Summer 2013 Officially Under Way! -- Nez Perce Day 1

Hello friends! After a few hectic days, roster changes and two "Shoot! We gotta turn around!" moments, we are finally in Lapwai, Idaho about to start our week of service in the Nez Perce Reservation.

The drive was quiet. Almost too quiet... But everyone was in great spirits and we were all so excited to get there! I think I reached "Ultimate Jason Mraz" by the end of the drive, but a little drive through Pullman (home of my Alma Mater, go cougs!) made my heart sing (minus the booing from Ben...).

As soon as we got to the Lapwai Assembly of God Church, we were greeted by a bunch of youth and adults, with exuberant waves and smiles on their faces. They had no idea who we are or where we come from, but what they do know is that we are all here with a common purpose: to be the hands and feet of Christ in the Nez Perce community.

The theme for this week is "Undesirable." As we talked, we are reminded of the fact that we all come from different places, different families, different social statuses, and are on different stages of our faith journey. What's so amazing is that Jesus loves us and desires us all the same, no matter who we are or what we are all about. We read the story of Zaccheus, and we were reminded that Jesus still saw him as desirable, despite his past. We all have our Zaccheus moments, yet Jesus still loves us. As we go through this week, we are called to share that unconditional love to those we meet in the words we speak and the things we do.

I'll wrap this up with something I heard on my very first YouthWorks trip as a high school freshman way back in 2003:

When you are pushed outside of your comfort zone, that is where you find growth.

For some reason, this piece of advice has always resonated with me. Being pushed out of your comfort zone can be scary. But these students are about to see how true this can be. These students aren't just being pushed out of their comfort zone, they're long-jumping out of it. And I'm so excited to see how they grow over this week. Mike and I are so blessed to be here as witnesses to such an amazing experience with these crazy, lovable kids!

Tomorrow, one member of our group participating in Kids Club and one member of our group participating in work projects will each write a blurb about what they experience.

Please continue to pray for us through this week, and thank you for your continued support of our youth and these trips!

Blessings,

Taryn Hauglie

Director of Youth Ministries