Summer.

I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Matthew 25:40

I realize that it has been quite the long time since I have updated this with anything of real substance and for that I apologize.  A lot has happened over these last few months and there is still more to come. I'll give just a brief recap of what my life has been like recently...

~ I co-led a team to Newcastle and Manchester for 8 weeks where we were able to be involved in all sorts of different things from renovating a house, volunteering at an international students cafe, being involved in many sports/football ministries, creative evangelism, gardening, leading church services, passing out water bottles at 1AM, and so much more.  It really was such an incredible time.  As it turns out, leading an outreach team is hard work but I had such a great team around me and I know that God has really done so much not just in my own life but the lives of all those on my team and the people we were able to work with and meet.  There may not have been a whole lot of getting to see all the fruits of our labor but it's just about knowing and trusting in what God brought us there to do and that what we did really made a difference.

~ We came back to the base for a week of debrief as well as preparing for the first of several big events here on the base called Circuit Riders.  This was an intense 2 weeks of teaching and evangelism with 200 people from all over.  There was so much passion and excitement in all the people that came for the simple purpose of telling people about Jesus.  This was a very interesting 2 weeks for me as it was definitely not something that I was used to and really challenged me in what I really believe in and why.  It has begun to change the way I think and what my motives really are in what I'm doing.  It really has taught me to think of my relationship with God in a new way.  Things have been so busy and my head has been going a million miles an hour it seems so that relationship fell a bit.  During this, I really was able to see more of who God is and what this relationship with Him could look like.  Because that's what it's all about, it's about relationship with God and living out of that.  I'm still learning.

~ ALL HANDS ON DECK.  These days consisted of the entire base community coming together setting up a whole lot of tents in the back field, putting up giant blow up marquees (what an adventure), cleaning toilets and showers, wearing bright green vests directing people where to park and so much more work around the base to accommodate a crazy number of people over the summer.

The next week long event to be hosted here was called Go 4 Glory which focused on using arts and sports in evangelism.  So that meant a lot of creativity - dance, art, sport - on the oval as well as 200 people.  The DAY they all left, another group of over 400 people descended on the oval for the first of the Olympic outreaches.  This meant cleaning, and more cleaning and more setting up of lots of chairs and registration and all that.  These are all people who are going to be going into London for the time of the Olympics to do outreach with churches in London and other events.  The people here on the base have been working so hard to make all of this happen and they have done it with incredible joy.  It's been amazing to see it all happen.  And this is just the beginning.

Which brings me to now.  Tomorrow - Friday, June 27 - The Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games is happening.  Oh, and I'll be in London for that.  I am going with a team into East London, just 30 minutes away from the Olympic Village, to work with a church which is doing some amazing things in the area.  We had a prayer time about it and we felt that God really wants us to just bring so much life to this place.  I'm so excited to go and I'm so excited to see what God does.

One of the biggest things that God has been speaking to me about in these last couple weeks has been simply about His love.  I have such a greater desire to really know that love; to know that love that changes hearts.  It is out of knowing this love that I can do what He asks me to do and it is out of this love that people can change and have the love and joy and life that God wants all of us to know.  I realized on the first 8 weeks of outreach that I am capable of absolutely nothing on my own.  But it is knowing this and trusting in God's strength that makes me capable.  It is about ceasing striving and just being knowing that I am loved and that God delights in me.  Simplicity.

So that's what's been going on!  I know that's only a small glimpse of things but I hope it suffices for you.


* Pictures were not my own.