MISSION TRAINING!!

24/7 first years from florida and alabama united this weekend as we adventured into something that when at the end of it, would change us for a lifetime! This week was the week of mission training! For three days straight, our teams were challenged more spiritually, physically, and mentally then i ever thought was possible. Our Team endured meals of duck embrios, cow stomach, oatmeal and crickets, duck feet, pigs feet, and even goat meat...(poor cusko), little sleep in freezing cold weather, and times spent alone that left us falling on our faces...literally! With God, through prayer, and the constant encouragement from one another, we all finished the race with our helds held high...that was until we fell to our knees with tears thankful that it was over. twentyfourseven is an amazing program, and through this training my relationship with God has become even more intimate! He is amazing, so big and so powerful with so much love you can find yourself drowning in it! I've learned that he equips his children with the strength and courage to face any challenge that may come thier way, and even though it seems God is distant, he's not...he is always near. This event has caused the rope that has been tied around our team to be pulled even tighter, we will not fall if we all stand together. In the midst of every challenge when it seemed that it couldn't get much worse, knowing my team was right there with me made it possible! i love these people, and i am thankful that the good lord placed them in my life!! I have a feeling our three weeks in Mexico is going to be AWESOME!! i cant wait!

lessons along the way

Although 24/7 has been jam packed with a lot of laughs, it definitely hasn't been all fun and games. There are hard lessons to be learned in this program and they come at the most unexpected times. This program, this team, this season in my life, has led God to do some incredible reconstruction and transformation inside of me. He has exposed wounds i never knew i had, softened my heart, and has led me to fall to my knees out of complete humility. I have learned that no matter how legit you think your excuse is, it's never good enough, it's still just an excuse! He has used others to point out my blind spots and changing because of it, rather than becoming upset with it, has been challenging to say the least, but i remain grateful. Grateful because God has created an environment for my team where we can all fail safely, without being scarred or bruised. We all fall short of the glory of God, and i am incredibly thankful for the support, encouragement, and love that pours out of every single one of my teammates! God is so awesome and there is nothing that he can't do! He continues to ROCK MY WORLD!

Vision

these past couple of weeks have been so great! It seems the more i go after God and the more passionate i become about knowing his heart, the more he speaks to me. i feel he is speaking to me more clearly then he ever has before. Its made me realize, how often i got caught up in daily routines before 24/7..just kind of talking to God when i found the time. But since this program started, i've been freed from all of that and ive been able to seek him without distraction and hes blowing me away!!

our team went to the beach for worship the other day and i really just started thanking God for all the tiny details he had been taking care of in my life. It seemed like the small prayers i was sending up to him were being answerd, so then i began praying about bigger things. i specifically asked him about the vision he had for me, my purpose in life. and only moments later he answered me. I cant reveal what it was, but its a day i will never forget. All i can say is that when God calls you to do something, whether it be praying for another individual, speaking out or standing up, BE OBEDIANT...IT CHANGES LIVES!!! IT CHANGES THE WORLD!! God looks for those who are going to be obediant to his calling, and if you don't do it, he will find someone who will. take a chance and be a blessing to someone else. be brave. be bold. and be couragous. he will never let you fall!

ScAvEnGeR hUnT!~*

Team juice box (Spencer, Courtney and I) dominated in our first 24/7 scavenger hunt...in a matter of 45 minutes we raced (OK only 10 mph over the speed limit) across town to ask an elderly couple to make out before Spencer dropped to one knee in order to propose to the nice lady ;) just to hop back in the car and hit up walmart where i dressed like a thug (black bandanna, baggy pants and all) while Spencer rode a tricycle, and Courtney desperately searched for the "lost list!" (hmmm....what do you know q-tips for 2.47! ha!!) Looking for a roll of toilet paper, i sprinted to the women's bathroom, where much to my surprise, there on the garbage can was an old roll just waiting for me to snatch it up! After only a few minutes in wally world we drove onto Cortez (hit every green light...i think God was on our side) to find a McDonald's with a play place, snap a picture and head over to Whitney's where we gathered for team time! i love you Eluetheros...never a dull moment here in 24/7! ya'll make me laugh!!

BACK FROM TEXAS

Just returned home after a long and exhausting week and 1/2 in Texas City, Texas. For those of you who don't watch the news, Hurricane Ike swept through Texas a little under three weeks ago, leaving it a complete disaster. Our 24/7 team arrived at Fellowship Church last Wednesday and got right to work preparing hot meals for citizens in the surrounding cities who were still without power. We tore it up doing what we love to do...making Jesus famous!! Throughout the week our team split up into groups and traveled to several different homes and buisnesses helping the owners clean up and clear out. It's heavy on the heart watching people take everything they have ever worked for, and tossing it to the curb. Block after block was nothing but piles of warped and molded trash, although one mans trash is another mans treasure as our own Ron found a nice cowboy hat laying along side the road:) Along the way we met an amazing couple, Elijah and Kori, who although lost everything they had, still remained hopeful with their eyes locked upon the Lord. It was an amazing oppportunity to help them out, encourage them, and pray for them as well.Whitney and I were blessed with the opportunity to pray for several families as they lined up at the church for a hot meal and a bag of groceries. Its such a moving experience realizing that some people just needed a simple prayer in order to restore lost hope. I love when God works through us in life changing ways! Although we worked until our fingers bled, we didnt let that stop us from having a little fun. We ended most nights with an enormous game of hide and seek, a movie on the big screen, and even some putt putt golf! To end the trip Pastor Justin and Stefanie took us to Houston to attend Joel Olsteens church! It was pretty amazing!! I am so proud of our team! Through this trip we were stretched some, we grew some, we laughed some and we cried some but all in all we got to see the hands and feet of God at work, and nothing can beat that!!