The past six weeks have included some of the hardest but most fruitful days of my life. I have continually been reminded and seen evidence of the Lord’s favor. God graciously bestows his kindness upon us, and I am learning to recognize it in small and big ways.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19

The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and he invites us to partner with him as obedient vessels. As his final words before ascending to heaven, Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations. Then, he promises that he will be with us always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). Wherever God leads, he is already there. I have been holding fast to this truth. In the lowest valley, he is there. On the mountain top, he is there. He weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice.

Thank you, God, for choosing to use me as your ambassador. All glory is yours! I am humbled and grateful that he is sending me to proclaim His name, and I have hope of proclaiming this to be a year of the Lord’s favor.

Sweet memories from the second two weeks of training camp: 

- Hiking Yonah Mountain
This was a really cool and special time with my squad. We worked together to carry our injured squad mate up then down the mountain, had a campfire and roasted hotdogs and s'mores, did star tipping, and slept in hammocks beside each other outlooking the majestic beauty of God. It was a less than twenty-four-hour adventure that holds several dear memories.

TEAM REVEL

- Shabbat dinner with Team Revel 
Shabbat means "rest", and it is Jewish tradition to have a Shabbat dinner the evening before Sabbath. My team leader, Milly, set up a dinner for us to celebrate Sabbath and give glory to God for the previous week.

- Walmart Evangelism
During a trip to Walmart, my teammate, Karoline, and I met a homeless man who shared a lot of his story with us. He has been through incredibly hard things throughout his life which includes a recent housefire and losing most of his earthly possessions. I was amazed by this man's love for the Lord and knowledge of the Word of God. It was a gift to spend about an hour with him - listening to his stories, being encouraged by him then offering him encouragement, and praying for him. According to the world's standards, this man is immensely poor, but he is a rich man because of his relationship with Jesus Christ. 

I have spent the past two weeks in Jackson, Kentucky serving the Lord with Samaritan's Purse. In July, the city flooded, and many people are still experiencing its effects. We went for the purpose of offering them hope through the good news of Jesus Christ and serving them practically by removing belongings and helping get their home to a place of rebuild. It was an eye-opening experience, and it is evident that God is at work there. Souls were saved, people were baptized, marriages being restored, faith increased, and the name of Jesus being proclaimed. As we cleaned out homes and broke things down in order that they might be restored, I was continually reminded of the Lord's pursuit on our hearts. He seeks to cleanse our filthy sinfulness and tear down what is not from him so that we may be transformed and restored as his beloved children.

SP Team - Week One

On October 5th, I turned 18! It was by far a birthday that looked like no other. At 6:30am, I did the chicken dance and flipped a cake in the air. Didn't ever think that's how I would spend the morning of my 18th birthday, but I'm grateful that it was. Then my team headed to our site for the day, and I spent nearly five hours with the homeowner that afternoon. It was a sweet time reading her God's Word, listening to her testimony and many stories throughout her and her family's lives, encouraging her, and spending time in prayer. To end the day, my squad went to Dairy Queen to celebrate. It was a day I'll long remember and thank God for.

Please pray that my heart would be transformed by His truth and the joy of the Lord would be my strength. Also, as my squad leaves for Nicaragua this Saturday, October 15th, please pray for safe travels and divine appointments.

To the ends of the earth,
Madilyn