What a fun and bittersweet week! This is our last week in Oregon, so we finished all of our tasks that needed to be completed. We said goodbyes, traveled some, and continued to serve the Lord!
On Monday we went to the church plant in Yreka, California for the last time. Each mission team that came to Living Hope came down to the church in Yreka so they could see the vision for the church and help with repairs. We would not have been able to get so much done if it wasn't for the help of the mission teams! We finished painting the ceiling and the walls in the fellowship room. We are basically professional painters now haha. The fellowship room will be where the church will meet on Sundays, so they are getting this section of the church ready to be in first! I have learned so much about church planting, signs of a dead church, financial things, and cleaning/organizing in my time in Yreka. It has been such a blessing being able to be a small part in the process of the replant!
On Tuesday we started to put up some things from basketball camps and reorganize everything. Miah and I had coffee with the college pastors wife. I have loved being able to make relationships with so many people here! It has been awesome to learn from so many people that we have met here! That afternoon we were able to have a lunch with the staff and debrief Christmas in July, and we also went to a nearby lake for the rest of the afternoon! I have loved getting to see more of God's beautiful creation during my time here! On Wednesday Miah and I were able to hang out with one of our local friends in Medford. We had our last discipleship with the girl we are discipling. The growth that we have seen in her is so awesome! The Lord is going to use her in so many awesome and powerful ways! Since she has become a believer she is truly a new person and desires to love and serve the Lord more! I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to pour into her during our time here! She is an answered prayer for me because after the school year I wanted to start discipling somebody. Being able to disciple her this summer has taught me so so much! I also practiced with the worship band for the last time. I have learned a lot this summer about leading worship especially in the Pacific Northwest culture. I am so thankful that I am able to use the gifts that God has given me for His glory! The youth had a water event tonight so we had a water slide kickball game, hundreds of water balloon fights, and good food. It was so fun to end youth with a big event! Most of the youth who attend on Wednesday night do not go to church anywhere on Sunday and most of them have never been to church before. Living Hope does a really good job of reaching the nones and dones (people who do not got to church and people who have been hurt by the church). After youth us interns and a few of our friends went to play volleyball at a local park for the last time. Playing volleyball almost every week has taught me that even in the day to day moments, whether they are simple or fun, I can be a light for Jesus. We met so many people our age who are not Christian and we were able to talk about Jesus with them! We were able to get some people connected with people at Living Hope, so that hopefully they will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Playing volleyball reminded me of how easy it is to talk about Jesus in everyday things.
On Thursday us interns went with some church staff and members to Eugene, Oregon. We were able to walk on Oregon's campus, see their famous track field (Hayward Field), and buy some Oregon merch. We also all tried the reaper chicken at Dave's Hot Chicken, and that is for sure the hottest thing I have ever put in my mouth. It was so fun to be able to see more of this beautiful state. That night Pastor Shawn and his family had us interns and some other Living Hope staff for a going away dinner for us. We reflected on our past two months here in Oregon, we played games, and had some good food. I am very thankful for the leadership at Living Hope. At the beginning of the summer it took me a while to understand the reasoning behind some things they did because it is different from what I've been used to in the south, but now looking back I have seen a deeper side of ministry that I have not been able to see before.
On Friday we went to help a staff member at Living Hope clean up some debris around his new house. Something with ministry that we have done several times is helping people with some of the tasks that they cannot do themselves. Ministry isn't just about what happens inside the walls of the church building. It is about ministering to the people who make up the walls inside the church building. If we only cared about people on Sunday and Wednesday nights then that would not show them the love of Jesus and how much we care for them. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus! We are called to love and serve Him, and one way we do that is by loving and serving others! Friday night we had dinner with another staff member and His family. We played games, ate some good barbeque, and laughed a lot! Another thing that I am grateful for from this summer is how we genuinely had fun while we were working. There were some tasks that we did that could have gotten old really quick, but we knew that what we were doing was serving the Lord and His people!
On Saturday we were able to join the churches annual rafting trip on the Rogue River. It was also raining some this morning! Today is the first time I have seen rain since I have been in Oregon, so this was a big deal! We all split into groups and started rafting down the river. There were some other people from the church meeting us for lunch at a camping spot on the river. We had an awesome time of fellowship with Living Hope, and one of the girls doing Summer Project through Engage got baptized! After this break at the campground we headed back out on the water and rafted some more! I had never been rafting before, so I was loving this! After every group finished rafting we went and got some good ice cream (always an essential)! That night a group of us went to watch the stars! We were able to see the milky way and I learned about some new constellations. I couldn't help think of the worship song "So Will I". Part of the chorus says, "And as you speak A hundred billion galaxies are born In the vapour of Your breath the planets form If the stars were made to worship so will I." If God's creation worships Him and shouts Him praises then how much more should I! I am made in God's image, and I am a daughter of Jesus Christ!!
On Sunday we had church at Living Hope! For the music we played I'll Fly Away to give the westerners a glimpse into how southerners play it! It was so much fun, and the congregation was clapping and into the song! I have loved getting to use the gifts and talents that the Lord has given me in Oregon this summer! It has been such a blessing to be able to be apart of worship on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights! After church Miah and I hosted about twenty people at our house and cooked food for them as a thank you for pouring into us this summer! I could go on and on about how well people loved us this summer and how kind they were to us! We ended the night with watching the sunset on a nearby mountain! On Monday we had breakfast with some of our friends and some staff! After breakfast we headed to the airport and late that day ended up with our families!
As I reflect on my time in Oregon I am thankful! I am thankful for the opportunity that I had to learn more about all different types of ministry, and see what ministry on a daily basis looks like! I learned so so many awesome things this summer, so I will tell one thing I learned this summer. During our time in Oregon we did not have anyone come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but we did get to share the gospel and talk about Jesus a lot to people who did not know Jesus. A big thing we did was try to make relationships with people whether they knew Jesus or didn't. Our friends who weren't christians we showed the love of Christ to by our actions and words. Even though every sentence wasn't about Jesus they were able to see a glimpse into who Jesus is by looking at our lives! On Sunday we had one of our friends who isn't a Christian come to church with us! It took all summer for her to come to church with us, but through us continually talk about what we are doing at the church and talk about Jesus the girl came to church! She was able to hear more about Jesus and how He can save her! I am excited to use this method of sharing the gospel back home! For years I have always learned about so many different methods and ways to share the gospel, but this summer I learned how important it is to make relationships. By choosing to be somebody's friend, hang out with them, and care for them shows how Jesus cared for the people who were sinners. It puts your words into actions.
What you can pray for:
Continue to pray for Living Hope Church. The church has now been a running church for nine years, and God has so much more to do! Pray that Living Hope will reach so many people with the gospel! Pray for the staff as they continue to be a light in this dark world.
Pray for the church replant in Yreka, California. The church is continuing to make renovations and get everything ready for their opening. Pray for the current attenders of the church as so many new additions and adjustments are being made. There is not a healthy baptist church within one hundred miles, so this church has so much potential to reach people with the gospel. Pray a blessing over this church that the Lord will use this body of believers to be a light in their dark community!
All of the families that we connected with through Christmas in July will become connected with a local church and will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The students that I have connected with at youth each week will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will be discipled, and will be a light for Jesus in their schools, homes, and everywhere they go. Also as I have mentioned many of the students do not have the best homelives, so pray for their families as well!
The eleven girls/ladies that are not saved, and who I was able to talk about Jesus with. These women have been on my heart a lot lately, so pray that their hearts will be open to the gospel. Pray that they will be obedient to the Lord, and accept Him as their Lord and Savior!
Engage, the college ministry through Living Hope Church at a nearby college, is having the opportunity and will have a bigger opportunity in the fall to reach a lot of people with the gospel. Pray that the Lord will equip Jordin, the college pastor, and the Engage team with the wisdom and knowledge of how to share the gospel with the people they come in contact with!
Pray for revival in Medford, Oregon, and Yreka, California. There are many people who are not saved and who have never heard about Jesus. I met many people who struggle with drugs, anxiety, depression, lack of trust and commitment, and so many other things. The only way to become free of those strongholds is to have Jesus as their Lord and Savior! The same goes for anyone in the world!
The girl that Miah and I were able to disciple. She is going to continue to be discipled by someone at the church. Pray that she will grow in her relationship with the Lord and will then disciple other girls. The girl has had a rough homelife and two years ago she was a completely different person than she is now! I have seen the Lord work in her life in so many awesome ways just during the short time that we've been here!
Pray for the youth group. They are averaging about twenty kids a week, and most of these kids do not go to church on a Sunday morning. Being at youth is most likely their first time to hear about Jesus. Pray that these kids will continue to stay in the youth group and will come be saved. Pray that these kids will be a light for Jesus in their households, in their schools, in their friend group, and in their town!
I am super grateful for these two months in Oregon! I have learned so much, made some sweet friendships, gotten to see so many beautiful sights, and I am leaving as a better person than when I arrived here! As always, thank yall for encouraging, supporting, and praying for me!
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