Time to share what I'm learning...

Photo taken by Nate Steiner

Hey all! So I thought it was about time that I start using this blog for what it's true original purpose was, to share with everyone who wants to read about what I'm learning while here in Ocean City on Summer Project.  But first, I'll share a little of what life has been like here for the past week...

Sunday: Go to "Sunday School" at 9:30, located at Ocean City Baptist Church, where a staff member teaches us about how to reach out to others and evangelize as well as how to evangelize to those we have relationships with.  Then after that, we all heard into the sanctuary and attend the service.  After church, we are free to do what we want for lunch and I've been having lunch with my Impact group (my roommates.. a.k.a my action group and 4 other men in which they all are an action group).  It's been so great getting to know these people on a more personal level.  Then we are free for the evening to do what we want.  Yesterday however, we all spent time out sharing for about an hour and a half and then met on the beach and played tug-of-war, human pyramid and buck-buck (which by the way is soooo funny to watch and that's just what I did!) We used that time to attract people to the big crowd of us playing games and then we could use that time to share with them too.  Then last night I went out with other Minnesota people, Californians and my roommate, Mallory, from Indiana to get frozen custard/polish water ice/funnel cakes on the boardwalk.

Monday: I do not work on Mondays so I usually use this time to have quiet times and/or rest up from the crazy weekend previous.  I also want to use this time to go out sharing on the boardwalk and beach.

Tuesday: I also do not work on Tuesdays so I do the same thing as Monday's but instead I have Discipleship (a.k.a D-ship) with my discipler, Sarah Watson.  We use this time to talk about our weeks, spend time in prayer and also use this time to go out sharing on the boardwalk/beach.  


Wednesdays: I DO work!  Haha... I work from 10am-5pm at Lindsy James Salon as a Receptionist.  I've been getting the hang of the job and am enjoying my co-workers.  Just a prayer request to be praying for my work place so that I can have opportunities to share my testimony with them.  It gets challenging to share my faith with them because the salon is a very busy place and the stylists are always with clients.  So just pray about that would be great!


Thursdays: I have this day off from work and I again, use this time to, again the same thing as Monday and Tuesday, but I also like to take this time to go to the beach and hang out with other people or have my own quiet times.  I also like to people watch ;)


Fridays: I work from 10am-5pm, again.  The past couple of weeks, I've been babysitting, right after work, for the staff's children and it's been SOOOO fun! I forgot how much I truly love kids and how I so desire to be a mother again someday.  I feel at college you forget about children because there is never any around... so it's nice to have my kid fix! I also get to do laundry at their apartments, so it's a nice perk!


Saturdays: I work from 9am-3pm.  This is usually one of our busiest days.  This past Saturday there was a bridal party in getting their hair and make-up done and it was so fun to see the excitement and nerves of a wedding day!


Then my week starts all over again... So there you have it... my week in a condensed version.

So.. now about what I've been learning...

The first week we arrived as all orientation stuff about the Summer Project and what not.  We were learning how to use the tools provided for us such as the Quest survey, the KGP (Knowing God Personally) and now we've recently learned how to use Satisfied? (a booklet about knowing how to be satisfied with our lives in Jesus Christ. 


The weeks are themed.  Our first week's theme was "Setting the Pace".  It was just a simple introduction to who the Holy Spirit is. We focused on just how the Christian life is not easy on our own and how we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to pour into us ALL  the time because we cannot do anything without God's hand in it.  

"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.  I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness -- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.  To them god has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."  -Colossians 1:24-29

The Holy Spirit enters our life when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior of our wicked souls that are full of sin.  The Holy Spirit has been there throughout history too and the coolest thing to meditate on is that the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living inside of each of us who know Jesus as their Lord!  What a beautiful and powerful thing we possess.. we have God in us because the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father are all one in themselves.  

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having beleived you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."  

-Ephesians 1:13

Bob Fuhs, the director of the project, spoke on this and he gave us a little quote:

"My new Operating System (our souls and being) is the Holy Spirit"

I leave you with this.. I'll go on to talk more about the 2nd week's theme next time I blog which is "Thirsty".  Thirsting to know God and being filled up with the Holy Spirit in every moment of our lives.  :)

God BLESS! I love you all!

Photo of one of my many friends, Kristin Reents from Illinois, and I.  We be on the beach!

Do you have to duck when you go in the Nook?

Well, I've been through my first full week of being here at Ocean City.  The weather has been so incredibly hot and humid.  Two days this past week were 100 degrees with above 95% humidity.  I understand that Minnesota gets very humid but there is something different with the humidity here and I'm convinced its because of the ocean... am I right?  Haha.   

I'm learning SOOO much here and I've only been here 13 days.  The Lord is really stretching me which is tough at times but so rewarding once I truly rely on him to help me through the trials.  We've also had times to go out on the boardwalk and just have conversations with people and ask them questions from the Quest Survey which is composed of 5 questions that ask people about their lives and their level of spirituality so we can get an idea if they are interested in talking more about how to know God personally (KGP). I personally haven't shared the gospel with somebody and them accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior but there have been a lot of other people who've witnessed people coming to Christ and I am continuously encouraged.  I think about 20+ people that have come to Christ in our 13 days of being here!  It's always awesome to get together after going out sharing and hearing the awesome stories of new brothers and sister's who have accepted Christ and have entered into the Kingdom of God.

The other 100 students on project are just so amazing!  About 25 more students came this past weekend because they get done with school later and it's awesome to get to know them now too.  I have a freakish talent of remembering people's names well and I love that I know everyone's name (at least I believe I think I know everyone's name).  Haha.  This community is so awesome and I love how I can rely on them to encourage me with prayer and just talk about my heart and struggles with them.


So you may be wondering about my title.  One of my sister's here, Hillary Bryan (also a Nursing major from Kent State in Ohio) said she was going to give me my title for this post. The "Nook" is an area under neath the wrap-around porch we have here at the Ambassador Inn (the place where most of us live and other men and women live at the "Mansion" that is about 2 blocks away) and the Nook is where we eat breakfast that they provide for us.  There's this other friend of mine, Rick Brown, who is 6'6 and the Nook is about 5'9 tall so I asked him "Do you have to duck when you go in the Nook" and that's when Hillary told me that was my title for this blog.  So sorry about the confusion and blabber I have going on in this paragraph but I just felt a need to explain.  


I hope to be posting again soon and really share what God is teaching me in my time here but for now I just needed to give a little more explanation of how life is here and the amazing people I am sharing this with. Thanks for reading this guys, I love you!  

This was on 6/9 on the boardwalk.  We went to the beach to watch the thunderstorm and then it started raining hardcore and we were dancing on the boardwalk having a great time! From left to right its Meagan, me, Nicole, Janae, Caleb (the one with the fists), Katelyn, Kirstin, Audrey, Rebecca, and Andrew.

These two wonderful people sitting in the front are our "adopted parents" from Ocean City Baptist Church.  They adopted all of us Minnesota kids and we are one big happy family.  This was at the welcoming dinner for us Crusaders to meet our new adopted families.

God Bless!

I'm HERE!

So like I have said in my title, I am officially in Ocean City, New Jersey!!!!!! It's incredibly beautiful here and I am already feeling like I fit in. 

I've been on the boardwalk a bunch of times and made my way over, plenty of times, to Wawa (it's like Subway meets Kwik trip). Just so you know, Wawa is a HUGE deal here!  I love it so much, especially since the way your order your sandwich is by touching a screen and choosing everything you want on it!!!  So cool!

The weather has been decent in the past couple of days.  It's still pretty warm and humid but my body is slowly getting used to it.  

As far as what I've been doing, we have been doing SOOOOOOOOO much.  They've had a schedule for us this first week on training for how to share our faith with people out on the beach and boardwalk and just hanging out (playing games, Women's/Men's time, going to the beach, extended time with Jesus, etc.).  I've also been apart of one of the worship teams here, so I'm really excited to be using my talent of singing to worship God.  

I am very bummed that I left my camera cord back in Moorhead, so I don't have pictures to put up now, but I will find somebody here on project that I can somehow get my pictures online.  I hope to be showing you of my adventure here!  

Off to the beach on my afternoon/evening off. Still have unpacking to still do but I'll have to get to that after I am back from napping on the beach.  I love you all!  God Bless!