it's not about us.

It seems surreal that we only have a week and a half left here. I sincerely apologize for my lack of blog updates. They keep us insanely busy. The last five weeks have been exciting, challenging, tiring, growing, and fun all at once. Fort Collins is a beautiful city and I feel so blessed to have spent my summer here. As I told many of you in my letter and on my blog, my intent for going on this project was to get a feel for the operations side of campus crusade, but it has become so much more.

My job has been such a good experience. In the summers here at the CSU campus the Campus Crusade Staff Conference team takes place. I've served all summer on the Staff Conference Team, about 100 people who all work very hard at what they do. The conference itself is a 1 week event that kicked off yesterday, but for the 4 weeks prior to that different groups of staff must go through additional training.

I spent all summer working with the MTL (Missional Team Leaders, also known as campus directors, the people who are in charge of the movements on college campuses). I did anything for them that they needed done. I did a lot of ordering and calling for food and large group dinners. I wrapped welcome and thank you gifts. I ordered their daily snack and always made sure they had their water and coffee. It wasn't the most glamorous job, but I enjoyed being able to serve the people who spend the rest of the year faithfully serving students like me. I met so many amazing (and important, crulebrities if you will) people while serving with them this summer, which not a lot of college students get to do. How many people can say that the director of all campus ministry in the US knows their name? But that's not the important thing, the great thing was getting to spend time with these people and seeing God shine through them.

That's what I did for the last 4 weeks when only about 700-ish staff members were here in Fort Collins, but over the weekend over 5000 staff members have arrived for the big conference. There is so much to be done for this and it is amazing to see all of these people's talents and gifts come together to create something so cool.

With as large and as complex as this conference is, it is probably weird that I'm having trouble finding something to help with. The 4-week MTL training ended and so did my formal job, so for the next 2 weeks I could be able to help out where ever. However, the trend has been that no one needs help. I've done a few odd jobs but nothing steady. At first I found it pretty frustrating, here I am to serve and no one even wants me. But this morning as I sat in the first main session and saw everything go so flawlessly none other than Francis Chan reminded us about how IT'S NOT ABOUT US. I was so frustrated with not having a big job to do that I was dwelling on that. When all I should be dwelling on is how great it is that they don't need me. The conference is going smoothly... without me, because it's not about me. Praise God that they have more help than they need here!

I'm sure I will run into various things to do over the next couple weeks, but I am also blessed that I get to sit in the sessions and be touched by the same training as the crusade staff. This morning's session with Francis Chan was absolutely amazing and exactly what I needed to hear today. He had prepared an entirely different talk and threw it out the night before because he felt the spirit leading him in a different direction, so thankful he listened!

Okay, you're probably tired of reading and I want to thank you if you still are, and just ask for your prayers that the conference would continue to go smoothly, that the staff would be blessed, and that all the students on our project would continue to grow closer to God and to each other in these last days.

I'll leave you with this. All summer we've been studying Ephsians and one of the speakers today directed us to Revelation 2, a passage written to the church in Ephesus:
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
Revelation 2:4-5
Let us always pray that Jesus will be our first and only love, but even when we fail and we lose that love we had it is so freeing to know that his love for us is never shaken or changed.

In Christ,

Amanda

Adjusting to sleep deprivation and higher altitudes

Well I decided it was probably time for an update of my time in Colorado so far.

I've been here a little over a week (well sorta... but I'll get to that). The first week is always the hardest in my opinion. There's so much adjusting: to a new city, new housing, new people, a higher altitude... everything. There's also all the orientations and name games (even with the names, I am absolutely horrible with names)!

Project related things (aka everything not between the hours of 8-4 Monday through Friday) are good! Our project has only 8 boys, and who knows how many girls! Except its probably around 50. Good odds for the boys, ehh? kidding! It's also really cool meeting people because there are literally people from ALL over the country. I could look around and be at a table with someone from New Hampshire, Seattle, South Dakota, Florida, and New Orleans and it wouldn't even be weird.

My roommate (Kelly from Virginia) is great! We get along wonderfully. And I also adore my entire small group and our amazing leader Julie! That is really a blessing because the small groups end up being such a support system.

All the girls are living in the Kappa Delta house on the Colorado State University campus. Which by the way does accept mail from family and friends, so do that. The address is 412 W. Laurel Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521. The house is great and perfect for our project, another HUGE blessing.

Because of lack of time on my part and the attention span of my readers the next couple posts will cover what I do at work and what ministry things we've been doing!

Please be praying,
Amanda

Now Boarding

Well they haven't said that yet but it will be any minute now.

Today's the day! I am currently waiting at the Tyson McGee airport in Knoxville for my flight to board. I made it through security and weighed my bag. For those of you who know me and are wondering it was 50.5 but she didn't charge me! My first flight is delayed 20 minutes and that makes me nervous that I'll miss my next flight in Dallas, so pray that doesn't happen. I am sort of a nervous flier today because its only my 2nd time ever flying.

Once I arrive in Denver a shuttle service will take me to Fort Collins where I will spend the next 7 weeks. We are living in the Kappa Delta sorority house and I may just call all the girls my "sistas" all summer.

Some prayer requests right now:

• For safe travels for me and everyone on the project
• That my heart would be ready for everything that can happen this summer
• That God would renew a desire in my heart to know him more
• And that I can bond quickly with new friends on the project

Thanks for your prayers everyone!

Amanda

Decisions, Decisions...

In everyday life i am not the type to be indecisive, as many of you all know. I am actually demanding about what I want (not one of my best qualities, and my friends love to call me Damanda for it). However, when it comes to big decisions, and I mean the big ones that effect your life, I am super indecisive.

Which is why the fact that I finally decided what I am doing this summer is a big enough deal to blog about it.

I've decided to go on a Operations summer project with Campus Crusade to Fort Collins, Colorado. It is similar to other stateside summer projects except that as our job we intern alongside Crusade staff members in our areas of interest. For me that means that I will get to work and shadow staff members who work in conference and event planning. Since this is something I am strongly considering doing after I graduate this is an excellent way to see first hand what I would be doing. If you want to know any other details about it please ask but I'm sure I'll talk more about it in future blog posts.

Its scary deciding to do this because it means raising support (ekk!). The cost of the summer is $3200, which means that I cannot pay for it myself. It comes down to trusting that God will bring in the money and provide for where he has called me. I should get used to raising support though sometime because wanting to go into full time missions means I will have to do a lot of it. I had to realize that its more than just asking people for money for a trip, its asking them to partner with you and provide for you to share God's love and word with the world. I realize I am not going to a third world country or helping cure diseases and translate Bibles, but I am still doing God's work.

One way I've decided I will try and raise some support is to do Paintings for Project. I love painting anyway, and I always have people asking for some so I figure why not use that to raise some support. I know as college students we are all pretty poor, but I would love to do a painting for you as a gift for a donation to my summer. If you want more info let me know, but I'll write another blog specifically about that soon.

Until then please pray for my summer and the support raising process.

"For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing."

Deuteronomy 2:7

we are given a choice

Last summer I was on a summer project in Santa Cruz, CA. God was my first priority there and I was reminded of it daily. I was surrounded by 62 other college students who all wanted one thing, to grow closer to God and glorify him. We worked, but only to spread God's love to coworkers. Everything we did was a mission and everywhere we went was our mission field. It was the greatest summer of my life and I grew more than I ever thought I could.

Now this summer God has kept me in Knoxville. I dont see my roommates and I dont have many friends here. I have hardly any close Christian fellowship and my family is at home. I am alone. I work full time at a job I usually complain about. I waste most of my time watching tv and reading books. Most of the time so far I am pitying myself or wondering why this had to be my summer while my friends got to go off and do exciting things.

This isnt meant to be a "woe is me" rant. This is just what it is. This is the situation I was given, but its up to me to choose my attitude about it. The Bible tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always". Well for me during this summer, that has not been an easy task. Last summer I was handed everything, I was supported on all sides, it was almost easy. This summer I have to grow, and this summer I have to do it on my own.

So far I haven't done a great job but I hope I can turn it around and not look back on these 3 months as a summer wasted. Everywhere is our mission field, that means Knoxville, TN for me, and I shouldnt have to be on a summer project or in another city or country to think that. The Bible also says, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation". People in Knoxville need the Gospel just as much as those overseas.

Its easy to say these things, but I pray that I will really start to live them out. We are given time and opportunities, but it is our choice what we do with them. Life is short and I want to make the most of it. Because really "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes", and I want to make my life count for something more than me.

Prayers are always appreciated.
God Bless