Intercession

Romans 8:26 is such an awesome verse guys. Lately, I've expressed to a few people here that I'd felt I'd hit a snag as far as God revealing truth via His word, or convicting an area of my life. Surely, there is much more work to be done I kept thinking, but God was not speaking as He previously had. I wasn't really that off with my spiritual disciplines either, so I was pretty confused with why God wasn't revealing more about himself. I tried to reconcile it with the fact that the things I'd be asking for in my prayer life (the ability to discern the Holy Spirit's leading, discovering my spiritual giftings, and whether or not I should stay longer this summer instead of returning home) where things that God was going to test me in and teach me something through the process....but deep down I knew there was another area of my life that I just wasn't praying about. Relationships have been a huge area of confusion in my life, and it seemed more and more my thoughts were focusing upon a girl that I feel God leading my heart towards. Well...God had already told me that I was not to pursue ANYONE this summer so I didn't think this something I should be praying about, rather something that I should ignore and be obediant in. We'll sweet passage Romans 8:26 now comes in.

This verse talks of how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we do not know what to ask for. Lately I wanted God to teach me about relationships and how to honestly care and love for a woman, but I hadn't expressed it. Nevertheless the Spirit interceded and provided an awesome conversation between Greg, Jeff, and I that lasted all night. So much truth was spoken, such as learning to love a spouse like Christ loved the Church, there is so much there about relationships that I had never been taught! How good is the Spirit that He meets our needs when we do not even know how to ask!?

My Mission

My mission stays the same as I have always believed it to be. My mission is the great commision! My mission to be a rebel. My mission is to be like Christ.

Since I have been out here, I have struggled with the thought as in my purpose. I had no idea why God wanted me out here, and why I was feeling the need to leave every single day I was out here. My purpose is clearing up. I am here because I could not say "No" to this opportunity. While being out here, I have encountered some interesting experiences out here to say the least. The enemy is constantly trying to win me back by making sin seem like the only response to reach people out here. I know the truth though. I have seen my past and the past of many of my friends out here, and I am not happy to say that. I see a life of bondage and a life that has no purpose. I see people living so they can enjoy themselves, and not the company of others. The fact is...People matter. Other people that is. If we were to care more about people around us than ourselves, a lot of problems in this world would be deceased. My mission is to expose this lie that we have to carry about ourselves before others, because we can't care for others if we are not caring about ourselves. Christ blesses us in so many ways, and he only does that to whom he sees wants to be called "his". When we have that need to be called "his" we achieve the right to be blessed by him. When we are choose to be called "his" we are accepting his commadments into our lives and living by them. Christ blesses us, because he can. Our father in heaven blesses us not becasue he has to, but because he wants to.

I want to live like a rebel. I don't want to live by the worlds standards dand care about myself or be criticized by people who don't know what my "true" mission is. I live by a Christ-like standard and not a worldly standard. Could it be that I could get criticized for posting this...yes. I just want people to know the truth. To not live like hypocrites. To not live by tradition, but to live by God. He is constantly speaking to us through his word, through the holy spirit, and through others. Dont' listen to tradition or history. Listen as the holy spirit prompts you to. Live like a rebel. LIVE THE MISSION.

The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Go forth and fulfil your mission

In Truth,
Jeff

About as "Emergent" as we get...

Dear all,

Within just a couple of days, we'll be merging this blogsite with the www.wyominginterns.blogspot.com site in order to more aptly and efficiently communicate the various experiences we are all having out here. Thanks for following us here. We hope that you choose to follow, comment, and continue to encourage and support us through the rest of the summer. We'll be posting just as regularly and just as authentically still, just at a new address and in joint with the other interns we're living and growing with. Press on!

-Greg

Heartache

*sigh*

It's about 3:00am where I currently am, and I have had an enduring pain in my soul for several days now. I truly wish I knew how to be rid of it, but clearly such relief is not meant for the present moment. I do not know what is next in my life right now... I suppose that is in itself a very good thing. Work in the mountains never gets old (though this heartache does), and I continue to experience a new brokenness for/in my generation nearly every day. I wonder anymore if this pain is nothing more than a distraction... something to keep me chasing my own hopes and whispered prayers into darker and darker, more secret corners of my life instead of simply spewing them into the air and being rid of the heaviness so often befalling my heart. Somehow my voice is bound and unable to share these things with those around me... I am free with only a few people and there have found no resolution.

I don't know what to do. In all honesty the one thing that comes to mind is weep, and as experience has proven before, that doesn't help. I work among people who not only reject the spiritual nature of their lives, but thwart it, starve it, kill it. They drown the cry of their existence in soulish desires and fruitless experiences. All I really want is some honesty right now I think. I'd like to have an honest and genuine conversation with someone about life in general, but alas, most often what comes from the mouths of those around me are lies bathed in alcohol and caressing flatteries laced with self-interest. Those that I love the most seem afraid to share what they are truly going through, as if vulnerability is something I do not respect and protection is not my most natural and fiercest passion. I truly crave honesty more than anything else right now. Other than that (Perhaps even because of that), I am exhausted. My heart is nearly dehydrated it has wept so often in the last week. My mind feels flat for trying in vain to figure out how such lifestyles as I see are appealing or desired at all. My body wonders when it'll enjoy a normal sleep cycle for just one week's time. My spirit sees the many needs and calls in earnest for authentic and holy help, only to see the enemy sweep in and provide a distorted and shallow solution to eternal problems. All that to say, I ache, and I don't know the nature of the sharpest, deepest tear in my heart, which is perhaps more frustrating than it anything else.

-Greg

By God's Grace.

Goodness. My first post. Where to start...

This past december, God definitely dropped this opportunity to learn more about Him on my lap. From about Februrary to just a couple weeks ago, I became discouraged by plenty of things (mostly being financial reasons) and wondered if He was really the one behind it. One night while talking to a few friends in the room, I finally felt affirmed that God put me here. I also feel that he was testing me to see if i wouldn't back out like i wanted to so badly, but by His grace, i am at peace, and things are working out. Thank you and praise God for all who prayed and are still praying for me.

It's been an interesting few weeks for me here, still dealing with the job schedule being changed every now and then, finally getting longer shifts, meeting plenty of new people and hearing bits and pieces about their lives, learning more about God and listening to Him and learning to discern His spirit, learning what it means to work in the body, and so much more. Getting to know God more and learning more about my identity in Him makes it easier all the time for me to refuse past habits and what distorts and distracts from Him. It's a process for sure, and it definitely takes submission without expectation, and complete faith and trust that He will provide and He will lead and guide you. God has been blessing me so much through love and care from the body, wrestling with what i've been taught to believe versus what the Holy Spirit wants me to know and learn, and overcoming it all by God's unfailing love and grace. I've been witnessing so much of His beautiful creation here on the earth, but i've also been witnessing His creation on a spiritual level, and it's good. He's teaching me so much, and it's been awesome to digest and test it in my own life, and i know there is so much more. Thank you again for your prayers and i love you all.

-Ray

Whew... 17 days in.

Dear Friends,

I really don’t know where to begin this. It’s about 1:00am here (meaning 3:00am for most of you) and I’m definitely quite awake. Working the overnight shift affects quite a few daily habits and seemingly natural actions, haha. God has been gracious the past week, and I thank you for your continuing prayers. As a team out here, we are in no comfortable place of rest. Our intentionality for spiritual warfare is daily and constant. There have been numerous persecutions of our people’s faith by co-workers. It’s not anything I’m used to at all. In all things, God is good, and He has daily brought me into His presence and several times allowed the briefest glimpse of wonder at His glory. He knows what He is doing and every single person here is His son or daughter. Pray for them.

Our extended training sessions have gone fairly well since we left Missouri. Though our schedules have not always been the most workable with each other, God has provided and the Holy Spirit is moving among us and teaching us as we need to learn. We are still learning the nature of a unified body and what it means to minister with each other. The enemy is also hard at work here. Even in the last minute of writing these paragraphs, a co-oworker of mine approached my table and questioned my integrity in the presence of all the employees in the recreation hall. The Lord Himself is my defense, even though right now after such a interaction my hands are trembling and my heart is racing. Pray against the enemy, this will not be the last of such accusations. The nature of my heart and passion for this generation rests in the purity of my love for them. If the enemy can mar that or bring a notion of insincerity to it, then He may as well have taped my mouth shut. My peers and people here watch, and they watch with the presumption that there must be a catch. Pray for my protection and wisdom in every situation. I know He will provide.

My hands have stopped shaking now *exhale,* and I guess in light of this most recent experience all I can do is ask that you continue to pray as the Lord lays us on your heart and with the specificity that He allows you to perceive. I love and miss you all.

Humbly,
Greg

portraits in skies

yesterday night's shift and into this morning i saw a full moon shine so bright i could point to a place on the lake where it touched. the mountains were silhouetted by the dim light and the clouds skirted around them....the quietness was eerie but in a good way. eventually the clouds covered the moon and everything went pitch black again leaving me to just drive around in blah....but about 5 hours later i saw another incredible light. the sunrise came up with colors of blue, orange, pink and red, making the snow look like some kind of ice cream, i drove over to the marina for a better view and i saw a rainbow crowing the range. ridiculously gorgeous, all i could express were words of praise. God's amazing creativity is so unimaginable, once in a while he gives us a glimpse. are you taking the time to notice it?

Others

So... I just found another blog site for the rest of the interns that we from Bethel are all out here with:

www.wyominginterns.blogspot.com

You should definitely check it out!

Getting into the groove...

Well, I'm finally starting to get some sort of a schedule under my belt. It's still very weird being here, and seeing the massive mountains loom in the distance, constantly reminding me how incredibly small I really am. It's actually a good feeling. God's been doing some interesting things with me lately. I've noticed my boldness is gone. For those of you who know me fairly well, you know I have no problem meeting people. Here, however, it seems my boldness has left me. I have an overall sense of timidity of me. I think God had done this because I'm not quite ready to meet people and to spread the vision yet. I've met some people and it's been good to sit down with them and talk, however this is a totally different environment than Bethel. No longer does everyone have God in common, which is such a frustrating thing. So, now, I either try and find things in common and work in my flesh, or let the Spirit lead and do things the right way. I'll take the latter. He's allowed me to play volleyball and some pool and through those, I've met some people, though it seems it's a slow process. Through my work, I honestly don't know how God is going to work. My work ethic seems to have improved 100%. Last year during college, it seems I got very lazy with work and I was honestly worried that would carry over to this summer but it hasn't and I thank God for that. There seem to be a lot of "I don't know's" about this summer and I'm very ok with that.
My spirit does hurt though. It's such a hard thing not to be able to speak into people's lives as I've been able to do at college where it seems the majority of people at college have God in common. Here, what are they living for? The weekend? Their paycheck? And at night, I see my generation, I see college students getting drunk off of cheap beer, and they tell me their majors: engineering, social work etc... and they say they want to make a difference. They are passionate, but so incredibly lost. And then I see the ones who do know God here, but still caught up in tradition simply for traditions sake. And not to say I have everything in line either, but I praise God he Has opened my eyes to His truth. It is only by His grace that I am sitting in this beautiful place, understanding His truth by His Spirit.

One Week In

Friends,

I’m tempted to lie to you right now and say that things are all awesome and great. In part, they are, but mostly, they aren’t, well, not in the sense that I'm real comfortable and everything is peachy. My job is good and the people I'm here with are wonderful. I wake up every morning, walk one hundred yards and from then on stare at mountains all day. The "not all awesome and great" is more because I’m overwhelmed even as I type this right now. Not with fatigue or exhaustion from work, but my spirit is absolutely in pain. I think I shared with you in my last letter that I asked very simply that our God would show me His heart. I don’t know why that particular prayer was so burdensome, as if I just had to ask Him that (I couldn't not, you know what I mean?), but I did, and I think He is beginning to do just that and I’m not allowed to close my eyes. It's broken. His heart is broken and I don’t know if I’ve ever really felt it like this before. I’ve met four different people in the last nine days that I have literally had to fight back tears because of the nature of the Spirit's openness in that moment. I’m not used to that and it’s really overwhelming. I know that God is showing me this pain in my generation for a reason, without doubt it is beneficial, but certainly I did not expect it. There have been moments of joy in this season of discovery as well, times where my tears have come from a simple moment of celebrating His glory. I can’t describe that for you at all, though I would like for you to know what I mean. I hope you do. The people I’m out here with are being worked on in a wonderful way. I hope you take the time to read the blog posts at www.bcwyominginterns.blogspot.com; they’re well worth it. You see what I mean now? I suppose it's a great place to be, but certainly it is not comfortable.

*Sigh* There are many out here that are absolutely lost… no questions asked. I am about to start my regular shift for security out here now: 8:30pm-6:00am for 46 paid hours a week. It’s not so much the graveyard shift as it is the busting drunks shift I guess. The local bars and employee bar all close at midnight and if there are any disturbances in GTLC property, it will be my job to “calm things down” as it were. The upside of this situation will be that I get to spend afternoons with my friends and people out here AND that I will be up and around for every sunset and sunrise for sure (that I can support). I plan to spend a lot of those early morning hours in prayer for those of you working during the day and ministering in your respective places. If you have anything going on that I can bring up on your behalf, please let me know somehow. God is good. Though His heart is broken for the wounded and struggling and dying and lost, His joy is even more incredible in light of His redeemed. Is He satisfied? I do not believe so, though I know that He is certainly pleased with His Bride. Continue to pray for discernment for my spirit out here, please. As well, pray for boldness in times of opportunity. I have never felt such an awareness of brokenness around me and yet felt so powerless to speak into it as now. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s clear guidance and direction. That is all I can truly desire right now. Thank you all for your sharing these things with me. I pray that you as well will continue to seek His heart more and more and more, even into the depth of brokenness. I pray you continually remember that He is watching you and truly longs for you to know Him more intimately. I pray that you would have the courage to want that as well, even in the midst of sacrificing comforts and conveniences. Indeed, there will be sacrifices. I hope the summer is coming in with great dreams and risky prayers for you too. Press on.

In Him,
Greg

Brokeness

You know the feeling....

When God either takes something away from you, or he won't leave you alone til you stop focusing on it and focus on him. God has been doing that to me so far this trip, and its only the 4th day into it. Sure I have experienced pure majesty in the fact that I am surrounded by objects so big that it takes days to climb, but these same objects scripture tells us that God can make bow down before him. This is an amazing place for the view and for the people, but when it comes to everything that I hold dear in my life...it needs to go. I can't worry about anything out here. I can't have my mind focusing on relationships, my family, school, or my friends back home out here. 100% of my mind and concentration needs to be on Christ out here. No more can I focus on things that won't last in this life. God has my heart and my mind right now, and I'm ready for the brokenness this summer will continue to bring.

Break me Lord!!!

Jeffy

Gooood day

So, I'm in Wyoming now. I just got done with my first shift at work. I'm a cashier at the local General Store. This place is so incredible. In the past 3 days, I've seen more elk than I can shake a stick at, a moose, lots of antelope, and two black bears. And the mountains are quite literally in my backyard. It's so amazing. The place I'm working at is so relaxed and down to earth. Contrary to my facebook status recently, I cannot in fact ride my longboard to work. It's against the law to ride a skateboard, longboard or rollerblades in the national park. Apparently, someone told me, but I didn't listen. Oh well...
God has been so amazing lately. I've met a lot of people, some definitely non-christian and some surprisingly christian. This is such a huge place where my generation resides. Living in the spirit is so so so hard. I just typed up a huge paragraph on a topic and at the end, I had an answer. Kind of funny how life works out like that.
Blessings: (this is where I count them)

Meeting several guys in my hall already and getting to know their stories
Finding a pair of black leather steel toed boots for $10.
Getting paid for orientation (10 hours at $7.56 an hour for sitting in a class room and taking a tour)
Having a good job that I've picked up quickly on
Seeing Drew struggle through things and allowing God to reveal truth to him
Thanks for listening!

Duuuddes God is so good

When God chooses to reveal truth in our lives, there is such great joy! And especially when it is truth that disproves satan's lies in our lives...ahhhh how much joy there is in that! 1 John 3:1-10 talks about Christ coming into the world with the purpose to destroy satan's work and lately this is what that has looked like in my life.
Basically I want to hear God's voice so I seek to understand the nature of God....this is a very delicate matter that takes much discernment and so much patience.....this is been a struggle for me lately because in my attempt to understand God's nature I think about people of the Bible, like Job or David and the example they set in pursuing God's will and I want to attach a formula to it so that God can speak to me too. But really although we can discern a lot about the nature of God by examing how He interacted with other believers, we need to be very slow to think that we can immediately apply the same actions of Job and David and expect the same result of God.
Honestly I know that trying to plug a formula into God's plan and expecting to get a result is soo foolish! But at the same time its so hard for me (and I believer many others) because we don't want the patience required to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. What we want is the answer of how to know Him. If you humor me, we want a Discernment for Dummies book. We want to know a how to to hear the Spirit. But again, the truth of God is a blessing that is spoken in our lives when He chooses to reveal it to us. Amen to that. Don't get me wrong, practicing disciplines like fasting and prayer obviously are very beneficial to our faith, but we must avoid doing them with expectation. Our relationship with God is too unique for us to expect that He will work the same way twice, and He will not let us fall into a pattern that turns our relationship with Him into that of a vending machine. All we are to do is to make ourselves available to Him, and as open to His Spirit as possible.

The mountains make me feel small...

I can't even begin to describe to you how incredibly beautiful this landscape is. The final leg of the journey to the resort was the best part. We grilled out, saw tons and tons of antelope, an elk or two, some buffalo (bison...same thing) and even a black bear by the side of the road. It's been wild.

We're here now. I am extremely tired from all of the travel. I lost count somewhere around 20 hours. It's 9:30 right now which transates to 11:30 Indiana time. Two hours can make a difference. I've included some pictures that Mark Goodwin took. They tell just a smal part of the story. God has truly and incredily blessed us already. We're meeting people, and we were all able to live in the same dorm house (the north dorm). We've gotten settled in and now it's time to begin our jobs (orientation is tomorrow).

Our address out here is P.O Box 606 Moran, Wyoming 83013. Just include our names and the mail will be sent to us. Just a heads up, I am very excited to write hand-written letters to anyone who wants one. Just get on my facbook and send me your address. Or, send me a letter first and you'll be sure to get a reply.

Thank you for your prayers. My prayer for this week is that our team begin to meld. I'm starting to see tensions buildin already and personalities clashing. If this summer is to work, we need to be a body, to work spiritually as one.

Hearing His Voice

Discerning the Holy Spirit is hard for me, I so want to hear God's voice in my life on a regular basis and I struggle with distinguishing between His prodding and my inclination. Pray for strength and unrelenting persistence as I pursue this above all else.

This Year of "New"

I'm open Lord...

When this year started, my mindset had been assured by my God that this is going to be a "New" year. New teachings, new mindsets, and new relationships were the first thing that God was hammering into my heart. I can feel it deep in my soul, and I can yearn for it every day. This trip so far has been an experience I never would have ever thought it would be. Pretty much...It is a new experience. We arrived in St. Louis last Thursday and training for this internship started last Saturday. A lot of amazing principles were given for me to wrestle and chew on, and I can honestly say that it is challenging me to look deep down inside me and become the true person that Christ has called me to be. Sunday night we had the opportunity to ask the Holy Spirit to baptize us...and I can honestly say that I asked for it, but something was blocking me. Something needs to happen before I truly see this new role that Christ has for me. I am hoping that you all can keep me in you're prayers this summer, because this will be challenging, and brokenness will haunt my heart every day and night out there. I am 20 something odd hours away from my family who I miss a lot, and new experiences can take it's toll on anyone. As I pursue the spirit and living in it this summer, I pray that you all do the same. Examine your lives and rid yourselves of anything that might hinder you from the spirit leading you completely.

On a side note...the trip out here has seemed to go by pretty quickly. We are in Rock Springs, Wyoming right now about 5 hours away from our destination at the lodge. Tomorrow we get acquainted with our jobs and housing for the next few months...so tomorrow will be a long day. Tomorrow starts another new part of my life...and it could be for you too.

God Bless,
Jeff

5:00a.m

We woke up at 4:30...or right around there. I had to put on some loud music (Underoath) to stir Drew and Jeff. I enjoy it. We're being picked up in 25 minutes ( we were threatened, in love, to be ready on time.) I am so excited at this point. With everything God has been revealing to me through the Holy Spirit, I cannot help but ask, "How deep does this rabbit hole go?" And the exciting thing is this now sustains a burning fire, a buring desire within my heart that I wasn't aware existed. The depth to His love, His wisdom, His heart cannot be seen which excites me so much. Imagine always able to go deeper, but never actually able to hit the end? This is truly about the journey, in light of the destination (eternity) that I never need to worry about striving for.
If i were to ask for one thing, it would be that my heart would still be open. Over the past few days, God has revealed deep hurts and pains that have not been hard to see, but hard to look back on and release the guilt and shame and be able to forgive myself. I truly believe there are still deep rooted issues hindering me from going deeper with God, and those simply need to go. There is and will be no compromise for these things. Satan has sought to separate me from my God and this will NOT do. I thank you for your continued support through prayer.

Heartburn

Friends,

*Exhale* It has been quite the few days past, let me tell you. You see below a couple of posts from other interns and their experiences. I couldn’t be more thrilled for them and love how God has been blessing their willingness and humility (two things I feel are lost among people of known spiritual authority and leadership). As it is though, God has poured Himself out on them and I look forward to seeing just how God is going to continue revealing His love and heart to them this summer! The others are having differing experiences as well, some have been challenged, others broken, others affirmed, etc. I myself am simply coming to a point of desperation. I was privileged to share much of my journey with this group last night, but I do even so feel His call to go deeper. I want to know my Lord’s heart. I feel that, though I know His thoughts sometimes and though our relationship is intimate and personal, I cannot recognize His heart when it is before me. This has truly brought me to my knees these past few days. Pray for this. I am heavy. I know His calling for me, but I feel His desire to show me something I have never known before and I am terrified. I am glad for this discontent, but am impatient with His revelations (I know you sympathize). I know He has placed this desire to see His heart in me, and with that I know He will not disappoint what He Himself wants to see happen. I want to see His heart… whatever it may be... and soon. Even so, I rejoice at being in His presence even now.

*Inhale* God is good. The training went very, very well and I was reminded of so much that the circumstances of the past five months had dulled in my life. I am excited to be going through everything in the midst of so many others who want to wrestle in prayer and conversation with me. The Lord has truly been living and active among us thus far. Tomorrow we depart for Kearney, Nebraska. It’s finally time. As of 72 hours from now we will be in Wyoming looking at our first day of employment. We’re leaving at 6:00am and will have a bit of a leisurely excursion out. Pray for our safety and sanity in travel. Many wonderful and challenging conversations can be had in nine ours of confined space and I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit will be seeking to build unity and intimacy in even such a way. That being said, I am even more certain that our enemy will be seeking to build division and isolation throughout as well. I am praying for patience and discernment in all things, keeping in mind the joy of this company and continuing to ask the Lord to reveal to me what He wills. I know that I get rather irritable when I do not understand things, my mind and heart are both at a place of loss right now in all honesty. I trust Him to reveal what He wants me to see in His timing, yet I must remain content with His gentle guidance in the moment as well. Many of you reading this know that is a huge challenge :D, but it will be good. Thank you for your prayers, friends. Keep them rising and alighting on the ear of our wonderful Lord. May He continue to look favorably upon us. May we continue to seek His face and long for His glory. I thank Him for you even now. Press on.
*Sigh*

In Him,
Greg

Affirmation

Tonight, we learned about what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, basically it's to encounter God in some way that prepares you for ministry. I asked God that He would show up and He did! There were things I needed to confess beforehand, but really the main thing was me giving up the control of my career. If you know me, you know that all I've wanted to do for the longest time is be a chiropractor, so I can make lots of money and do missions....but I feel God pointing me to some other ministry. I began praying for God's spirit to show up and for whatever reason I was crying and I felt a huge weight on me, I realized in my head I was thinking that I had been counting the cost, but in my heart I hadn't. I never really in my heart had given it to God and it was because I was believing a lie that God's plan was somehow not going to be good, by the end of my prayer, my crying turned to laughing because I realized how Great and Good God's plan is! I might have to give up my career, relationships with friends, family, or the pursuit of a wife but in the end, God's way will always be greater. I can't wait to see what God will do in Wyoming.

Baptized with Fire

Isaiah 6

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Tonight was a night that has changed me in ways I have not yet fathomed. I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord came upon me and I experienced The Lords Joy.The Holy Spirit came and moved on the interns tonight. We experienced a time of public confession. Many of us laid our burdens at the feet of Jesus, removing those things that were keeping us from God. We then asked to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Each have their own story which is not mine to share. I only know that I am standing here, knowing God has trusted me, only by His grace, to bless me with this gift so that I can further the ministry in which He has enstrusted to me and has yet to show me. I have given my life for this. I have given up the idea of a wife. My future wife has been a big deal in my life. I was worshipping the idea of marriage and I gave that to God. Thank you for all of your prayers. Thank you so much.

A Storm Outside and In

Friends,

We arrived yesterday afternoon all safe and sound. The trip itself took a little longer than usual due to some lovely construction and traffic on I-80, but oh well. The wonderful thing about experience and time is that in light of one experience such as the joy of reunion or arrival or some other such natured thing, those things that at the moment felt torturesome and difficult suddenly lose their weight. Seven hours of driving felt incredibly long after two minutes of prayer, then incredibly short again after forty-five seconds of reunion. This summer is looking like it will be much harder than I have anticipated. I am not certain if my heart is ready for it or not, in fact, I am most certain that it is indeed not. I want to know the next step in this journey. For those coming out here with me, I feel a great hope and longing for their experiences to be holy and transforming, not unlike my desire for myself, but somehow it is more painful for them.

If you know me well, you know my heart is for this generation and everything therein. I am learning very quickly just how messy we (this people from 15-30 years old) really are. The mess is deep, very sticky, and very, very, VERY personal. Pray for me to see how the truth will come to see us free. If there is anything right now that I personally need prayer in, it is that. I have for the last five months become more aware of our pain and wounds than I ever thought I could, and in light of the scars and pain I have seen and felt, I long to know the nature of the healing I know the Lord has promised. Yes, truth. Yes, pure relationships and transparency. Yes, holy community and honest communication, but how? If it is not begun and finished by Him, I want nothing to do with it. The answer is simply Jesus, of course, but there is something incomplete in peoples understanding to simply accept His name as the answer to their life's hardship. They must encounter Him. I do not know what all the summer will entail for me, but I hope for direction and understanding. I hope to see a glimpse of that healing and restoration for someone. I will keep you posted as I can, but I long for your prayers. I ask for them specifically and humbly. Tonight is no different than other nights. My heart is heavy and I am in sight of someone’s pain. So please pray for us. Today Isaiah 53 was laid on my heart, and I know the Lord will provide understanding and purpose to His word soon enough. Pray for my heart to hear Him. Thank you.

Itinerarily speaking, tomorrow starts our three days of training. We will be working through some of the sessions from the Keystone Projects manual. We know the Lord will be with us and that He is truly the Good Teacher, so pray for our understanding. Information is useless without an experience to solidify it and validate it. Information is the currency of our minds, but information is the currency of our hearts- so pray for experience over these next three days for us. Pray that our baggage be laid down in sight of His outstretched arms and pray that the light would overcome the darkness. Truth is powerful in itself and needs no credibility, but our hearts must be open and humble if there is to be any transformational fruit. We will be going into St. Louis City Sunday afternoon to work and serve among the community. Let His will be done in all things. I am thankful for your prayers and look forward to sharing with you the fruit of your intercession. Pray to His glory. Press on.

In Him,
Greg

The Wood Between Worlds...as it is...

So, we're now in Missouri. After taking a train several hours through several states, Drew, Jeff and I made it successfully to Missouri. Greg, Alicia and Ray drove ( sadly it took them 7 hours driving). Us three guys made it to our host family( a.k.a Eric Wilson)'s apartment. First we ate (White Castle, Drew's first experience...he thinks they're "legit") and then, upon the discovery of a pool, we swam. It was much needed after such a long day of travel. We all realized we were operating on less than 3 hours of sleep each, so around 10pm, we put a movie on and crashed. Then we woke up and helped Twan and Mark move out of their apartments. And now Greg is at the Goodwins and everyone else is swimming and I'm in the apartment. Tomorrow begins the training, though none of us ( with the exception of Greg and the people training us) know what to expect...and that's just how we like it. Tuesday morning at 6a.m we embark to Wyoming, the land flowing with elk and mountains. Eric had a conversation with his disciple last night that was pretty intense and I think Jeff and Drew got a hint of what's to come. This isn't all daisies and roses. There is work to be done. Pray that our hearts be open to what God has for us. Pray for new eyes and new ears and new perspectives for us to see and hear and feel what needs to be done in each of our own lives in preparation for living in Wyoming this summer. Pray our focus be on this summer.

Day 1

Today we finally left to begin....whatever it is God has planned for us. Travel took a little while and two separate sets of kids got on our train for field trips (such loud children) but we didn't miss any trains so can't complain. I'm so glad we've finally left, the planning for getting down to St. Louis and to our host family's house was pretty in depth but we're here at last. We've met a lot of challenges throughout the planning of the trip but I want to hope that it's because God has something really awesome planned for the 13 of us. Training begins Saturday so today and tomorrow are going to be a chance to catch up on some rest (which we really need cuz most of us are running on 3-6 hours of rest haha). Today I experienced white castle for the first time and it's pretty legit, and so unhealthy, yum sliders.

One week to go my friends

Well, we have one week left. I'm currently in Middlebury with my friends Christian and Becky. They let me live with them whenever I have a break and it's been such a relaxing time. Tonight was the last night for youth group for me. Kind of hard to know I won't see many of those kids for a while. My gosh, there really is only a week left. I'm not too concerned with the training in Missouri. I know most of the people out there so I'm excited to see old friends. It's just that my work ethic of late has not been the best, so a full-time job is looming ahead. It'll be good and in my head, I'm already spending the money.
Prayer Requests: That we find someone willing to drive to St. Louis. So far we have one car and 6 people needing to go. That will not work. That my mind will settle. I simply cannot have expectations about this summer. And that I can figure out what to pack. My longboards are definitely going and ten days worth of clothing. Outside of those and my laptop, I don't know what else is coming, if anything. Oh and pray for the people we'll be meeting in Wyoming, whoever they are. Their hearts need to be open and responsive to what the Holy Spirit has to do in their lives.

One Weak

So... we're one week away from leaving. We'll be taking off between 10-11am next Thursday, and as of now we are down one ride out there. I know God will provide, but honestly this is much messier than I was personally expecting it to be. At any rate, the summer is upon us and God has proven Himself the definition of faithful over and over again for us. I know that several of the interns have been raising prayer support, and that has been my task this week as well. I thank God for the warriors in my life who are willing to intercede on behalf of my often weary heart. They are more than a blessing. To those reading, you are more than a blessing. I am grateful for your prayers, and I looking forward to seeing our God declare His glory in all of our weaknesses. May we press on in His word and power.

-Greg