Island 2010

Here I am again, another summer of counseling. But even if I have gone through this before, and even if I have counseled hundreds of other kids, this summer is going to be different. No longer will it be for me, it will be all for Christ.

And that is a challenge.

Prayer would be good, not just for me, but for all of us counselors.

Counseling on the Island is the hardest thing that you can think of for ministry. But it is also the most rewarding. Kids come from all over, the city streets, smoking and drinking, from farms, dancing and partying, from pastors families, going through the motions and pretending. But they all leave with one thing. Knowing the love of Christ. No matter what your back ground is, you can find rest in Him.

And as a counselor, I will be dealing with all those different kids, different backgrounds, different situations at home, but my number one job is to love the Lord my God with all my strength, heart, mind and soul. It is ONLY then that I can do ANYTHING for God. I can be the "best" counselor and hate God, and accomplish nothing eternally; or I can be a "bad" counselor but love God and have miracles happen! Not that you have to be a "bad" counselor to get stuff done for God, but to put it into perspective.

This past two weeks we have gone through training courses, (first aid, counselor behavior, expectations) working on the Island as a unit (a group of guys or girls that through the summer will all counsel together) getting the camp ready for June 26th, and running through the rallies that we will be doing this summer.

It is a great time, but it is also really tiring. I am tired even now, and we don't officially start until tomorrow, when the campers first arrive!

It can be a really hard time, but if you trust God and really allow Him to work in your life, then He will do great things!

This summer is also really good, because my brothers have joined me on the Island, one is a boat boy, he past the test! And the other one will be working in the kitchen as food prep. Adele is also here in New York, but at the Ranch working as a Wrangler (working with horses). Pray for my parents, they are probably pretty lonely at home!

Until my next day off!

IM IDP

Hey! I know that it that it has been a long time since my last update, and it will be a while before my next one, but I wanted to let any who follow this to know what is going on in my life!

Last time I updated I was struggling between what God had planned for me, and whether that was going to Korea or Brazil. Well, the answer is here now, and God is directed my foot steps to BRAZIL!

It wasn't that Korea was a bad place, or that I shouldn't have gone there, it is just that God has plans for me to go to Brazil, and that is the most exciting place I can be!

the next step now is to make it through summer camp. I will be involved in that until August 22nd (more to come on summer camp). I will graduate from second year on the 22nd, and that night we will have some training until the 25th. We will also start Liberty Online classes the 23rd, and then head home on the 25th to start getting really active in raising support, working, and taking online classes.

It will be a stretching, but growing experience! I am really looking forward to it!

In January I will head back here to New York for a week of training, and then there will be a missions conference, where my fellow missionaries in training and I, will be commissioned, in front of all of the students, faculty, and missionaries, and then sent out!

I will be in Brazil from January 2011 till December 2012. It is a long time, but also a life time opportunity, not just for me, but also for all those that I will be able to reach with the Gospel of Christ, which is all that truly matters!