Girls Cabin Time

I had girls over tonight with the idea of having a "girls cabin time" I had emailed a few girlfriends for prayer in the night and here is what I sent them in response of the night and the ways in which the Lord moved...

Ladies!
Thank you so much for praying (even if you didn't get the email in time, haha.) Oh it was sweet, SO sweet. Only about 7 girls came but 7 was the perfect number. I told them how I think its hard for girls to have good deep conversations with each other and how I wanted this time to be that for us to talk about "real life" not just the surface level "fake life" we like to present to everyone. I cannot even tell you the things they shared... it was almost too deep too intimate and the holy spirit moved. Nights like these are so special to me they remind me of why I moved to Chesapeake Virginia for girls for lost broken hearted hopeless girls who want to know Christ whether they may know it or not.

I think the most amazing thing was that the Lord fed me in it too, I told my friend Marissa that I had been praying that the Lord would provide me with some sort of affirmation because I haven't been feeling any for a long time and I needed it from Him. I started asking the girls why their friends don't necessarily want to come to club and they said they felt like it was "religious" which of course frustrated me and them, so we talked about it more... they said it was hard when they first came they felt awkward they didn't feel cared for or loved... and I just wanted to cry that is the LAST thing I want for club to feel like for them. Then this happened, Kendall a girl who literally has captured my heart she is so special, turned to me and said Katie you were what made me want to come back, you were different you loved us like no one ever has. I nearly died... literally I nearly died reliving that moment I know it WAS NOT me loving them but Christ through me and that is why I am here... that moment... that is it... girls want to be loved deeply and desperately its in their being... God put it there for them and thats what He is asking me to do... thank you.

Your prayers moved mountains these girls needed love and truth tonight and it happened, so thank you!

New Staff Training

JANUARY 21, 2011
New Staff Training
Phew!
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind, as soon as I came home from Christmas break I had constant stream of house guests which I absolutely LOVE! I thrive with people in my home, I just love having guests and spending time with people so my new year was spent surround with people and love… just the way I like it.
January 6th I flew out to Denver Colorado for Young Life’s New Staff Training at a Young Life camp in Fraser CO called Crooked Creek Ranch, it was beautiful to say the least. During my two weeks there I took 2 of my first seminary classes which completely rocked my world. I love learning how to love high school students well for our savior but learning theology and learning scripture in such a deep way was what I needed. Above anything else I loved feeling the way in which the Lord altered me and my life… I came back changed completely changed and completely different. I came back knowing I was an intimately loved daughter of God, something I needed to hearand to believe.
So thank you for letting me experience a time like this… I wish I could share every second with you and tell you every story… but sadly there are far too many!

Merry Christmas from Chesapeake!

DECEMBER 19, 2010
Merry Christmas From Chesapeake!
Warning: this post may be a bit confusing but its where I am right now.
Ok… I love Christmas more than ANYTHING! Seriously… I go out of my way, down streets i don’t need to be on just because they have more Christmas lights. I love everything about the season, from the trees to the cooking, EVERYTHING. It has been so sweet being here in Chesapeake during this season, I am just so thankful to be here it truly has been a long time since I have lived in a place that I don’t want to leave, because I love it so much. The Lord is changing me here… he reveals newness in me everyday… don’t worry I still experience struggle upon struggle but the Lord has just shown me His mercy and that He is my father. It has been hard with girls though…
Its hard when I get a phone call from a girl telling me that her friends all hate her and she can’t do it anymore, or a call when a girl just can’t be in her home anymore. These times are the hardest for me, I realized that tonight as a girl called me telling me that she packed her bags and was leaving her home… she has no where else to go. At times like that I see my compassion override my judgement. I can’t take a girl into my home as much as I may want to I know that won’t solve her problems, that won’t solve the hurt but sometimes I just want it to… I want life to be easy for these girls but I know it won’t/ can’t be… if it were I wouldn’t have a job because they wouldn’t need a savior, they wouldn’t need Christ. The Lord has shown me so much compassion and yet I think my compassion will be more than HIs for these girls because sometimes I am just so scared to tell them that He will be their everything… and I’m not quite sure why… He is revealing so much! Pray for Rachel and Rebecca if you think of it… as well as Kendall these girls have been ever on my heart the past few weeks!
Have such Merry Christmas!
Katie

32 hrs, 5 hrs of sleep= the best weekend of my life

32 hrs, 5 hrs of sleep= the best weekend of my life.
Fall weekend was absolutely amazing, I just cannot express how your prayers were felt. Every minute I was there I could not avoid the presence of God, I could not even deny the Holy Spirit entering me. I want to share with you every moment from the weekend but that would literally take up the rest of my blog but instead I want to share with you 3 girls.
On weekends I am not going to lie I am usually skeptical about how cabin time will really go, that friday night Nov 19 at 2:30 in the morning (yes thats when we started cabin time…) I left 17 girls with the question of “who do you see God as?” I had 17 girls wrestle with this, through tears but through genuine answers! I shared my testimony with these girls at the beginning of our time together to show them that I wasn’t always a Christian. I wanted to share that there was time I didn’t want anything to do with God and for them that broke down walls. They did not give me bible study answers they didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear but were truly genuine… it was absolutely beautiful.
Kelli, who has come to every club for the past year, is beautiful like I am talking she could be a model, she is so sweet and she did not believe in God whatsoever. Kelli, that first night said she didn’t know what she believed she didn’t think she had any vision of God, I was thankful. Kendall, who once again is absolutely gorgeous, as sweet as can be and truly so funny said she wanted this relationship with God ON THE FIRST NIGHT!!!! WHAT THE HECK????? It was great! Then Stephanie, who looks like an exotic princess (don’t worry I’ve told her that in real life) who was raised Catholic, has moved 6 times in 15 years, drives a diesel truck and is as shy as can be, she didn’t know what a relationship with the Almighty God was at all. She had always been taught that it was more of a hierarchy than a relationship. I love all 17 of these girls but these 3 just stole my heart this weekend I knew God had changed planned for them.
On Saturday I sadly I had to go to the hospital for 6 hours with one of my girls (she is ok don’t worry) so I missed most of the afternoon and club which truly broke my heart I was so excited to be with these girls but God had other plans. I got back right before they were sent out for the 20 minutes. As I watched my girls go out and struggle with this idea of a relationship with God I prayed, I cried, and I struggled with them. Its so funny how the Lord can just put your heart in such a place that there is nothing you wouldn’t do for someone else, I wanted desperately for these girls to know freedom… and that they did! That night these three girls decided to make a commitment to Christ.
I met with them yesterday, it was great! I have led YL for 5 years and I have never had girls who had NEVER read the Bible before, it was GREAT I got to teach them the basics of everything which was so great for me to remember and walk through with them. We are going through John together, I am so excited to see these girls change to see what the Lord will do with them! I am so excited to see their lives change!!!
This weekend I am taking 7 girls on a Work Crew weekend at Rockbridge! Pray for them, I pray it rocks their worlds that serving in such a way would be difficult but so good!
HAPPY DECEMBER!
Katie

Savanna & Fall Weekend at Rockbridge

NOVEMBER 17, 2010
Savanna & Fall weekend at Rockbridge
This morning I met with Savanna and Katie Brewer. Savanna is this amazingly sweet girl and is a senior at Great Bridge high school and Katie is her leader and just one of my favorite people in the world. Great Bridge has about 46 girls going on fall weekend this weekend which is so so amazing and so the Lord since there are only 2 girl leaders at GB!
Savanna has such a beautiful relationship with Christ, I’m seriously not just saying that she is sweet and considerate and is in love with God. Since there are so many girl leaders going Savanna is going to lead a cabin of 12 GB girls this weekend, I am so excited for those girls but I am even more excited for Savanna. We met with her this morning to love, care for and encourage her as she is feeling so nervous about leading a cabin, but I know she is going to do an amazing job and I wish she could see how beautiful her love is for the Lord and how exhilarating that will be for all those girls she gets to share Christ with. Dang it we forgot to pray together…. I just remembered that! Please pray for Savanna as she is going to be leading this cabin by herself and she is scared, as all the leaders probably are right now. Pray that she would have intimate time with the Lord this week and that she would feel so encouraged by Him because she will do amazing!
Hickory is taking about 16 girls!!!!! I am PUMPED! We have about 10 guys signed up right now too and I just cannot believe how the Lord is moving! We will hopefully get a few more guys signed up and a couple more girls I pray!
If I could, I would like to ask for your prayers for our leaders and kids for this weekend, pray that God would wreck lives and that kids would see and experience freedom, I want them so desperately to know freedom. Pray for 33 more kids to sign up so we can pay for a 3rd bus.
Here are numbers and leaders names to lift up!
Great Bridge: 77 kids total
Leaders @ Great Bridge:
Katie Brewer
Jen Felan
Eric Messmore
JT Tworek
Jim Pulizzi
Hickory High School: 23 kids total
Leaders @ Hickory:
Jacob Heatherington
Josh Henderson
Katie Hackett
Grassfield HS/ Deep Creek HS: 44 kids total
Leaders @ Grassfield:
Justin Ryder
Matt Benson
Thomas Davis
Ally Hill
Thank you so much!
His,
Katie

Rockbridge Staff Day.

NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Rockbridge Staff Day.
I am so sorry, it has been FAR too long since I have updated my blog! PS. This may be a long post!
This week was a little off, Tuesday I woke up at 4AM (typical of a tidewater staff person) to drive to Rockbridge for the commonwealth’s staff day. This pretty much is when every person on staff in the commonwealth region of Virginia (about 50 of us) get together and talk about ministry.
I’m not going to lie I HATE leaving Chesapeake, its weird I know because I’m not from here but I realized when I was sitting at Rockbridge which is like my second home I just longed to be going up to the high school. I longed to be with girls, this sounds like something that is so cliche or something that I am “supposed” to say being on staff and let me tell you there are days when I DO NOT want to go to the high school but for the most part I long to go there. I long to be walking the lonely sidwalk against the grain of juniors and seniors literally running to their cars to beat the traffic out of school, it is where I long to be. So as I sat amongst staff people from all over Virginia who are beyond wise, and beyond faithful, I was dreaming of Chesapeake, dreaming of lost kids, wanting to be with them.
Rockbridge was such a sweet time for me, even though I wanted to be elsewhere Christ pulled me to Himself. The staff associates (formerly called interns) got to spend the night and have an extended training time together which was absolutely all I needed. Except for the fact that we shot guns for a little while… I HATED that! I have never shot a gun before and I cried and was shaking after my practice round and told them I could not do it again… I have a bruise about the size of a grapefruit on my arm as we speak it was miserable but the guys loved it and thats what matters they got to have their “guy time” showing off to one another. After our shooting sesh we had dinner together, we sat for 4 hours sharing challenges… being vulnerable… sobbing… feeling Christ…feeling real life when we live in a world were “real” is very much non-existant.
That time at Rockbridge was so much sweeter than I could ever tell you and I don’t want to forget a second of it but as I fall back into routine here in Chesapeake I find myself losing sight of sweet time spent around a table in the dining hall where day after day lost high schoolers have sat questioning where they belong. We even talked about how our kids probably think we have it “all together” and yet we sat around that table a mess, a mess that is delighted in by our savior… how sweet… how sweet my job is, thank you for letting me do it.
*pray for club tonight (Monday) if you could, pray for 5 more girls to sign up for camp to make 20 girls from Hickory High School the most they have ever taken!

New Home, Fall, Homecoming and Kathryn

OCTOBER 21, 2010

New Home, Fall, Homecoming and Kathryn
When I first came on Young Life staff everyone around me told me I wouldn’t be busy for a few weeks and that I should bask in it because the busyness would come and it would come hard. Ok, I thought I believed them but apparently I didn’t because the past two weeks have been unreal when it comes to being busy. I love it, but I can already see how I am giving hickory girls, leaders, and the young life area part of myself not all of myself, that isn’t healthy. I just moved into a new home and it is beautiful don’t worry you are welcome ANYTIME! But for now I want to share with you why I thinking the Fall is such a beautiful time for ministry.
Last Friday was Hickory’s homecoming football game, football games is where my office is in a weird way. At this football game some of our club guys were caught streaking and I saw girls that I took to camp enveloped in guys arms, lost and looking for love in ALL the wrong places. I met girls that were high and dating boys that were older than me but I above anything else I saw Christ, I saw Him sweetly whispering to all these lost kids in all of these situations.
Here is a picture of some girls that are so dear to my heart. I love these girls, they are broken but amongst their brokenness is my friend and key campaigner girl Kathryn.

This girl is unreal, she is beautiful and she is running HARD after Christ she longs for Him thirsts for Him and here she is loving her friends and trying to share Christ with them. This girl is absolutely wonderful and I am so thankful for her.
This week was our Young Life Banquet, we had about 400 guests who already support young life or have no idea what young life is about. Our committee had been working day and night for weeks trying to make this night so incredibly special to introduce this beautiful ministry. Kathryn and I were able to do something extremely special during this time. If you have ever been to young life camp you have seen something called “real life.” During camp they will pick staff people to share thoughts about their life before Christ. Kathryn got to do this, and what was even cooler was that my thoughts were also displayed. We got to stand on that stage together and share her story, the story Christ wrote for her. When I met Kathryn I knew her heart was in pleasing everyone around her, was lost in being liked and after a week at Lake Champion Christ grabbed her and shook her, and completely altered her. Gosh I cannot say enough about this girl, she is a rockstar and she is going to change her high school!
(She is the one in the middle)