Summer 2012

              This summer I had the opportunity to work at my church in Austin as an intern with the Middle School ministry group. It was an absolutely incredible experience. Getting to lead a bible study, teach sunday school, and go on a retreat to Colorado were all growing experiences for me. But the best part of the summer was spending time with the kids. Middle schoolers in general are crazy. Middle school guys are a different breed. Going into the internship I wasn't too excited about working for the middle school group. I was really interested in working with high school kids. But God placed me there for a reason. He opened my eyes to see the joy that middle schoolers have and to experience the happiness I felt leading them. This summer I finally got to experience my calling of vocational ministry and it created a passion in me that hadn't been present in my life for over a semester. Getting to talk to kids about their faith, to see new believers borne, and to enjoy the awkwardness of middle school interactions, this summer was a huge blessing. Nothing in this life has ever brought me more joy than one night at a church retreat in Colorado called Great Escape. 6 years exactly after I first accepted Christ into my life, I got to witness three of the kids I was closest to take that monumental first step in their spiritual walk.
              Moving forward I want to apply what I learned this summer to my life back at A&M this fall. The idea of treating college as a mission trip. Pouring out my energy to serve others, and help them experience Christ. Implementing spiritual disciplines like solitude, fasting, study, and prayer into my life on a weekly basis. Diving into the word and studying the truth in new ways. This summer was not a time of growth like I had hoped it would be, but it was a time of learning how to grow. This semester I want to grow closer to Christ, not through legalistic confines and to-do lists, but by experiencing Christ in new ways through fellowship, study of the bible, and prayer. I'm looking forward to sharing this experience as I grow in my relationship with God and look to build community around me.