My Family

My team and I just finished our first week working at each of our service sites! It was a busy week. It was a new week. But is was also a good week. 

Our team is becoming more like family as Philly is starting to become more like home. It is crazy to think we have only been here for 3 weeks; it seems like months. 

I linked a few of my housemates blogs in the sidebar --->
so if you want to find out more about our awesome north Philly adventures, check them out!

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Prayer

• for rest 
• for healthy food choices as we go grocery shopping and cook meals
• for areas of commonality with our neighbors that will lead to blessed and easy conversations. We do not always want to be viewed as the new young white neighbors; we want to just be friends.  

Touring the City; SEPTA day.

Last week we spent a day getting comfortable with public transportation and got to visit a bunch of different places around the city. 

Here are a few pictures from the day! 

Liberty Bell

Benjamin Franklin Bridge (to New Jersey)

City Hall

Art Museum/ Rocky Statue 

Basically we are really awesome. 

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Prayer

• We all start work at our service sites on Monday, so prayer for calm nerves and good first impressions would be greatly appreciated.
• Also prayer for safety and a good sense of direction so that we do not get lost as we travel alone on public transportation for the first time. 
• Constant prayer for us as a community as we continue to learn how to relate to one another.
• Prayer for our neighborhood and church as we try to integrate ourselves into their existing communities. 
• Prayer for rest. 

North Philly!

I am now a resident of North Philly!!

My team and I moved into our apartment on the third floor of a ministry site (Teen Haven) last friday, and we already feel like close family. 

We have all bonded well and each day I get more and more excited for what the year will bring. 

This past week (as well as next week) we have had orientation and training.  And during our free time we go out and try to meet our neighbors.  Today we even got to navigate the public transportation systems as we try to learn more about our new home. For the next 5 weeks we will all be on a technology fast (sans Friday's).  While at times it may seem hard, I am excited for the opportunities this fast will provide for our team as we aim to be fully present here in Philadelphia. 

I will be starting at my service site on the 17th and while I am a bit nervous, I am also really excited. 

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prayer
- for continued team bonding
- for our neighborhood
- for Hunting Park Christian Academy (my service site)
- for rest

Mission Year!

I'm going to Philadelphia for a year!! 


I leave August 31st and could not be more excited. 


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Prayer

• for team dynamics
• for flexibility as I adapt to a very different lifestyle
• for boldness as I seek to share all the God has done in my life as I serve those around me
• for the local people I will interact with and build relationships with

Where to next?

Recently I have been praying over what God wants for me and where and if I should go somewhere this spring.

I am trying to be open.

I am trying to be honest.

I am trying to be bold. And patient.

I am praying over applying to go to Peru, inner city LA, or inner city Chicago for this spring.

Join the adventure.

On the road again (but not off the road again)

I am going to Michigan tomorrow.

I get to see some family members that I love dearly. And it has been far too long since I last saw them.

I pray that God will bless my trip and my travels.

Ensenada.

I spent about a week with high school students in Ensenada, Mexico. I am constantly amazed how God works through the youth and young generations.

I watched teenagers in the wake of trying to figure out who they are, and who they want to be, give up weeks of their summer to serve and glorify God. with their time. money. energy. love.

It was amazing.

Each day they woke up. did devotionals. spent time with their ministry partners. worked at a work site (building walls, pouring/mixing cement, putting up lath, stuccoing....) prepared for VBS. played with kids (made crafts, memory verses, bible stories, and shared snack) debriefed. shared testimonies. and then sang songs.

God has blessed me immensely this summer. And it was awesome to get to see God use the people around me to bless each other. little children become blessings to adults. adults blessings to teenagers. teenagers blessings to me. It was great. God is great.

amazing what smiles can do.

it was a blessing to spend the week with my father.

love her and her shenanigans.

one of the houses we helped work on.

Samual and Jemina.

they showed up early every day so we could play together longer.