Over the weekend we finished off our first full week with students here in NMB! Each week has a theme, this week's being "Thirsting To Know Him," and during this week we're focusing on learning what it means to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. So many students don't have a framework for understanding the role Spirit plays in our lives or even how to talk about him, so it was a really foundational week for them. Everything else they learn and grow in this summer will be built off this foundation of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, allowing him to build deeper intimacy in their relationship with God and use them to bear fruit.
Ironically, in keeping with our "thirsting" theme, Tropical Storm Bonnie threatened rain and stormy weather all week. But we went out on the beach anyway, by faith, in search of people to talk to. Alex, one of the staff women that I'm coaching this summer, shared this: "Went out to share our faith on the beach tonight (see photo), until we all got caught up in a rainstorm. We ended up being able to talk with a woman named Susan and she said that she desired to have a relationship with Jesus, she prayed to have a relationship with Him and is hoping to make it to church with us down here. God is so good and even though we all got soaked, He worked in crazy ways. Thankful for Susan and the other 19 people who have made the decision to have a relationship with Jesus this week!! #nmb2016 " Susan and 19 other people made decisions to trust Christ in the first week in North Myrtle Beach. Since that day (Wednesday, June 1) we've shared the gospel 100+ more times and seen another 14 people trust Christ. I'm in awe of how the Lord is working on the beach as students take the initiative to share. We fully realize that we will probably never see the fruit that comes from these conversations, but it's SO worth it to see students take steps of faith. Some of our students have never shared their faith before, and they are already getting stretched this summer in their expectations of how God could use them. I'm reminded that faith is a muscle we need to exercise in order to see it grow bigger. If we don't exercise it, like any other muscle, it will atrophy. When students take scary steps on a summer mission (to raise support, share their faith, build authentic community with peers they've never met before), they are laying a foundation on which they will build for the rest of their lives.
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Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
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