laughter

This last week at the hostel in Skjolden has been nothing short of amazing... We have hiked, done work projects, studied the Word, lasted through hours of discussion and philosophical conversations with Patrick and Darrell, we have camped, we have laughed, we have cried, we have bonded, and well, basically we've done it all :) haha

praises:
the girls. God has blessed me with an amazing group of girls, each of us struggling through life situations, and yet, each of us holding onto this opportunity for bonding and learning from one another

the leaders. Patrick has done an incredible job leading our team, I praise God for how He is working through Patrick, not only to lead us, but also to challenge us and spur us on toward growth.

my growth. God has taken hold of my life, challenged me, convicted me, blessed me, rejoiced over me, and shown me His love in ways I have never before experienced.

laughter and freedom. These last two weeks, I have laughed longer, and more frequently, than I have in a very very long time. Also, and along that same line, as God has opened my eyes to who He has made me to be (personality and character traits, passions, etc.) I have felt more freedom and confidence to be the person God has designed me to be than I ever have before.

I love my team. Bonding and relating takes great effort, but oh how its worth it!

prayers:
tomorrow begins our major construction projects on the hostel and throughout the town, pray for energy, strength, consistent and blessed time in the Word.

Wednesday through Friday our international teams will be arriving...pray for us during that time too, being surrounded by 25 other students from starkly different cultures can be overwhelming and tiring...please pray for our girls, that we would continue to grow closer even as more students come and more of our energy is sapped.

Discipleship week begins on Monday...pray that God would prepare our hearts for that time and for all He has for us to learn, for growth, and greater awe of His person, and for even greater unity amongst all our teams as one big team for the week.

that God would continue preparing us for Latvia, its about two weeks away, might He do in, and through, us more than we could ever ask or imagine.

All praise be to the Lord of lords and the King of kings!
I love you guys! thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement!