I'm not good with titles

Would it be wrong to say that this place feels like home?? It feels like that more everyday. I can honestly say that there is a strong sense of community living with my brothers and sisters. It's insane to think that I didn't know some of them a few weeks ago with how close we are now. The roads we drive on are becoming so familiar. I could probably give you directions to the Hope House. These are my home streets now, and they will be for another eight weeks. And the beautiful faces I get to interact with have quickly stolen my heart and made this feel even more like home.

We endured a bumpy twelve hour trip to Bongolo. I could make that drive sound awful but I won't because it wasn't as all. The purpose of our trip was for it to serve as a team bonding and prayer retreat. While we were there, Tim went over different ministries that we would be able to get involved in this summer. After spending time prayerfully considering where the Lord was leading us, we came together to share. During my quiet time listening last week, I was reminded of the passion Christ has given me for children. You see, I was really hesitant to say the Hope House because I knew that is what I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure it was where God was leading. I was reminded that those children are just as important as any other person I meet, that they belong to Jesus, and that those kids need love just as next as the next person. I don't have much to offer this summer, no special talents or skills, but I can love those kids, so that is what I will be doing. Everyone shared what the Lord was leading them to get involved in and Tim released us from a spirit of 'do' and into a spirit of 'being'. Yep, that's right, Tim and Meredith don't care what tasks we accomplish this summer because they both understand that we are here for a much greater purpose. This summer will never be about the things we are getting done, but it will instead be about the people we are becoming. Sometimes this is harder than other times. It seems easy to not worry about everything that needs to get done sometimes, and let the Holy Spirit work on who HE is transforming me into. Other times, my westernized view of tasks tells me that I need to get a task completed in a certain amount of time or a billion other things won't be able to follow. My job this summer is to be. That is all.

The task of being does NOT mean that I do absolutely nothing. It DOES mean that my focus is not on the tasks, but instead on what God is doing in me and through me. So let me share a little about that. Currently, I am reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I have gotten very far in it, but already I am challenged by how much I actually led the Holy Spirit lead in my moment- by- moment life. I have a lot of quiet time here (we aren't TOO busy since we are concentrated on the 'being') to think here. It's all good, but sometimes it's hard, because I know that the Holy Spirit is moving and continuing to break and transform me into who I am in Christ. At home and at school, I ignore those quiet moments and try to avoid them. Let's face it, it sure is easy to avoid what the Spirit is doing. But now I find myself face-to-face with silence and what is happening is beautiful. So I encourage you to set aside the tasks of your day, and just 'be'. 'Be' in the presence of the Lord and let HIM work on who you are meant to 'be'.

In the introduction of Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes, “ The benchmark of success in church services has become more about attendance that the movement of the Holy Spirit.”

I would even go on to revamp that and say that our lives, ( mine included) has become more about success and tasks than the movement of the Holy Spirit. What a tragedy this all is. May we learn to put off all the tasks that keep us from letting the Spirit work, and let our experiences with Him be marked moment-by-moment.