August 2019

Off to a Great Start!

Thrive School has gotten off to a great start. There are 75 people in my class, that includes the first and second year students (as Thrive School offers a two year option). In my next update, I will get to share more about my specific internship campus and responsibilities, but for now all I know for sure is that I am a worship and production student.

On Monday the 12th of August, me and all my Thrive friends made our way down to San Francisco at 5:00 am. I was one of the drivers, and embarked on this adventure with only 1 hour of sleep (I was too excited to sleep. We arrived in the city at around 8:00 am. We worked all that day with City Impact, and we stayed in their building in rooms with bunk beds stacked 3 beds high that night. During that first day, we did a myriad of things, which we were split into teams to accomplish. I had the opportunity to go with a team to the City Impact Rescue Mission, where they provide 2 meals a day and a lunchtime food bank. At this facility, they also have a clinic for homeless people who are sick or injured. They provide a Christian service for the people who are homeless that come to mealtimes, and some of the students on my team got to help with leading worship,  sharing their testimonies on stage, and serving the people who were there eating. The next amazing thing I got to take part in was called Adopt a Building. There are very low income apartment buildings that we got to take lunches to, speak with, and pray over the residents there. I got to have some awesome conversations with the residents. The last thing I got to do with a team was street ministry. We went out on the streets with bags of chips and talked with, prayed for, and shared the gospel with the people on the street.

On Saturday the 17th of August, I picked up my roommate, Klara, from the airport, who came here to do Thrive School from the Czech Republic (it is her first time in the US), and we live in a beautiful host home with a wonderful family named the Lipkas. I had moved in on Friday August 9th. We have bunk beds, I’m on the top bunk and Klara is on the bottom bunk. My host family has been very accommodating, and they always have plenty of food around to keep us well fed. The Lipkas are a family of five: mom and dad with three daughters, two of which live at the house as well. They also have two cute dogs (pictured above).

Last week, Monday the 19th of August, we Thrive students were assigned to Discipleship Groups (known as D-Groups). I got to pick my leader, Mikayla, who is an absolutely wonderful and down to earth person. Her job as our D-Group leader is to be our mentor and guide throughout this year as we go through all the craziness of life, ministry, and school. There are 5 girls (peers) in my D-Group as well, including my roommate. We are essentially doing life together and holding each other accountable as we are on this year long journey.

Classes through South Eastern University (SEU) began on Wednesday the 21st of August. I am taking only one class this quarter (which ends in October), which is an Old Testament class. I have a hilarious professor who is so entertaining and charismatic to watch and learn from. Along with learning some awesome tools about how to study the Bible, I also am doing my internship (worship and Middle School ministry), and I get to learn from some of the most influential leaders in the area–and even guest speakers from around the country occasionally–three times a week.

Financially, I am able to make my school payments for this semester (through December), but am not yet able to pay for the spring semester of classes and personal expenses through the end of the year. I know the LORD wants to provide, and I thank all of you who have already given and committed to monthly support, it has seriously been a huge blessing. I would ask for prayers that I wouldn’t get discouraged by the amount I still need, but that I would be able to stay focused and faithful to God’s call to ministry.

The LORD has been teaching me so much already through this experience. I have been learning and reminded by God to press into uncomfortable relationships that don’t come naturally to me in order to show His love, kindness, and transformative power to all those I come into contact with (not just those I get along with). He’s also been teaching me how to trust Him and His power through Jesus in my daily life, depending on the fact that He’s set tasks before me each and every day, and taking every prompt and opportunity He gives me to glorify Him. 

If you’d like to be praying for me, anything that comes to your heart is fantastic. My personal requests are for strength and boldness to fight temptation on every front that I would live a life of integrity and set a good example for the Middle School girls I’ll be mentoring. Also, pray that I would continue to be diligent in listening for God’s voice every day and being obedient to what He says and to His Word (Bible).

Thanks for reading!