So this week has been pretty exciting and very challenging. I started my job at Brooks Storage and Transfer Company on Monday, which has been... an experience. Lots of not being trained or being told what I'm even supposed to be doing. We've slowly been getting it figured out though, not too complicated if you're able to lift lots and lots of heavy boxes.
The people there have been nice enough to work with, even if a quite rough group. Our project workplace will be a primary ministry focus for each student, and Brooks does have a lot of ministry potential - a consistent group of people to build relationships with and enough chances for conversation that you can get to know them. I say potential though, because it will be a large challenge to get to that point. The workers there are almost all African American which has created a very obvious racial barrier; 2 of us were literally put on a different job because the workers wanted to work with the black seasonal worker rather than us (it wasn't an out-and-out mean gesture, but everybody knew exactly what happened). Coupled with the fact that only 2 or 3 employees have made an effort to know our names (or even ask them), its difficult to establish a baseline relationship to build from. Most of the employees (our boss included) simply refer to us as "campers" and leaves it at that. Such an environment makes it critical to be proactive and take initiative in building relationships and starting conversations, since they won't happen naturally. For the record, this shouldn't read as negatively as it does; there have been some good and helpful people, but it will also be a stretching and challenging place to be an effective minister of the gospel.
Now that I'm into the swing of working and the project weekly schedule is established, I'm finally getting a feel of things - my conclusion being that it never ever stops. My schedule yesterday was work 8-5, bible study 6-8, and impact group 8-9. Today was the same work schedule with our weekly "date night with Jesus" from 5:45-7:45, prayer and praise from 8-9, and optional student lead beach evangelism for about an hour once that was finished.
I've been very blessed by God during these busy days; all metrics say that I should be exhausted, but God has been such an incredible strength to sustain me through it. I've been focusing a lot on Jesus' words from John, that His food is to do the work of the one who sent Him; and also remembering that true rest and refreshment does not come from sitting on the couch or sleeping in, but from drawing near to God and basking in His presence.
Just a little cool moment this evening was when it came to that optional evangelism time ("golden hour"). I had just today taken a look at the rest of the summer during my bible study/prayer time, and recognizing that I could pretty easily fall into a routine and not continue growing; so I prayed over what I could do to continue being stretched and how I could find more ministry opportunities. So then tonight it's announced that people were going out sharing on the beach as soon as prayer and worship was over. I didn't want to go really at all as my day had already been so crazy, but realizing this was the very opportunity I'd just asked God for I decided to go for it - banking heavily on the promises that since I have God taking care of and providing for me, I am free to minister for others. And by going, my roommate Will and myself were rewarded with a fun conversation with a couple of Naval Academy students who seemed to already have a good grasp of the gospel, even if they were still learning what it was to walk closely with God. We were able to pray for them and hopefully offer encouragement for their own walks and gain more insight into the military world (which encompasses a massive portion of the population here in Virginia Beach).
Also, got up at 5 to catch the sunrise this morning with Will and neighbor Emma
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