Arizona 2019

This is the trip I look forward to. The 41 hour bus ride from Pennsylvania to Arizona…the 7 days working on the Navajo Reservation in Window Rock, and the 2 days camping in Ouray, Colorado. I love every minute of it.

I am so grateful for these past 11 days. It seems like we’ve been with these students trekking across the country for a year. The number of relationships that were established was so encouraging. Kids who had known each other for years yet never really took the time to get to know each other are now friends.

The students worked hard painting houses, tearing off and putting on a new roof, ripping out what seemed like a never-ending amount of weeds, and learning about Navajo life.

My boyfriend had the opportunity to baptize a student at Molas Pass in Colorado which is where I was saved last year. And another student came to Christ. It was such a God centered trip. God is so good. The come to Jesus moments were beautiful and I am so blessed I was able to be there with the students.

I can’t wait for next year.

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My Born Again Story

The past couple days in Colorado have been a whirlwind. From seeing new things for the first time to camping with my youth kids and fellow leaders….it’s been a lot to take in. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yesterday on our drive in Colorado we stopped at Molas Pass, our incredible driver and friend read Psalm 104 as we were standing on the side of a mountain looking out over the mountains and sky that surrounded us. After he read we were encouraged to go out into the wilderness and pray on what he read. Just think about it and really chew on what was said.

I sat on a tiny rock, it had just rained and the ground was damp, I took out my journal and I wrote what surrounded me. In that moment I felt a tug on my heart and it was as if massive flood gates were opened. I bursted into ugly tears. God was talking to me on the side of that mountain. I was exhausted and defeated and constantly in a struggle trying to keep control over my own life. God had never once been in the drivers seat. He had never once been first in my life.

I broke down. Poured my heart out to Him. And I asked Christ to come into my heart and save me. I asked for forgiveness and for His Hand to guide me and protect me. I became a Christian, a Christ follower, for the first real time yesterday.

Jubilant is a good word to use to begin to describe the emotions I was feeling. Ecstatic. Overwhelmed. Nervous. But filled with an incredible high that I’d never felt before.

Today whilst standing in a hot spring in Colorado I spoke to our student ministries director about it. He was ecstatic, so excited, tears in his eyes. I said I’m hoping to get baptized when I go back home and he looked at me and said “why not now?” Why not now? I thought. He wanted to make sure it was okay with my parents. I called my mom. They were okay with it. Excited for me. But they wanted to be there. So Jayme, one of my best friends and sister in Christ FaceTimed my parents and they watched as all my youth kids and fellow leaders gathered around us in the hot spring.

Jeff explained what was going to happen. Asked me to tell everyone my story and why I wanted to be baptized. And then he asked me if I was going to follow Christ. I was then dunked into the hot spring surrounded by my loving friends and my parents watching. They prayed over me. And each person gave me a hug.

I’m currently standing in the campground bathroom while my phone is charging so I can document this. I don’t want to ever forget this.

I’m a Christian. A baptized born again Christian. I am loved. I am in a family of accountability partners. And I’m saved. I am saved from a life of constantly battling myself.

I am His.