First week: check!!

Hey everyone!!!

This past week has been so busy--a lot is going on here in Mt. Crested Butte! (Way too much to put into one blog post, unfortunately, but I'll do my best!) To be honest, I wasn't really sure of all that I'd be doing once I got here, besides spending time in the outdoors to help develop my relationship with Christ. It has been that and so much more! I have already learned so much and have been challenged to think about and discuss concepts that never really crossed my mind before.

We are relational beings, because God created us that way. We were created in His image, and He is also a relational being (think of the Trinity--Father, Son, Spirit). There is a lot of emphasis during the project on building relationships with others, specifically relationships that include both grace and truth. We should strive for a balance between the two, because God (in His love for us) extends both grace and truth to us. With only grace we would always be forgiven, but never know how to do things right. With only truth there would always be judgment, and none of us pass the test of being righteous. Our relationships with people are so important, not only because of how He made us (relational beings), but because He works through people! If we have no horizontal relationships (me and people), our vertical relationship (me and God) will suffer because we will never see Him manifested in others.

So, getting to know the students and staff of Campus Crusade has been really awesome. The reason I have been able to form some deep relationships in just a week is because vulnerability, honesty, trust, and risk have all been valued and used in getting to know each other. This summer project is a safe place for us to truly be known, to try things and fail, because we will be given grace. It is also the perfect place for us to make those failures, because we will be given truth so that we can learn from our mistakes and try again.

We also went on a three-day backpacking trip (so amazing!) that was really fun and just gave us more chances to learn about relationships and deepen the ones with the students and staff on project. God being glorified by all the splendor of His creation didn't hurt the trip either!

There is more to come! We are doing our first day of outreach in Gunnison, CO (about 40 minutes from Mt. Crested Butte) on Saturday. We will be trained in the morning and watch God work all afternoon! I can't wait! Thank you all for your continued prayers--I am so thankful for them! :)

John 1:14-- The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the father, full of grace and truth.

In grace and truth,
Sarah