Quick update!

If you havent been getting my emails, please email me so that I can add you to it!! I would love to send you them. My email is lowens773@gmail.com. Thanks to all of you who have been walking through this summer with me, in prayer and  by reading my updates!! I am so blessed to be here in Myrtle Beach, learning and growing along with the 88 students here!! 

What has been going on lately? 

the pictures I posted are from the 4th of July!! All of us went downtown to see a great firework show and have some time of fellowship together. 

We also had Sadie Hawkins, something the girls look forward to every year! The guys rooms perform an elaborate skit for the girls room, and girls get to pick who they want to go on a date with and plan it!!! It was great, the guys did an awesome job- from synchronized swimming to making up their own rap songs! I was fortunate enough to go on a date with Amy's room, she goes to Presbyterian!! We cooked dinner for the guys, then went out for ice cream and played scattergories!!

We only have 2 weeks left at the project....I cant believe it! It feels like we have only been here for a short while! I am so pumped about the last 2 weeks of project- we have been studying the book fo Romans, talking about suffering for CHrist, and tons of other things!! I will post newer pics very soon!!!! 

the Disciples are learning so much, tonight we talked about

-Do we want to please men, or please God?

-Do we seek to put Christ first in our lives?

-What are some things that are keeping us from knowing more of God? 

And alot more!!!

4th of July & Sadie Hawkins!!

Hey again!

This time I’m writing from Barnes and Noble. Today is my day off, and I’m taking some time to read and spending the day alone. Every week I look forward to my one day of rest, and today its finally here!!

There are so many wonderful things that God has done here at the Leadership Project in the last week, and I’ll try to keep it brief to tell you whats been going on….

Last Thursday, the rest of the staff left, leaving me and Andrew in charge of the entire project! So far, we have had to deal with some issues, but God has been faithful in providing a team of us (me and Andres plus the team leader guys and girls) to enforce rules, plan everything, and implement all of it. I can definitely tell you that I’m learning tons about being a leader, about how to confront others lovingly, and about trusting God with where I’m at in life right now. Last night, I led the girls in my room in discipleship group, basically a time of deep connection, to talk about God and pray together, and we all picked verses to ask God to do in our lives RIGHT NOW! My verses were 2 Corinithians 5:14-15

“For Christ’s love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

Pray that:

-The love of Christ would be the thing that compels me to love, serve, give, and exist

-That because I have been born again, I would not live for myself, Lindsay Owens, but would live for Jesus.

-In all this, I would count others better than myself.

Things that Im thankful for here, ways I have seen God working:

-I was able to give a prayer talk and really share my heart with all the students! I talked about why we should pray for others!! And ourselves.

-God is growing in the hearts of students- on the 4^th of July, we all went to see fireworks together and some students were bold enough to share their faith with people they had never even met before!

-In my own life, God has been a sure comfort, a solid rock. I have been discouraged about small things, but he constantly reminds me that I cant trust in me!

-I have been able to help 2 students work through their testimonies, and it has been such a JOY!! It’s like reading a love story, where God pursues their hearts, over and over again, fighting for their affections and devotions. It served as a reminder of who we serve- a loving God who is FOR us, who fought for us, we are bought with Christs blood.  Ephesians 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light of the Lord.  Live as children of light.”

Continue to pray that no student would leave the LP unchanged, that each individual would seek God with his or her whole heart. The project is just an amazing place. Pray that Christ would continue to be glorified here. J

The past 2 weeks :)

One of the team leaders, Becca, took the MCAT this week! We had a party for her!

The guys tied together

The single staff girls and team leaders (plus Emily) at the baseball game!
Staff out for staff dinner!

Jake (Emily's husband) and Andrew!

Baseball game, Parents weekend, testimonies....

Life at the LP is hectic!!! In the past 2 weeks, things have really started to pick up! Students are working 35- 40 hours a week, staff has had staff training all day most days, and we're all being challenged in so many ways!!! So, here's a snap shot of the past couple weeks-

*Every Friday night,the entire project goes to a social together! Last week, we went to a minor league baseball game- TIED together!! We were tied together with our rooms as a bonding, unifying experience- and I can tell you that we looked goofy and got asked so many times why we were all tied together! Imagine going to the bathroom and seeing 4 people standing outside a stall tied to the person in the stall! You werent allowed to untie yourself for any reason. To celebrate, we all went out for ice cream afterwards!

*This week, we talked about our testimonies, and worked through clarifying our stories so that we can better share them with others!  

*The theme talk for this week was huge: RELATIONSHIPS!!! It's one of my favorite talks, especially because I;ve struggled alot with relationships in high school and know how important it is to understand that the purpose of any relationship is to bring God glory and grow closer to Him! I could probably type for an hour about everything that I learned this week and all the great conversations I've had with students about it, but I will spare you that now and just say that as a young single woman, I'm so thankful for talks about that, that really push us to fight to find our worth in Jesus and not in anything else!

*This weekend is parents weekend!! One of my favorite weekends all summer, where parents get to experience a tiny bit of the LP for themselves, to see the heart and soul behind all that we do here at the Project, to ask questions, to be with their children. Family is so important, and I know God did big things this weekend as parents drove many hours to come see their children. We had an awesome meeting yesterday afternoon for all the parents, complete with a skit, talk, a bit of worship, Q&A time! 

*On a more personal level, how am I doing?

-my biggest challenge is resting, as this season is extremely intense for me coming off of raising my support

-I am learning SO MUCH !! at staff training we are talking about building a movement- that we as Campus Outreach want to move forward, we want to train up leaders, laborers who will impact this nation, even the world!

-I am reading abook called Teaching to Change Lives by Hendricks- it is teaching me so much about balancing my life, communication, how to model our teaching after christ!

One statement I love is "Teaching that impacts is not head to head, but heart to heart"

-I am leading 3 mature girls, who I know very well, especially one of them, who is like my best friend. It has been so encouraging and refreshing to be around them as we learn and grow together, pray together, and lead the Project!

-my partner this summer (the mens director) is Andrew Hawkins, just graduated from PC last year and is going on staff this fall like me. Its an awesome set up because Andrew (A Hawk is what we call him) is very mature and knows Gods word so well, he is an encouragement and pushes me to know God, to run to the Bible and not to any person!

-My sis is here with her husband, and you bet that I get to hang with her, but just a smidge. I love it though!

-please pray for me, that I would not trust in myself to lead this project as staff leave (all except for me and Andrew) this week!!!!!!

-I am so thankful that God is a faithful God, who knows me so well and has plans for me. He has a plan for you too, and wants us all to trust in Him ultimately!

Pics!

Crabbing!
Me, Jennifer, and Mary Beth (Mary Beth is on staff at Furman!)
A crab
MOVE IN DAY! 
Ready for students to arrive

http://jennifer-mividaenchile.blogspot.com/2009/06/another-week-has-gone-by-and-much-as.html

Thats the blog link of one of the team leaders here, Jennifer. She's one of my best friends, and we lived together 2 summers ago and now!!! 

Also, check out my sister and Jakes blog~the link is on the side of my page! 

This past week in Myrtle Beach....

Wow! So much has happened this past week at the LP that I don't have enough time to recapture it for all of you, but I'll try!!

Every Monday is theme night at the LP, where we are challenged with a talk about something- this week, we talked about idols in our lives. Kevin, who is on staff at Western Carolina University, talked about idolatry in our hearts. He said that an idol is anything that we try to find purpose, value, and security in other than in Christ. Idols can even be good things like clothes, pets, food, relationships, but when our lives start to revolve around them and they become mini gods to us, thats when they are idols. Kevin said that idols destroy our relationship with God and destroys our understanding of the gospel and God. Some idols he talked about briefly were relationships, other people, sex, desire for a relationship, comfort, body image, relational image, material things, reputation, food, sororities/fraternities, knowledge, future, money, ourselves. 

This talk hit right to my heart, allowing me to search my heart for things I find comfort in and security in other than Jesus. Particularly, myself. I'm selfish and very self preserving and think of myself above others often. Even in studying Romans, I've been studying ch 12:3- "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

What else has been going on?

-Saturday nights we have a social for the entire project! This past Saturday, we had a sandcastle building contest- they were awesome!!! I have to post pictures soon

-Every saturday we share our faith on the beach in pairs or groups of 3- it was so cool this past saturday I got to share with and talk to a highschool girl from GREENVILLE!!!

-Our room (the 3 team leader girls and us 3 single staff girls) went on a group date with the team leader guys and staff guys! We went crabbing!!! We tied chicken to strings as bait and waited (patiently!) for a crab to bite- we got about 8 or 9, but I wasnt fortunate enough to catch one. It was cool though, since Ive never gone before. 

- My family came to visit this past weekend!! One of the highlights was spending time with them, and even getting to hang out with Emily and Kasey one night. I laughed more than I've laughed all week!

-students are really growing and learning as they study through Romans and even learn a neat and easy method to study the Bible with. Ive gotten to hang out with some Furman girls, particularly Shawna and Jaycelyn, two girls I'm close to!

What can you pray for? 

Pray for me as I seek to lead the team leader girls, who I love so much and am already close to! 

Pray for the disciples that they would grow closer to Christ, and know what it means to follow Him!

I leave you with this verse that has been changing me and causing me to think deeply on the mystery and the wonders of being a new creation:

Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His pleasing and perfect will.