Goodbye Wanblee. ):

Family and friends,

First of all, Happy Birthday Papa! I love you and am thinking about you and missing you today. I hope your day is wonderful!

My time in Wanblee is coming to an end. As i sit outside in the presence of God for my devotional time I am overwhelmed by so many emotions. This last week was in many ways a goodbye week for me. 

Sunday afternoon the last group of youth we would have for the summer came in and for the last time for a while I'm sure Zach and I prepared Sunday dinner. While cooking for the youth may sound trivial it's crazy the type of ministry that goes on in that kitchen. We help to feed so many youth and adult leaders. We are able to bless the community with a meal, we form relationships with the kitchen staff. (Literally every week on Taco Tuesday when i would cook, Beef, the community member who ran the kitchen would come in and teach me a new way to cook) what a cool thing it was to spend that time getting to know and learning from him and then using it to bless the community. Another cool thing I noticed about my countless times in the kitchen was that in there was where some of my strongest youth relationships started and were built. Wow, what a cool thing. Later on Sunday we had club in our club room. I was soaking in all the components of club and just hearing and seeing so many different denominations and people  come together for a week to serve him and this community was just  more than I could fathom. Only God could make that happen.

On Monday we went through ministry sites as always. But it was Monday's evening activity that both surprised me and caught me off guard. Every week we go to the Badlands. We go to the exact same spot every week, but every time I see something new. Who knew there could be such beauty in rocks? Well there is. God is present there. He is present in the Sunset and the rays that shine against the rocks. He is so alive and present there. Also, the first time I visited the badlands was for a devotional time during prep week, and in that quiet

Time where i sat and looked over miles and miles of South Dakota beauty I found this verse that was my theme/purpose this summer and now will be forever.

    Colossians 2:2

    My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Saying goodbye to the badlands was way more emotional than I anticipated.

 

Tuesday morning I gave my last devotional over being pursued. I just want everyone to know what I said. On Tuesday mornings I talked about how God uses other people to pursue us and show us we are desirable and loved by him. I talked about the beautiful and wonderful Angie Hiebert who hasn't stopped pursuing me since the awkward 7th grade days. I was honored to share about my relationship with Angie, the impact she has been in my life and the hero she has been to me. It was awesome to share this encouragement. 

Tuesday was different. I cooked my final taco tuesday meal which was both a blessing and bittersweet. I enjoy rocking out to music with the youth, but the kitchen and I just don't mix well. Haha Later on tuesday evening Jerome came and spoke to us. Just in case you have forgotten Jerome is a community member who helps us with Work Projects, but over the summer him and his family have taken me in and claimed me as one of their own. Every week I hear something new from Jerome's stories. I got choked up thinking that while I didn't want to be Work Projects, without it, i wouldn't have built this relationship with him. Saying goodbye to him, and his grand daughter lily were the hardest goodbyes I said this week. They bless the community in every week and are so humble and kind spirited. They are such kind people who selflessly give to this community every day. They are a testament to what it means to give and be selfless. My heart breaks thinking about how long it may be before i see them again. I love them and was blessed every day by their wisdom and love.

Wednesday was a new day of goodbyes. Wednesday I said Goodbye to the 38 foot cross. Literally it is a cross that is 38 feet tall. It was my favorite evening activity. We went out every week to the cross and had club there and worshipped under this breath taking cross. Every week God blessed us with an amazing sunset and a calming breeze to just worship his name and hear and feel his presence. It was such a powerful thing to watch and see how God used that time and place and work on so many  hearts. Just incredible.

Thursday was our final day at ministry sites. As i was packing up my work projects stuff I was thinking this:

 How cool is it that God equipped me this summer in an area I knew nothing about. How incredible it is that he used my hands to physical help and bless the community. Through work projects this summer my hands and actions, my heart and relationships changed lives and impacted this community. What a magnificent thing God did through Work Projects. It was definitely something only God could orchestrate.

Thursday night also brought some new reflecting. As i sat outside the doors waiting to go in an wash feet for the last time this summer my heart was so heavy.

All summer I have washed countless feet of different adult leaders and in all those

Moments and in all those prayers God spoke through me. The relationships i built with adult leaders this summer were inspiring and humbling. I got to wash their feet just like Jesus washed his disciples feet. Wow, what an experience. 

To all the adult leaders whom I interacted with this summer. Thank you for investing in me. Thank you for teaching me things. Thank you for touching my heart. 

It's time for me to go now and leave Wanblee, but I wanna leave you with one thing: if i learned anything this summer it's that Gods love for us never stops, he never stops pursuing us.

"He loves us, Oh, how he loves us. Oh, how he loves us, Oh, how he loves."

Thanks for following my journey and loving, supporting and praying for me!

I love you all. 

-Kristen

The end is near...week 7 recap!

Well friends, week 7 is over and our final week is underway. 

Week 7 was great. It went by so fast. I met 2 awesome guys who just graduated high school; one is going to Baylor and the other is a soccer stud! Needless to say we bonded instantly. I also hurt my knee really badly last week and am still hobbling along!

One of the highlights of the week was seeing our AD Jordan and our Regional Director Kate. They are so great and it was really refreshing having their presence for a little while. 

I also had an adopted mom last week, her name was Wendy. What a God send she was last week. It was incredible getting to learn from and talk to her.

Now, as i speak my final programming week in Wanblee is underway. Processing this whole journey is quite emotional. God has done so much that it is so unreal that it's all ending. We had our last sunday meal and club and our last trip to the beautiful badlands today. I was overcome with tears sitting in Gods creation there for the last time this summer. God is so good and so faithful. 

Anyway, prayers for my good byes to this place I consider another home. Prayers I can have the physical strength to end strong and the emotional strength to say good bye to beloved community members, and friends. 

Thanks for all of your continual prayers and support! My next blog will be from exit ramp which is both sad and exciting!

I love you all.

-Kristen

Week 6: Oklahoma, Texas Tough, and Teepees!

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all doing well. It is crazy to think that week 6 of programming has just ended and I only have 2 weeks left. The time in Wanblee is just flying by. I am so excited to share with you some of the highlights of the week as it was one of the best of the summer.

This week we had a group of about 50. There were 3 churches from Minnesota and Green Bay Wisconsin. It turned out that we had a lot of Packers in the building this week! haha Of course as always we do orientation and kind of introduce ourselves and in my orientation I share my Oklahoma Sooner roots in which case I was immediately given a nickname that stuck: Oklahoma. All week students called me Oklahoma, and I have to admit that I loved it!

I felt like we were really blessed this week with great youth and awesome adult leaders. Everything this week was just effortless which made it so easy to focus on God, enjoy the week, and really get to know the youth. I especially connected with a few who continually brought me joy and laughter throughout the week. The pictures will be posted below.

This week I also experienced a work projects first: WE BUILT A TEEPEE. It was so cool. We literally gt the heritage of teepees and a lesson on how to put one up. The youth loved it and it was definitely an awesome  cultural experience.

While I loved this week a lot it was a little bitter sweet for me. I love being on staff with YouthWorks but this week my sweet sister Kailey was on my heart as she and my church youth group were on their mission trip in Cortez. It was cool sitting in club and thinking she was hearing the same passage but maybe receiving the message in a different way. I prayed constantly this week for our church's group and their week in Cortez and always had my sister in the back of my mind. I can't wait to get home and hear all about her YW experience this summer, I think we will be able to connect in a new and deep way because of it. I love you Kailey!

I also am going to ask for prayer. Things are starting to come to an end and thinking about life outside of YouthWorks is beginning to make me a bit anxious. I have done some major growing this summer and made some huge life changes and while I am so excited to put them into real life and I am nervous as well. Also please pray for our staff member Zach---He has strep throat. Just pray that he is restored and his health gets better going into the final leg of this journey.

As always thank you all for the continual support and prayers. I can't wait to see you and share with you in more detail the awesome things God has done this summer.

I love you all.

-Kristen

Week 5!

Well Friends...Week 5 is done!

This week was wonderful and weird in a lot of ways. After having a couple of weeks where we had 70+ people having 28 was interesting. Last week when we went to SAMS to shop it felt so weird. We kept wondering if we had enough food. Haha While it was weird shopping for 30 when we are used to 70 it was a great week! It was very refreshing to have a week where I got to connect and know all the students on a deeper level. This week I knew their names and about their lives. It was awesome.

God did a lot this week. I got to experience Kids Club this week which was both eye opening and humbling. It was so encouraging so see kids who have so little filled with such joy. It was very humbling. Not only was it great to be at Kids Club but God really used this week to refresh me; which is exactly what I needed.

This week I have a few prayer requests for y'all. First of all, as some of you may know I have been praying a lot about starting a Ministry Position in Woodstock, Il. I am just asking that you pray for Gods wisdom as things start to come together. I am flying from Denver to Chicago to see that awesome group and spend some time with my new and dear friends Amy Heavy, Erin Christner, and Erin Carwell. In that week I hope to meet with the church and get a feel for the community. Please pray that the week I am in Woodstock that God's will is revealed. This whole uncertainty s making me very anxious. Also, I have started the process of sending out support letters. Because things are still in the air it is my intent to give all raised money back to YouthWorks should I not pursue the position in Woodstock.

As always, thanks for the continual love and support. I can feel God's grace through you all in every way.

I love you all.

I hope you enjoy the pictures from this week.

-Kristen

Week 4! "Friends"

Well Friends, after being made aware of how much I say the word "Y'all" I have adopted a new term of endearment in my vocabulary that I am quite fond of..."Friends." This is just the beginning of so much that I have to share with y'all about this incredible week.

After feeling a little deflated and discouraged last week, God definitely turned things around. Getting to see and spend time with my area last week was a blast. Having conversation with Josiah---my adopted little brother instantly energized me, the company of my "best-friend" Connor lifted my spirits, and the fellowship with my other area fellow staff just boosted my morale and made me ready for the week.

Going into the week I was skeptical and tired. I was concerned that maybe I had seen the best I was gonna see this summer. I was worried that the relationships I made with adult leaders and students in the first two weeks of programming were as good as they could get, God used this week to prove me wrong. Keeping in touch with one adult leader from week two has been a huge encouragement. Amy Heavey has really poured into me as a person and pursued. It's awesome the friendship I have with her and how much I respect her after such a short time. In our conversation I expressed and my concerns and she told me she would pray that God used the the students this week to refuel me...and boy did they. God answered Amy's prayer for me, and my prayer for myself.

This week the students were great. I promised I would give some shout outs, so here goes.

I met one student named Arielle. What an awesome young person who really follows God fearlessly. She stepped in and stepped up in so many ways this week and it was incredible to watch her interact with the community in a new way and get out of that comfort zone. I am definitely a better person because of her presence this week.

I also bonded instantly with 3 other girls. Jill, Lydia, and Lili. Wow, these girls were incredible. God used them this week in big ways. If there is one thing I am learning constantly it's that God is always pursing me, he never stops, and this week God used them. Their laughter, kind hearts, and soft spirits lifted me up even when they weren't aware I needed it. Of course, as teenage girls they constantly asked me questions about my love life...or lack there of. We joked about random things and ended the week as best friends. It is so encouraging to see young ladies so on fire for God and wanting to serve him incessantly. Watching them interact with other members of their church, the community, and our staff brought tears to my eyes at times. God is working, he is alive, and breathing a fire into us that is just crazy. Wow, what a God we have. I feel so blessed to have gotten to share my life with these girls and equally be apart and hopefully impact theirs.

Not only did I see some awesome things this week that students did, but they reciprocated acts in several ways. I got the chance to share my testimony, and hear theirs. I was given the chance to tell stories and engage in laughter with them all the while glorifying God.

This week was needed, and this week was great.

Not only was it a good week because of the youth but it was a good week because I got to see my family. We finally got some internet service, so on my time off on Thursday I was able to FaceTime my mom, siblings and grand parents. Their faces made cry. It was the first time I had legitimately seen them in 7 weeks.My best friend in my mom and my sister made me lose it. I love them so much. It was humbling to see them all and reflect on this time realizing I have so much. I have so many material things that I don't need, but I have an incredible loving family that meets all of my spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. That is something you don't see in Wanblee all the time, so their presence and interactions were refreshing.

Anyway friends, this week was ground breaking for me. I am so glad I am on this journey and I am more encouraged now than ever to just seize the next 4 weeks of programming and love on everyone as Christ continually loves on me.

God is so good.
Thanks as always for the continual love and support.
I love you all.

-Kristen

Some thoughts! (:

Well friends this week is going so much better. I feel more restored with energy and am overwhelmed by the continual support. God is definitely using so many people and things to pursue me this summer.

I love all the people that I have come in contact with this summer. Students, adults, and community members; they have all been so wonderful. 

In so many ways I can feel this summer slipping away faster and faster. I just love this whole experience. I love watching God work and I really love seeing/reflecting on how he is working on my heart. It's crazy.

I am definitely forever changed because of this experience, because of God, Wanblee, and YouthWorks. 

Keep praying please ad I will continue to update. I love you all.

-Kristen

Programming Week 3

Well Friends...

Week 3 of Programming is over and hopefully it's time to get a little rest and relax this weekend. It seemed as though this week was full of a lot of tension and stress but as always God was there with us every step of the way. It's amazing how great the staff I am a part of it. Literally, we help pick each other up when we are down, it's more than a job. YouthWorks is a family. It's incredible.

Anyway, one of the highlights of the week was a group from Minnesota. They had a "Party Bus," this is code for a really old ghetto bus that has been revived and may even be considered hipster. I really bonded with some of those kids. There were also 2 guys from a group from Nebraska named Trent and Aaron. We quickly bonded over our love for the word Yall and country music. It was a match made in heaven. Even though they aren't brothers they looked a lot alike so it was hard for me to remember their names at first...so I called them Cowboys...and it just stuck. I loved hanging out with those guys!

I closed the week by improving to Taylor Swifts "Love Story." Meaning, I put it on my ipod and instead of telling a bed time story to all the girls I went in and played that and improved words to make it "Mission  Trip Story" instead. It was quite epic.

 I am sorry to keep it so short this week but I am just too tired to go into detail about all the happenings of this YW week. If you would like to see some pictures you can check them out on facebook and if you have any other questions just message me!

Please continue to pray for my team and I as we venture into a new week. We are at the half way point of the summer and it is clear that fatigue and metal exhaustion are starting to set in. Pray that God restores our energy and our hearts!

Thanks for all the support. Yall are the best!

I love you all.

-Kristen

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ."
Colossians 2:2

Humbled by his Grace

Hey Friends,

Normally i don't update my blog mid-week but I have a few things to share tonight...

First of all, I could use your prayers. This week I feel like I am running on empty and everything is a struggle. That being said, when I found myself struggling with this week God humbled me through Jerome.

Jerome is such an incredible community member, and friend. I feel honored to even be associated with someone so devoted to bettering the community. He is purely the most selfless man I have ever met. I was reminded when speaking to him why I am here. It's people like him. People like Jerome who serve the Lord and the community so honestly and whole heartedly. Someone I aspire to be. It was through a joke, laughter, trust, and most importantly a simple hug that Jerome went from a community member from work projects to a close friend and a trusted adviser. I knew in that moment that even when the YouthWorks week wasn't going well or wasn't easy that even though we feed the youth dinner, that's not what it's about. Though we do all the clubs, evening activities, devos, meals, and free times, that is not why I am here. I am here to show Christs love, i am here to learn from a man like Jerome who is always serving the community. 

Anyway, just a little food for thought on my week thus far. I will update with a detailed reflection Saturday!

I hope you are all doing well. Thanks for the never ending support and love.

I love you all. 

-Kristen

Week 2: life is a High Way

Hey Yall,

This week on our team evals we were asked what our theme song for the week should be. I picked Life is a highway. We had two great groups from Chicago, and Illinois! However, we had a few bumps in the road. But, we made it through week two.

The adult leaders this week were great. I quickly bonded with Amy, Erin, Tarra, and Sally. Their ability to relate and connect with me was so refreshing. Later in the week I became really tight with Erin Christner-yes there are 2 Erins! Both are wonderful. Both Erin C and Amy really made me feel vulnerable in a great way. I was encouraged enough and trusted God enough to share my testimony with them. It was awesome.

I also got an interesting offer this week that could very well change my life. I can't go into details because there are a lot of things to work out, but I am ecstatic about the opportunity God is placing before me.

This week was very spiritually rewarding and humbling. At the end of the week Amy washed my feet and prayed for me, and Erin Christner prayed for me as well. It truly left an impact on my heart and I know my life is enriched by meeting them both. Also, this week you could tell the Youth were really engaged and "getting it." They loved the community, they poured out their hearts in worship, engaged in fellowship, and listened attentively through our club messages. It was incredible to see God working in the hearts of so many Youth.

Anyway, it was a great second week. I am so thankful for Gods grace. As always thank you for your love, support, and prayers! They mean the world to me.

I love you all.

-Kristen

 

Week 1-Done

Well Hello yall,

I am saddened and excited to say our first week of programming is officially over. We had 3 great groups come in and serve the Lord and my awesome area team helped us out a ton. God has shown his grace and blessings in so many ways during the week at Wanblee.

First of all, I want to highlight that the youth and adult leaders that came this week were incredible. We had one group from Woodstock Illinois that really melted my heart because they served the Lord so humbly but reached out to me incessantly. Their trip leader Cyndy was amazing. She was like my mom away from my mom for a week. I desperately needed that. She hugged me and encouraged me and just watching God use her to reach the youth and the community was so inspiring. There were also two other leaders Don and Pat who reached out to me from this group. Don had a daughter on the trip who I just instantly bonded with. It makes me feel so good to see a younger generation of youth with passion to serve the Lord. She and her dad just reminded me of Gods fire. It was incredible. Pat, who had a son on the trip who I got to know was like my dad away from my daddy. We were able to connect on a real deep level, sharing testimonies and stories yet could have fun. God definitely used Pat to remind me  of his unfailing never ending love this week. Finally, the youth were amazing.They  stepped up and served with their whole hearts. It was nice because I got close to this group of boys. Sam, Andy, and Mason; they were like my little brothers for the week. They joked around with me, helped me serve the Lord, loved on my area staff that was here, the community, and me. It was great. It left me speechless to look at these guys and see how on fire their hearts are for God, and how God has used them to pursue me. The cream of the crop for our first programming week. I couldn't have got a better group to kick off the summer with.

Now I am gonna share some of the highlights of the week. 

-A little boy Daniel who is the son of a community member in Wanblee saw me walking up to his house and ran out, jumped in my arms, wrapped his hands around my neck, and said "Kristen, you came back!" I was speechless, and reminded of why I am in Wanblee. Why I love this community. It was awesome.

-Another highlight was when our community member J came to speak to the kids and hugged me 4 times. He is such a compassionate man and does so much for the community, but was really hard for me to read him so for him to hug me and accept me meant everything.

-One of the crews this week fell in love with Daniel that they went and bought water balloons just so they could play with him.

-An adult leader named Doug touched my heart by driving 30 minutes away to buy supplies to fix part of a community members house. Doug was passionate about serving and it spoke volumes of his leadership and love for God. 

Ultimately this week was better than I could have imagined. God blessed me in so many ways this week.

Next I wanted to share with you some things about the staff I have come to know and love as my friends from my area. Josiah and I got pretty close this week. He is like a little brother to me. He hugged me when I had a moment this week yet pesters me like only a little brother can. Connor and I also became pretty close. He is such a funny person and always brings a smile to my face but I got to see his love for God this week. There was a kid on the trip who was handicapped in a few ways, and just watching Connor pour out to this kid almost brought tears to my eyes. It was amazing to see. Claire helped me out do much at wp and always with a smile. Kayla's happy heart is contagious and brought me energy numerous times this week. Erin, another site director has a quiet leadership that inspires you to want to do well and we engaged in some great conversation. Chris has the best work ethic I have ever seen and loves everyone. Josh just loves to serve and gives it his whole heart. Katie is incredible at everything but teaches in a humble way that is encouraging. Dave, our utility, who left yesterday is totally cool and flexible. Haha that's a bit of an inside joke, but he loves to help everyone and

Always does it so graciously. Zach, my sites kids club guy just pours out every fiber of his being to the kids in the community and it has left me speechless. Tyler, my sites program staff shows Gods love through words and prayer in ways that one just can't comprehend. Wendy, my site director has a way of leading that is so empowering but efficient and fun. Last but not least, our area director Jordan is the reason out area is so close, why we want to serve the Lord, and why we have such big hearts for our communities. So that was my team this week! It was hard to let them leave because we have all grown so close but I can't wait to hear about all God uses them for this summer.

I also wanted to thank another area director Peter. We did an encouragement circle and Jordan told me how Peter really cares about my summer, about me as a person. That coming from the person who hired me just really has encouraged me and inspired me to serve and glorify Gods kingdom even more. 

Below are some pictures from my week.

Thanks again friends and family for all your continual prayers and support.

I love you all.

-Kristen

  

The Participants are Here!

Hey Yall!

So, the participants are finally here and it didn't take long for everyone to figure out I am from Texas. Haha The groups are so great! They are engaging in the community and it melts my heart.

Today we went to a community members house to do some manual labor and his 4 year old son remembered me! He said, "Kristen! You came back!" And then he hugged me. It was so sweet. He followed me around and when I put on my sun glasses he put on his cars 2 lightning mcqueen glasses! It was precious. My shaddow. (:

Anyways, today was a great day. Please continue to pray and thanks as always for the support. I love you all. 

-Kristen

Below are a few pictures! Enjoy.

One of my newest closest friends! (:

Badlands Fun!

The storm was coming!