In David Platt’s new book he discusses ultimately the mediocrity that has over run American churches. It’s an incredibly challenging book that is very well written and to be honest, I find myself sickened along with him. What in the world has happened to Christianity? When did it become okay for believers to live like pagans? Where does a sense of false peace come from when we sit through a service on Sunday morning and live the rest of the week like NOTHING has happened. Like the King of the Universe didn’t walk on this earth and die a brutal death that we might have life.

We live in our comfy houses and drive our pretty cars to a job where we make more in a week than most people will see in a lifetime. And we see nothing wrong with this? Who needs a giant house or a brand new car? I have more clothes in my closet right now than the 30 Chinese girls I shared life with for two weeks combined. What has happened?

Forgive me for not understanding. And forgive me for not accepting it. I just don’t see how this comfortable little American life can satisfy me until the Lord returns.

May we all be challenged and urged to live a Radical life as Dr. Platt so beautifully suggests.

This morning I went to the beach at the crack of dawn with two of the great girls in the youth group. We sat in the sand and read the Word as we watched the wonder of the sunrise paint the sky. What a joy. It is sweet to know that I have precious brother’s and sister’s on the other side of the world that watched it set as I watched it rise. Such different worlds. Ya know, there’s just something about the sunrise that stirs in my soul a longing for the day unlike anything else. As much as I dread hearing my alarm go off so darn early in the morning I have never once regretted the beauty of watching the day begin.

Anyways, this finds me Virginia Beach where I have the great honor of serving as the summer youth intern at First Baptist Church of Norfolk. I drove up on Saturday and have since been getting settled in as I started work. FBC is jammin’. The students are awesome and I’m pumped for a summer to serve them. I work full time both in the office and hanging out with students (best job ever). I help plan summer camp and other various summer activities which means this is yet another job in which I will sleep very little but laugh very much.

Anyways, I am thankful. I am blessed. And I am looking forward to a great, great summer.

Thank you, Jesus :)

Well. I’m home! Praise God for safe travels.

Three weeks goes far faster than one would think. I can speak with much more freedom now that I am home and I can tell you that God did INCREDIBLE things through my team in Inner Mongolia. I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of this ministry. Here’s what happened:

9 students came to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and are pumped up about it.

25 Bibles were distributed to the new believers and other interested students.

33 students lived with my team and daily saw and heard the passion of Jesus in our lives.

500 students heard us sing “Might to Save” as we praised the Lord by a bonfire.

My team laughed a lot.

Angels rejoiced over the repentance of the Chinese.

A Buddhist temple was prayed over in the name of Jesus Christ.

Eternity will never be the same because of these 3 weeks.

PRAISE GOD!!!!

Continue to pray for the students that committed their lives to Jesus. China is not an easy place to be a Christian.

I pray the Lord will bless you all for your committment to praying for me. Thank you. Praise the name of Jesus Christ. I love you all.

:)

Jennifer