Baptisms and Kingdom.

Hello friends,

Well, the highlight of this week were our team's baptisms.  Five of the girls on our team felt that they wanted to be baptized to symbolize dying to their old selves and lives and continuing on in their lives with Christ.  One of my best friends, Lauren (who you have seen in like all of my pictures), asked me a while back if Lyndzie, Kelsie and I would baptize her and of course I said yes and was super stoked.  Then on Monday, Jenna approached me and asked me if I would baptize her as well.  It felt so honored to be take part in this special time of their journies with God.  We did the baptisms a little inlet in Cottontree and it was seriously one of the most beautiful days yet!

Colleen, Jenna, Steph, Cari and Lauren after getting baptized

All my goodies!

I also got two packages week which was such a blessing.  Thank you so mcuh Mom for all of the Lara Bars and a big thank you to my Santa Cruz Bible Study for the awesome care package!  When I arrived Monday morning Pattie handed me the two packages.  I did not even know who the brown paper package was from because all that the return address said was "Your Santa Cruz Family."  I was seriously sooooooooooooo exited when I opened it to find so many thoughtful notes and gifts from you all.  It seriously made my entire week and thank you for all of the thought and time you put into preparing it for me!

Last weekend, Lauren, Torrey, Steph, Lyndzie and I went to Jono and Kelsie's engagement party.  It was lovely and felt like we were back in the real world for a quick sec.  I am so excited to be at their wedding in April.  so good!

Aren't they so cute?!?!?!

After baptizing Jenna

This week our base director, Rob Henser, spoke to us on Kingdom.  It was one of the most challenging lectures we have had so far because he would throw out questions that would really make us think, such as: what really did Jesus mean when he talked about "the kingdom."  We hear so much about heaven and hell but interestingly enough, Jesus only mentions heaven and hell 8 times, while he mentionss kindom over 100 times!  This got me thinking, and I realized that I could not define what exactly kingdom is.  What I learned throughout this week is that kingdom has nothing to do with life after death- it is the now, right now!  Kingdom is about coming under the rule and reign of God and partnering with all that He is doing in our world today.  Practically kingdom is about caring for the vulnerable, reflecting God's heart, is right relationships, is generosity, is sharing Jesus, is a worldiew of values. 

We leave for outreach at 5:30am on Sunday morning.  I have not started packing a thing yet, but I am not that worried because I can't really even wear any of the clothes that I bought.  We have to dress very modestly there which means no tank tops or shorts which is basically all that I brought.  So I will be traveling lightly on the way there.  One sad thing that happened this week is that Torrey will not be coming on outreach with us, which is really sad, but I am confident that God is planning something greater for him while we are away.  Torrey is a great friend to me and I will miss him very much. 

Don't worry, there will be another post before I leave.  Thanks for checking in :-)

Aussie phrase of the week: "Are you keen on it?" = Are you ok with doing that?

Verse of the week: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8