Gathering

Today was a very encouraging day for me. My team got up this morning to help come Christians bake for a bake sale that was later tonight. It was great to just have a relaxed yet fun morning. This evening Bill and I went to the Bishop University Basketball game. The people we helped bake for were at the event and happened to be just outside the door that everyone entered through. They were trying to raise money to support an orphaned girl in Niger, Africa. It was through World Changers, and it only cost about $420 to support this girl for an entire year. The girls were expecting to maybe get 100 dollars from this bake sale, but God had other plans for them. They were completely blown away to find out they raised $380. Now all they have left to raise is 40 dollars.
The basketball game was fun, and we decided that we would invite the Christians that we had met this week, along with other people, to come back to our apartment after the game to have a game night. We ended up having about 15 people crammed into our little living room, and it was a BLAST. We ended up not playing any games at all, but we were able to just relax and laugh ALOT. I am praying that this is just the start of being able to invite people to our apartment. I am in the hopes of one day leading bible studies here. God has so much at work here. I am very excited to be apart of His plans. I am praying that he will use my team to make an impact. I pray that we would be unselfish and giving. It's so easy to try and rationalize that we are doing "enough", but that's not what i want to say when it is time for me to leave here. I want to give of myself 110% for God while I am in this place. I want to lose sleep because I was able to have people stay late at my apartment and learn more about you. I want to be able to say that when i leave this place, that I am leaving with nothing left to give. This sounds tiring, and if I was doing it on my own account, it would be without a doubt. BUT, I am working for the Creator of the universe and He gives me strength. I am blessed.
Please pray for me that I would not become discouraged when things don't seem to be going in the way I think they should. Pray that I would stay focused, and that God would use me for big things.