sharing to the MAX!

I cannot believe that tomorrow marks two weeks that we have been out here in South Carolina!! Everything is going by so quickly with everything we have going on each day. Things are starting to fall into place and routine with work and our daily schedules in the evenings, though each day brings a new challenge too. This week our theme is "Killing the Giant" and basically knocking down our fears and continually stepping out in faith to share the gospel with our neighbors, coworkers, and vacationers on the beaches. This week started with a bang--most of the houses surrounding us have be inhabited by recent high school graduates for 'Senior Week' (aka: drinking & partying all week) so we will have great opportunities to talk with them. The house right next to us was busted about two hours after they arrived--police showed up, forcing the teens to dump out what we found out later to be approximately 22 cases of beer. There have been numerous cops surrounding the area, but these parties have been a great excuse for us to walk around outside and chat with these impressionable teens. Many of us went out sharing tonight and we are hoping to build relationships and visit the same houses day-to-day (as they are here until Sunday). Please pray for the hearts of these teens--they are excited about recently graduating high school and are entering a time of great transition. Of the teens we have spoken with, a few understand the gospel, but almost all have let us know that they don't want to give up control just yet...

This week has also been a great focus on compiling my own story. There have been lots of ups and downs and changes since receiving Christ back in 7th grade!! It is also interesting that the basic theme of my story revolves around 'control' and really seeing part of myself in the shoes of these high school grads. I may post my story on here once it is finished, but otherwise I will definitely post the main points.

I want to praise the Lord for my amazing roommates--although we are all so different, we are SO alike!! Our bible study times and just the times we spend together are filled with fun, laughter, crazy stories, and the focus of Christ. It seems like we have lived together so much longer than just two weeks! I also want to share how God is working through my time at McDonald's. It has not only brought me closer to my fellow CRU employees, but I was able to begin opening up to a coworker named Melinda this past Saturday. My CRU coworker, Sadie & I decided to grab something healthy off the menu and stick around to eat after our shift, and to our pleasant surprise, Melinda sat down with us. Melinda is just 19 years old (one of the younger workers that works the morning/afternoon shift) but she began to open up to us about her life. We were able to share with her that we were here with Campus Crusade and invite her to our Thursday weekly meetings, but shortly thereafter, she was scolded by a manager and was sent back to work. We are hoping to continue building a friendship and eventually sharing our lives and stories of how God has worked in our lives with her.

Once again, our theme this week is directed at getting us to boldly & confidently step out in faith and share our stories and the gospel with whoever we come across, wherever we go. One verse that I found while in Panama City Beach, FL over Spring Break for the Big Break Conference was in Ephesians 3:7 "By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News." I love this verse because contrary to what many Christians think, we are not being "forced" to go out and share about Jesus, but rather we have been blessed with the opportunity and privilege to share what He has done for us. I also love that by stepping out in faith and initiating these conversations, not only are we always 100% successful, but God is glorified through it all! This week is all about taking every opportunity to talk with people, inititate conversations, and let God lead from there.

Please pray for courage, strength, and a love for these people as we take every moment of free time and surrender it to the Lord by walking with Him and prepare to step out of our comfort zones to tell the world about Him!

**Pictures will be uploaded shortly!**