You may be wondering why...

-San Diego-

I designed this for the trip... because i'm really, super excited....

-Why hello there!-

Welp, these last few weeks i'm sure you've heard many things about my San Diego trip. Some of you were invited, well, actually most of you were, to an event page on FB for the trip. I guess I didn't really think about how confusing it would be for everyone, but I was not extending the invitation so everyone else could go too haha. I thought it was just a great, personal way to let everyone know what the heck it was about, at least remotely, until I could get a blog post, like this one, to further explain it.

Some of you (most, actually) were shaking your heads in confusion, wonder, and worry as I announced I was auctioning off a date to raise the initial $350 I needed for my deposit for the trip. I'll get to that part a little later...

And still some more of you I have gotten addresses from so I can send you a letter in the mail, and well, I'd still really like to send you a letter, because that also allows me to send you a thank you card when my fund-raising is complete so... you should give me your address :) i've been very organized and have a spreadsheet with all of them :) Those of you who I do get addresses from will become people I keep the most current and accurate information to, as it shows me you're additionally interested in what exactly i'll be doing for the summer.

-Some Backstory-

This year has been such a year of growth for me. And, from my last posting, i'm sure I've expressed some of what happened last semester so I will not repeat it again.

Last summer was just like any other summer before it... spent mostly downtown CDA, catching glimpses of the sunshine in-between my work shifts and wishing I wasn't so gosh darn pale so I could look like a normal person in the summertime. I think that was the problem. I didn't really do anything to further the kingdom of God last summer and made some good money that helped me out in my transition period before school started and I had to wait to start my workstudy. I was thankful for my summer, but I also was convicted of the extreme lack of anything.

It was comfortable... too comfortable.

It also lead me into the school year with a feeling of complacency and killed any and all motivation to accomplish anything. I did not see the point, really. I think it's a wall most young adults hit when they enter into their sophomore year if they've gone right after high school. You've been working hard for 12+ years and you just want a break.

However, when school started I went into it looking for opportunities to accomplish something for the summer following my sophomore year, and looked into a few different avenues.... internships, mission trips, etc. I discussed a few of them with my parents and friends, and one way or another, through prayer life and community, doors were closed and I was sitting in my room in early January wondering what the heck I was going to do.

It was looking like I was destined for another latent summer, and I was already offering up apologies to God for being a loser, when my very best friend Alex mentioned that my church Resonate was wanting to do something in San Diego, training people in discipleship and such.

I was originally excited, and then thought about the cost, what it would mean to my family with it being a summer away, and as quickly as the idea had appealed to me, I let it die. Dismissing it's value for a fleeting thought.

A few weeks later, Resonate announced it to the congregation, and, well, whatever ideas I had about it before were put on the wayside as the Holy Spirit lead my heart and pushed me to the edge of my seat, goosebumps raised and after the promo video they announced there would be a meeting to discuss quesitons for those who were thinking about, or sure they were going to. I turned to my friends and said: I'm going!

Mind you, I am usually very pessimistic, debbie-downer, and basically "Safe" about these ideas. Discounting the power of the Holy Spirit to radically raise funding (which, every day, he continues to do... that guy) and whatever other road blocks I try to put in His way.

Needless to say, we had the meeting, I applied, got accepted, and then had two weeks to raise $350 that I didn't have...

-Date Auction-

I have a great community, both in Moscow, as well as from my hometown, Post Falls. A couple from my hometown community moved to Moscow this year and with it their expertise, wisdom, awesomeness, and overall swagger. I say this because it was they who gave me the idea for the date auction. 

At first I was extremely skeptical, not thinking I had the self-esteem or confidence to pull it off. I also conversed with my parents about it, as well as several other people before my very best friend decided to make the event page for it on Facebook. 

So, the whole first day, no one bid anything... and I thought to myself, yes, I do not have the self-esteem for this... 

The day continued this way until I told Alex that maybe we should make it clear that the bidding was on the page, that pretty much got things going. 

The weekend that followed was one of the most hilarious of my life, and Monday night was when it really went down. 

Two of my guy friends ended up winning after each of them had gotten to $320. At the advice of my friends, it was suggested to them that I would go on a date with both if they would each send me their support. Thus, I ended up raising twice as much as I needed and God is good for giving me a head start on this wonderful trip. Further fueling my desire to go, and leaving me increasingly thankful for friends and family that God has placed in my life.

Date Number One: Graffiti

-What we're doing down there-

The whole premise of the trip is to be trained as a disciple, while also having the opportunity to make money over the summer, because we're college students, ya know?

We will be living in "family communities" where every morning, we will start off with group devotionals , then breakfast, then we will work, then return, and each night presents a different opportunity for growth.

Thursday through Saturday will have areas for specific missional living avenues, and then Sunday will be a day of rest.  

We were also asked to make a commitment, followed by a specific list of leadership expectations, including:

Spending time (on our own) each day with God.

Sharing the gospel 

Finishing all Elevate assignments

Living within the guidelines of Christian community

Follow through with responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, etc.)

I have never been so happy to commit to anything. 

We will also be assigned a church community down there, where we will be additionally filled and help them out with what they need, and hopefully teach them a little bit of what we're learning as well. I love meeting new people, so i'm especially excited about this part :)

It was made clear to us by the staff that we were being held to a higher standard. A standard that requires integrity, trust, and produces fruit of the spirit. I'm kind of looking at it as a Spiritual Bootcamp for the summer. 

In the words of Kristen Wiig's character on SNL: "I'm just so fricken excited!!"

...I also designed this one...

-Elevate is important to me, because....-

Why Elevate is important to me, is because I want to learn how to share my faith simply. Without the years of Christian-eese that I have been submerged in. I want to learn how to share it honestly without fan-fare, condemnation, or any additional stuff that I have accumulated in my search for deeper understanding.

This was particularly appealing to me, because I am responsible for finding work every summer, but especially this last year it has been especially heavy on my heart that I do not really share my faith with those around me. I have become complacent in my faith. At least to the standard set in the Gospels, which is a pretty high standard.

Basically, it really comes down to this notion: If I really believe what I believe is real, I should be telling people about it. The reality is, I WANT to tell people about this joy inside of me. It overpowers me, it fills me up, it spills out of me, and I want to share it with those who have been placed in my life, because let's be honest... Life really royally sucks quite a bit. There's death, lots of death, everywhere around us. It is the result of a world riddled with the simple act of choice.

Because this is the basis of everything we believe in. The simple truth that I suck a lot. A whole lot. I am nowhere near perfect. I intentionally and unintentionally inflict pain on those I love, and consequently, don't love. I can't love everybody. But everybody needs love. Jesus, God, provides that love to everyone, because He is what everyone is waiting for. He's the missing link, the empty hole inside, the next step. Jesus is everything. 

"For God loved the world so much that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:16

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

God looks at earth and sees our pain and suffering, He sees more of it, understands it deeper than any of us could. His heart breaks far deeper than ours ever could. He is jealous not irrationally like us, He is jealous because He knows He is the answer.

-Fin-

Thank you so much for reading. It really means a lot to me. If you do feel lead to give, please message me via facebook, or you can text me if you have my number (just specify who you are, because I lost a lot of them. Really I did). 

Sincerely,

Alyse