist anywhere that there are needy people, whether that is spiritual need or financial need. I have been wondering how I can transition from living in the gutter here to the gutters I am going to experience back home and at school. Just pray that I can continue the momentum from this summer into the fall and rest of the year. I have learned so much already and I don't want to let this fade away.

WEEK EIGHT

Wow, I am halfway through the summer and it seems like just yesterday that we started here in West Virginia. This week is our largest week yet with 76 participants and I am loving it! The energy and excitement these kids bring is amazing and it really motivates me to do the best I can for them. I know that last week was really tough, both on me and my teammates, so this week is a needed adjustment. With so many people here this week we are able to do more ministry sites throughout the community. We are working on three work sites and also hosting a Kids Club program. I got to go to an old elementary school yesterday where we are tearing down their old playground equipment and building a new one for them. It was really hot out yesterday, like 97, but everybody worked really hard and we got alot of things accomplished. I find that casting vision for these ministries can be hard at times. These kids understand that they are on a mission trip but sometimes when they don't see the direct impact of their work they begin to wonder if what they are doing really matters. This is something that I am learning as well and at times it is hard to motivate them. This week's kids are really hard workers and I am having fun getting to work beside them and learn more about them. I mentioned earlier in the summer how it was hard getting attached to the kids and then having to say goodbye to them on Friday. Well, this week is going to be one of those hard goodbyes!
Weekends are always fun around here but this past one was really good. We all went up to Charleston for an area retreat with the staff from four other YouthWorks sites. We had a great time eating together and just hanging out. After that, we headed back to our site because we had an area contact here who was celebrating a birthday. Sunday mornings are also growing more interesting. We got a new pastor at our church and we lost our piano player. This means that we have to use a computer to play all the music which creates a problem because the church is composed of people who are all over 60 years of age! I helped out last week with the computer and volunteered to run it during the service. I know it wasn' tmuch but the people all appreciated it because the week before was really a trainwreck regarding the use of hte computer! It feels good to get involved inside of a church body that really cares for one another.
Continue praying for our ministry here in West Virginia. God is answering prayers, especially my prayers for confidence in my speaking role. I only ask that God continues to keep me humble and continues to work through me as much as possible!

WEEK SEVEN

This week is a little bit different than the others we have had so far. We usually have about 60-70 participants here but due to the 4th of July holiday we only have 30 this week. I never imagined it would change the dynamics of the week so drastically. It seems like everything has changed because there are fewer here this week. CLUBs are especially different because it feels more like a sunday school class instead of a youth group. The kids this week are also a little bit different from the previous groups. I know that I shouldn't compare weeks but it is so hard because last weeks group was amazing. These kids this week are very hard to motivate and they seem like they don't really want to be here most of the time. They are also just different than me and it is hard to relate to many of them. I know that Jesus has called us to love those who are hard to love so this week I am really trying to put myself aside and love on them as much as possible. I know that God is going to use this week to show me some new things regardless of my attitude towards it. I am excited for the 4th of July however and we have some fun things planned. We are taking all the youth to a fireworks show in the evening . Here in Lincoln County they take the 4th of July very seriously and they have some really cool things planned for it. I hope that it is a good time for all.
In my devotions I have been reading through the book of Joshua and learning about God's faithfullness to his nation of Israel. Joshua 1:9 has been a theme verse for me this week as it reminds me to be "Strong and Courageous" in the Lord. I find great peace in knowing that God is here beside me to fight my battles of tiredness, loneliness, and anything else that comes my way. I just need to face them with courage and God will bring me through.
I really am enjoying my time here in WV but at the same time I am really looking forward to being back home and back at school. I tell myself to take one day at a time but it is very easy for me to get anxious about the end of my summer. God has so much more planned to show me and I need to be living in the here and now instead of wishing for the end. Keep up your prayers and God bless!