UPDATE!!

Dear friends and family!

I know that it’s been a while since I’ve updated you all through my blog, but I wanted to give a quick update before I start posting again!

First, a quick recap of the rest of my 10/40 trip and the summer:

After Kyrgyzstan, we went to the country of Turkey! We stayed in Istanbul to pray, pleading with the Lord to come and encounter the hearts of those living in Istanbul and SPECIFICALLY those who were worshipping in mosques! After Istanbul we travelled to the city of Bergama (modern day Pergamos) in hopes of starting there in a trip to visit and pray over all seven modern sites of the churches listed in early Revelation! We ended up splitting our group of eight into two groups of four. One continuing on to the churches, and mine remaining in Bergama! We got the incredible opportunity to build up and be built up by some brothers and sisters in Christ FROM Turkey!

Then we went to Marrakesh, Morocco. We remained as our entire squad of thirteen and our main goal was evangelism and relationship building. We met so many incredible people and went to many other cities: Zagora, Tangier and Casa Blanca. While I was in Morocco I met twocl boys Markamer and Kai, who were 19 and 17. They were hungry for the Gospel and amazed by the things that we were saying and although they didn’t pray a specific prayer, their hunger to know about the Gospel and even change some of their behaviors (whether to appease us or try “being Christian” I don’t know) moved me to love for them.

After such an incredible experience with these two boys (and please continue to be praying for them both) I felt that the Lord was leading me to lead younger men. I had already applied to Squad Lead with confidence that the Lord was with me in that, and now I felt that I should jump into leading men as quickly as possible. SO I signed up to be in charge of some senior boys in Bethesda, Maryland for the summer!

Summer staff at First Presbyterian Church was such a fun experience! I had some of the most fun that I have had in the last two years, had incredible friends while I was there, and overall such a sweet time. The Lord gave me so much grace to fail in that and allowed me to see the areas that needed some growth before I began Squad Leading. Shoutout to Gavin Stahl, Hunter O’Connell, and Mary Redd, some of my closest friends from that season!

Then I continued my seemingly “annual” tradition of going to Maine to lead a 7th grade boys cabin at a summer camp! The camp is called Camp 207 and it is run by my good friend Ella Doyon’s family! I love the kids there and they are a huge part of why I have ever even thought about Squad Leading in the first place!

Finally, I began Squad Leading. Just to explain WHAT Squad Leading even is, I am the leader of a team of boys doing a Gap Year for the first time! I get the opportunity to pour out love, discipleship and my own experiences into these boys’ lives. I have a team of TEN which is incredible! Their names are Blake, Cas, Eric, Ethan (Beatty), Ethan (Verboncoeur), Isaac, Josh, Josiah, Toby and Thomas!

We had an incredible training camp, a great time in Colombia, and we are now wrapping up our time in Vietnam! I will be writing one or two individual blogs to update you all on some testimonies from Squad Leading so far and will be trying to update you all as frequently as possible through here too!

I would love if you would be so willing as to partner with me once again in prayer over myself, my team, and the countries that we have visited and will continue to visit! I also am still fundraising! My fundraising goal is significantly less than it was on my Gap Year or even my 10/40 Alumni Trip, however I still have $2500 left to fundraise! If you or anyone that you know feel moved to support me financially I want to extend my gratitude before hand on here!

Thank you all so much for your investment, in so many ways, in my journey with the Lord. Also please let me know any ways that I can pray for YOU in the comments! Thank you!