Well - we've been assigned our roles. In regards to Christmas Conference that is. Brandon and myself are in charge of the big meeting, discussion groups, and MCs. We also have pairs working on schedules, quiet time resources, free/fun time, worship, publicity, and the Friday night party. Yes, that's right. Party. It's gunna be awesome!! We're so excited and already had our first meeting to talk run through details.

Today is Friday - usually my team's craziest and longest day because we have staff devotional/worship/sharing in the morning, a time of waiting for the other team to get out of their meeting, lunch in whatever harried form that may partake, some crazy time at home getting out stuff together, puzzling, taking naps, etc...then off to UTEC, and topping it off with our student leader meeting. Today included most of those things, but somehow - it was awesome. Not tiring. It revived me (praise the Lord that I'm an extrovert!). Kristen and I had great conversations with a couple girls from school, and our student leader meeting was somewhat student led (and got out before 10:30!!), which is a blessing in many different ways...

Speaking of extroverts - this team of mine is somewhat obsessed with the Myers Briggs personality test...you know, the EI-SN-FT-PJ one. Well, turns out - I didn't remember what my four letter alias was when I took the test four years ago in an Organizational Behavior class, so I took the test again, skeptical of any legitimate results. Well, results are in - I'm an ESFJ, otherwise known as "the performer." I'd go into details, but I'm sure I'd bore you, going on and on with details all about me! I must admit though, I think I've turned a new leaf and have come to love and accept who I am! haha...While it does have its self-analyzation pro's, it's become more of a huge joke among the team (oftentimes a necessity for our sanity!)

Well, we've figured out how to convert our living room into a movie theater with bomb speakers and a projecter, so I'm off to enjoy the rest of our night together :) Blessings galore!

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exciting news!

So we found out last week that Vida Estudiantil in El Salvador is hosting its first ever Christmas Conference! Christmas Conference in the states is basically a huge week of speakers, seminars, worship, evangelism, and fellowship extravaganza for all the campuses in the entire Pacific Southwest region. It's a big deal in the "Crusade" world, and is an awesome way for students - especially first years- to get excited about their campus, ministry, summer projects, etc. And it's really a great time of simply growing in the Lord, recomitting your life, and getting to come before the Lord in a real way. I went to 2 in my 4 years involved at Cal Poly and loved them. It was such an amazing time of renewal and refreshment for my heart and soul - as cheesy as that sounds...

Anyways, we're so so excited to be in charge of this. We have a goal! Something to work toward! Right now, we have a date. That's about it.

We're staring from the ground up. It's really awesome because we're not recreating a conference from the states. Yes, that's what we know and we'll probably start with those basics, but this is a two day deal, and our minimum desired number of students is 12. twelve. TWELVE. that's tiny. Teensy. nothing. And we know God can do huge things with this. We're going to aim for something more like 50. Really, we just want to trust God in all of this. We need to allow the Lord to have full reign...that our ideas and creativity and agenda would be His own. I'm sure I'll have lots more updates - because this is probably one of the (ministry) things I've been the most excited about in a while since arriving in this blessed country!

ps - thanks for your prayers all! I love and miss everyone...let me know if you have prayer requests! <3

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tonight i almost risked the next five years of my intestinal health by sticking half of a grape in my mouth - only to have kristen lean over and whisper "this fruit hasn't been washed with vegetable wash"...at which point i naturally pretended to take the seed out of the grape, but instead spit the entire thing out and shoved it in my purse stealthily...all while smiling and holding a conversation in spanish. okay. maybe not that last part. but it's crazy - we wash all our fruits and veggies with this idodine 'vegetable wash' so it's legit to eat and doesn't give us parasites, ameobas, fun salvadoranian bugs.

i spit it out. none-the-less. i still stuck half of an unclean grape in my mouth. please dear lord don't let this be the death of me. if i'm going down, i definitely want to go down guns blazing at a pupusa buffet or something...

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ministry update

The other night Trev and Kristen met with Layo and Luchi (the national directors) and Alvin and Sylvia (staff we are working with on our campuses) to discuss basically everything that's not going okay on our team, on these campuses, with the ministry...not to sound like debbie downer, but it was a lot of stuff. Our team of 5 had been facing mounting frustrations in regards to communication, a lack of vision, a lack of unity, and a general misunderstanding on the part of the national staff in regards to our actual role here in El Salvador. Right now we really have no authority or empowerment with this ministry - and it's been quite crippling. Luckily, words were exchanged in love, gentleness, and grace with our staff. They have such great hearts for students to come to know Christ; we just need to rethink the best way to do that on these campuses.

Tonight we are going to do ministry (bible study groups) at UTEC, and then we're meeting with Alvin and Sylvia to discuss options for completely overhauling the Friday leadership "planning" meetings. This will basically be the first time we will get to voice our opinions, our ideas, and brainstorm together as a team in creating a vision for the student leaders. Needless to say - it's all quite exciting! We want to work together, to learn from each other, to hear each other...

I pray that God would be faithful to lay his will over our own - that we wouldn't pursue our own agenda or try to do this in our own power, but that we would be continually seeking the Lord for a wondrous vision for UFG and UTEC.

It's been an interesting journey thus far - and we're all pretty positive that there's a ton of work left to go, but we praise God for the work that He's done and is continuing to do here!!

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Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions,
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you , you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother
conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the
inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise...
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart...

We read this Psalm (half spanish / half english of course!) this morning at our weekly devotionals with the other Crusade staff. I was so encouraged by David's desire to not only be cleansed of his sin - but completely renewed in spirit. Layo spoke about the ineffectiveness of our ministry when our hearts are fully in it; aren't 100% committed and submitted to the Lord.
After the last two stressful weeks, today was a breath of fresh air. I've been convicted of my (not so holy) attitude at times and sincerely want to be transformed like David. I know my sins are forgiven. I know the Lord washes away my iniquities...but we're called to go one step further. Full time ministry requires that my will be submitted before His thrones, in order that God's will can be made known and accomplished. This has been my prayer - and I hope it will continue to be! "...renew a steadfast spirit within me...grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me...and my mouth will declare your praise."

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