I feel like heading home...

Wow, does anyone else think that the last five weeks went by wayyyyyy to fast. While they were happening, they felt normal, but now they just feel like a dream and in less than 24 hours, I will be back in the States and back to "normal" life.

I have learned so much from this trip that I can't even explain enough if I had all the time in the world. I feel, also, that there are still things that God will teach me from the trip, but maybe days/weeks/months/years later. One of the biggest things I learned from the trip I even just finally realized it three days ago up at the beach. What is that, you ask?

I realized that God wants me to spend more alone time with him. It took me until about 3 days before the end of the trip to figure it out. The whole trip, I just felt like a lot of times I felt like spending time alone. I didn't like it. I am a people person and usually like being around lots of people especially on trips like this. so, when I had the desire to spend time alone, I ignored it and was a little scared that I wanted to be that way and figured that I should just spend time with as much people as possible. But then, like I have already told you, I finally realized that God was telling me to spend time with him one on one. Even in such a great christian environment and real body of Christ, I still found myself doing.. and doing.. and doing... and not just resting in the Lord and letting him speak to me in silence/through his word, or different ways.

Oh, I learned how to use my obsession with photography in a different way to glorify God. Every night, I put on a worship song on my computer and let my screen saver of pictures from the trip play through. I let the pictures that come up guide my prayer. And I am trusting that if a picture comes up, then I need to know about that and pray for that person/situation/etc. how sweet it is to realize gifts you have and then to realize even more ways to glorify God with them.

So the retreat was hands down a blast. I did get very sun burnt, however, which is not nice. I guess I couldn't have really prevented it. I mean, for you motherly types out there, I put sunscreen on (spf 55) twice in the morining and once again later, but I was playing in the water for a good 4 hours before re-applying again. Anyway, it will be obvious for the next day or two that I was at the beach.

As part of the end of project debriefing, we shared with the whole group what God has been teaching us here and then people went around and said nice things about you. It was so uplifting and some people said somethings about me and how I ministered or served them and I had no idea that it had made that kind of an impact, so remember how you are percieved (but don't be in fear in it, only look to please God, but just realize that people do percieve what you do and you can either lead them to God, or you can turn them away, it's your choice.) Then we layed hands on those that shared for that specific meeting and prayed for them. There was something so powerful in it. I felt like the early church in acts when they retreated and layed hands on each other and prayed for each other.

That has been what this trip has taught me. I have seen what the early church was like, what it means to be a movement instead of a ministry (I would love to share this sometime when it is not 2 AM and we leave at 7 AM to go to the airport), and what a true body of believers and christ followers should look like. I will never forget this summer and a lot of it is due to you guys, the people who care about me and who I love very much. Your encouragement and support has been a huge part of the trips success.

So, I will still be finishing that coffee blog ~ the process from the coffee bean, then the plant, then to the cup. So.. look forward to that : ) Also, I might put a couple more pictures up, but otherwise. See you guys soon.

Please ask me about the trip. We can sit down some time and chat if you would like, just ask me and we'll find a time. Also, if it ends up being possible, I want to give another concert, but this time not asking for support just sharing my summer with you and letting you see what God did through 20 students and staff in a country that is hungry for the living, breathing word of God.

Love and hugs,

Jodi Marie