Four Weeks In!

Wow, I cannot believe I have been out here in Washington D.C. for four weeks. It has been a blast so far! We have five more weeks of the program and I have seven more weeks in town for my internship. Over the past week I have been realizing more and more that the opportunities I have had and the things I have learned about myself, God, and life over this summer already has been worth it all. I feel that if nothing else happened for the rest of the summer the whole time would still be worth it for what God has already done the first month. From here it seems as though my cup just continues to overflow with more blessing. These blessings come from hard times and exciting times. I believe God will continue to reveal more throughout the summer which is so exciting. Often it is hard to find time to process everything coming at us.

As I have been praying God would reveal to me things from my past and growing up that may ave helped to form lies in my mind about who I am and what my self worth is in, God has started to really open my eyes to certain things that I have allowed to shape my view of myself and others. It is so freeing to just realize some of these lies that I believe in. When looking at different events or environments through my life, I am beginning to see and learn that I have created a lie in my mind and heart that I will never be truly wanted. Because of certain times of rejection I have told myself that people do not truly desire to have me around. This has definitely shaped my attitude toward people and has skewed my view and feelings of how others treat me. I have observed and believed ridiculous things all because of these lies in my heart that Satan has used to believe my worth is nothing.

I can not express the way it has felt to just see different things open up and see how God is helping to remove layers of lies I have carried inside for years. I have no doubt this process of realizing core lies I have believed and how God has truly created and designed me to be will be ever happening. But I just feel such safety here and an open environment to discuss and process some of these things with people out here. Because I have believed many things that may not be true about myself, it will no doubt take a long time to begin to truly see myself through God's eyes and the truth of what my worth is and who I truly am.

On another note, work is pretty cool. I feel like I am getting some chances to interact with the staff and other interns in the office. I enjoy most of the work I am doing and serving the office in whatever capacity I can. We have met a few people in the dorms, but it often seems people stick to themselves. But we have been able to play games with some of the people on our floor a couple of times.



The team and I have been getting along pretty well. It will be interesting to see these next few weeks. As many staffers say around week 4, 5, and 6 walls begin to come down and everyone in the program lets their more true side. Not every personality will mix with another. When tensions arise it is great to allow God to come in and work in each of us. We will see what happens. Right now I and many others are excited about everything God has been doing and I'm sure will continue to do.

Can you please pray for:
• God continuing to open up outside relationships and deepen those made already
• Continued processing of the lies I am believing about myself and others
• Grow my team closer over the rest of the program
• That while going through the WHO AM I study, God would reveal things I have not yet let him deal with and that I would believe he is a truly forgiving and merciful God

From the bottom of my heart, thank you once again for your investment in my summer and my life. This summer has already been life changing and helped me to learn so much about life. Thank you.

Until next time....

P.S. Oh, here is a picture of some of the students in the program on the Metro Subway we take everyday to get anywhere in the city.



(From left to right: Me, Tara, Dan, Katy, and Drew)