once upon a time...

it seems like the farther we get into project, the busier our schedule becomes! this past weekend was action-packed with fun outings and deep interactions that left me dually energized and exhausted. also, i realize i haven't been posting as many photos this year, so...in an effort to correct that, how about a few illustrated short stories from the past few days.

there once were five very-out-of-place Trojans. each of them traveled far from the reaches of their Pac-10 homeland, into the realm of those humidity-lovin', sweet-tea-drinkin' SEC fans. they did it, well, because God wanted them to. and, He blessed them for it! one friday afternoon, they were reunited atop the Daytona Beach pier and feasted together at Crabby Joe's. fun and fellowship were enjoyed by all.




deep in the wooded wilderness of central Florida is a magical place called Blue Springs. there, young and old gather to dip into the cool waters of a bubbling fresh water spring. one day, fending off manatees and alligators alike, a group of college students arrived at this very spring. they spent the afternoon drifting with current down the river and diving down into the heartbeat of the spring. later, they channeled their inner Seminole and canoed up the St. John's. the cool water of this natural hideaway refreshed them for the busy days of ministry ahead. (no alligators were harmed--or seen--in the making of this story.)






then there were a group of senior citizens who thought it would be a good idea to start a church. they called it Colony Community, and they opened their doors to anyone who would join them--including a handful of college students away from home for the summer. well, one week, it was fathers' day, and all of the men at Colony got up to sing. they sported their tacky ties and bellowed out a hymn to the likes of which no one had yet heard. afterward, they decided to celebrate with brunch. two of Colony's finest, eunice and ed, joined the college students every week for lunch. they blessed the students so much with their time, stories, and yummy baked goods.






the busy students finished off their weekend by ministering to the kids in the juvenile detention centers. for 2 hours, they shared their own stories with these teens and listened as the teens recounted stories of their own. then the students told them the most epic story of all time--a story about a Father who desperately loved His children and would never leave or abandon them; a Father who, compelled by love, sacrificed His son; a Father who yet desires to have a relationship with us. they invited them to adopt this story as their own.

storytelling aside, this visit is one of the most emotional, deep experiences of Summer Project. it causes students to think about the exceeding demand for the Gospel that, too often, we match with lukewarm non-effort. here were kids wanting and waiting to hear us! in light of the story that we know to be true, let us each go forth and speak boldly!

<3katie

p.s. 2 weeks and counting...please pray for me to 'number my days aright' (ps. 90) and make the most of time with my students! as always, thanks for reading and for praying!