Not just Fun in California :-)

I somehow couldn't come up with a more catchy title... Long Beach, California, you would think it's only full of fun and sun and the beach and just sounds great. And most would think I'm only having just fun in Cali. Yeah, it's great and fun but there's heck of a lot more to my time here in Long Beach.

While I have had fun, there is also a lot of work that is done. In the past 2 and a half weeks it's been mostly training and searching for jobs. Most of everyone has either gotten a bus pass or walked to find jobs litterally filling out tons of applications. - Most haven't had luck finding jobs. The first week I was frustrated because I didn't know what I was going to do if I didn't get the job at Chick-fil-A at Long Beach, CA. Coming to terms that the Lord may just have a different plan for us all this summer. Well last week little did this Chick-fil-A and I realize that we both were waiting on me to start working there because my Operator and the Long Beach Chick-fil-A operator were discussing my transfer of working there. I started working last Thursday. I've been blessed being able to work for the same company here than I do at home in Texas.

During a normal week we either are working or volunteering at our ministry locations. The students who have jobs including myself will work when we can and also are to minister to co-workers. Those without jobs will spend the normal days(other than the usual Sunday and Tuesday)volunteering at their ministry locations. Some are working with a church that mostly consist of homeless people. They also have breakfast for the homeless every Thursday morning. Others are working to help buildup a youth program. Others help with inner city programs. The ministry in which I am involved in is at Covanent Presbyterian(or known as Cov. Pres.). Their children's program I am working with is called Rising Tide. Most of these children come without parents and/or come with difficult situations in their lives. And on Wednesday, those without jobs will be going to California State at Long Beach to minister to the college students there.

Our typical week consist of Social night on Monday, Training and ministry locations on Tuesday, "Family Night" on Wednesday, Bible Studies on Thursday, work and volunteer on Friday/Saturday, Church - men&womens times - Kingdom Conversations on Sunday. We can work during the day at our jobs everyday except Tuesday and Sunday's. We are pretty BUSY!!!!

Social night is a time for all of us to get together and have fun while building community as a project. We are encouraged to invite our co-workers and the people we work with at our ministry locations. So this Monday(June 13th) we had a tacky prom/karaoke night. It was pretty awesome and So much fun! The most fun was seeing the other people we had invited come have fun with us!

Family Night is like a typical Cru(Campus Crusade) or youth group meeting. We have dinner, play games, sing and hear a message. and Thursday nights we have individual bible studies with a staff leader. Also throughout the week that staff leader will follow-up with us and do discipleship.

Sundays are usually very busy. We go to the church we volunteer at on Tuesdays. Most of us help out with Sunday School and etc.. During the afternoon we have our mens and womens times. It's a time of bonding separately from the other sex. Kingdom Conversations happen on Sunday night. People from the Long Beach community who are not ministers come speak to us about their faith and their lives and how it's influenced or impacted their lives. It helps us learn how to live out in our faith in the practical everyday life we live. Time of reflection to ourselves is after the conversations. It gives us time to think about the past week and also to have our time with the Lord. Also because we may not have as much time during the week to be on our own, so time of reflection is set aside.

Some exciting things are coming to Covenant Pres., in which I'm excited about. They have a week in the summer called MADD(Music-Art-Drama-Dance). The Majority of our project will most likely be helping out during this week because it's supposed to be crazy filled up with tons of children:) Then the week after is Bible week, which I am pretty excited about helping out as well.

So are you overwhelmed yet of our typical week? It can get overwhelming but at the same time there is so much we are learning and discovering about, it's pretty exciting :-D It's been pretty amazing seeing each other grow and develop relationships with each other. I CAN'T wait to see the rest of the 8 weeks left unfold and impact our lives. God truely has blessed us with each other.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galations 2:20-21

We've been studying Galations and this verse is what has stuck out so far in the first two chapters that we've read. I read this and realize how broken and full of sin I am, and yet Christ loved me that much to die in my place. It's also overwhelming to know that.