Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Over the last few summers God has taken me to amazing places. Right after high school I got to fly to South Korea and spend the summer teaching English with Awana Korea. (You can read little Amy's thoughts about that summer here. I've grown a little since writing that first blog.) The next summer I went to West Palm Beach, Florida to work with inner city youth. During those winters I got to be an English teacher at an Awana Korea English camp in Orlando. Then last summer God took me to France, Portugal, and Northern Ireland to learn from different ministries and missionaries on the continent I feel led to serve. (You can look through the old posts on this blog to learn more about those adventures.) I have been going out every chance I get.
This summer is kind of weird. I'm not going anywhere. Well, I am. But I'm not. It has been almost a year since I got on an airplane. And now, in my last summer before graduation, I'm staying put in Spokane and Cheney. God is using me to make disciples at my church.
So here I am at Cheney Community Church. We no longer have a youth pastor. I stepped into the role of youth director as the church summer intern. We re-started the youth group in March after a 5-month hiatus. We now average 15 students at Monday night youth group; some nights we reach upwards of 20 students. Other college students stepped in as fellow youth leaders and we have a parent committee that prepare dinners for us and help promote the youth group in the church.
Finals are now over and the summer is rolling in. God is still preparing me for missionary life. This summer I get to practice the administration side of ministry. I get to work behind-the-scenes of organizing youth group nights, Bible study lessons, VBS, and youth events... possibly even a mission trip! And while working back stage I also get the blessing of interacting with the students all summer long. I get to teach, encourage, and play with some of the coolest kids I've ever met. The Lord has even given me an opportunity to be a camp counselor at my students' Awana camp in August.
My friend Casey brilliantly summed up my summer saying, "Isn't that rad? God can show someone the world and be like, 'but for this season I need you here.'"
I may not be going out this summer, but staying put will be quite the adventure.
