Well, we've survived our first month! As we near the end of our time in Orlando, I can't help but praise God for all He's done through these last few weeks. It's been an adventure for sure but one I am so grateful for. Allow me to share it with you...
Our days have been full of training, outreaches, team activities, and personal time with the Lord. It's been so refreshing yet so challenging at the same time. Most of our weekdays are spent at Cru Headquarters with our coordinator, Jill, and many others who've come to train and encourage our team. Below is a picture of our team outside Headquarters - from left to right you have Lucy, Emily, myself, Abby, Micah and Jaden.
Through our training days, we've learned a lot about God, each other, how to share our faith in different ways, how to share our testimonies, lead Bible studies, and adapt to new cultures. We took part of a day studying our different love languages and taking strengths tests to understand ourselves and each other better. It was fascinating to see the unique gifts God's given to us and how we can use those together for His glory. Here are some pictures from our trainings :)
We've learned so many new ways to share our faith and evangelize to students as well. One of those is called "The Four" where we use four different symbols to simply share the Gospel. The first is a heart, representing God's love for us. Second is a division symbol, representing our sin that separates us from God. The third is a cross, representing what Jesus Christ did for us in his death and resurrection. Finally, the last symbol is a question mark and it represents the decision we're faced with: whether or not we'll choose a relationship with God and repent from our sinful desires.
Another way we've shared our faith is through a game called Soularium. It's made up of a stack of cards, each having a different random image on them. We've laid out the cards in a circle and used the images as conversation starters. For example, I might ask students, "What image describes your life right now?" or "What image displays what you think of when you think of God?" It's a great way to get students talking and lead into a gospel conversation that's relevant to them.
The last several weeks, our team had the chance to go into two different high schools and practice the things we've learned. We got to help with what's called Cru Club, where students come to a Cru meeting once a week during their lunch period and although each week looks different, the Gospel is presented. A lot of these meetings are run by student leaders who lead groups, share their testimonies, share the Gospel using The Four, and contact new students throughout their week. Our team got to be a part of these meetings each week, which was probably the highlight of my time in Orlando.
Pictured below are student leaders sharing the Gospel using the Four. If you continue flipping through, you'll see me with a student named Lan who I got to know and talk to about Jesus for the first time. There's also a picture of me playing Soularium with a group of high schoolers. The last picture is of myself and a student named Reagan. She's a freshman in high school and has such a sweet relationship with God. I have absolutely loved getting to know these students!
Now onto some of the fun activities we've done as a team. We celebrated my birthday at Icon Park, riding a 400 foot high ferris wheel and getting some ice cream. We also got the chance to go to an Orlando SC game, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and you'd be so proud of me - I faced my fear of alligators last weekend!! Enjoy some of the pictures of these team memories below :)
Let me share a few prayer requests before I wrap up this post...
Pray for our team and for safe travels as we fly to Central Asia this weekend!!
Pray for us as we transition to a new culture that we've never experienced before and that God would give each of us patience and grace with one another.
Pray for continued unity - that the enemy would have no place amongst our team.
Pray for myself - that God would take away all the anxieties I'm feeling and fill me with His peace that passes understanding. Pray that I'd continue to connect with God in intimate ways and abide in Him each and every day.
Pray for Micah and I - that God would give us wisdom as we lead this team overseas and continue to fill our minds with the truth of God's Word when things are hard.
Until next time,
Bailee ♡