So, yeah... To close out our summer all the interns went back to Chicago to hang out with all the LeaderTreks staff (except Greg who went and got married!) and talk about our experiences this summer.
I feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity and to have gotten to know so many wonderful people! I feel like I know some of the interns better than I know some of my friends back home because we were so intentional about our relationships this summer. I look forward to these life long friendships and to see all the wonderful things that God is going to do in all of our lives!
Since I have been back, I have shared with many people my experiences and even talked with the youth workers at my church about things I have learned about working with students. Here are some of the top things that I though I would share!
Some things I learned about God this summer is that He truly loves us uncoditionally. I had never felt that so deeply loved by the people I worked with as well as by God. God loves me just the same as when I served Him this summer as when I was at my worst and running from Him. I also learned the power of prayer. At the beginning of the summer I discovered that God has given me the gift of believing. So I decided to put it into action and prayed for a specific request from each intern through out the week all summer. It was amazing to hear how God answered prayers in so many different ways. I am attempting to maintain that here at home as well. I have started a prayer team in our college ministry and are trying to get people to see prayer in a new light.
I think one of the biggest thing I learned about working with students is that we underestimate their power and capability. They can do so much but America doesn't let them! I also learned something the very last week with Angie. We asked each of the students who the most influential person in their life was and not one person said "their friend". They each said someone who challenged them to be more than they ever thought they could be. Looking back, I can say the same thing in my life. My middle school pastor, Russell Migl, believed in me no matter what. And that means the world to me. I want to be a person of influence in peoples' lives. I think one other thing I learned a lot about as well is the power of words with students. This generation doesn't hear encouragement enough. Sometimes, as youth workers we need to speak challenges and words of truth into their lives, but we also need to tell them how we see God working in them and using them. We can see things in them that they don't see sometimes. We need to build this generation up - it is beated down my the power's of this world. But it doesn't have to be that way!
I thank God for this experience. It has taught me a lot about myself, life, God, students, people... So many things - it is an internship well worth it!
Below is a video - a glimpse of what I experienced this summer. A picture says a thousand words, but this still doesn't do my summer justice!
Love to you all!
God's hands and feet,
Joy
LeaderTreks Video
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