New Friends!

So, i have been so excited about meeting many new students since i've been back at school. particularly i've been excited about meeting a lot of new freshman and i have high hopes of meeting tons of international students. i love international students for many, many reasons. they have brought so much cultural diversity to the campus of USC and they are so eager about being here. i love meeting them and learning from them. it gives me a insight to the world outside of the US and keeps me on my toes. i'm so excited about the opportunities i have before me to go and meet more international students. i was about to go to the International Student Association meeting last night and met two girls specifically that i am so excited about spending much more time with! their names are Rina and Shizuka. they are from Japan and have only been here a few short weeks. they are students trying to learn english through the local english program. they are so exciting and fun--and so eager to learn english. i can see a lot of awesome times ahead with them. tomorrow i am picking them up and cooking an american breakfast for them, i'm so excited.

i am just beyond blessed by the ways God has shown Himself to me lately by reminding me that i am His. since i've been back from camp it hasn't been the easiest adjustment. i went from bible study every morning at 730, ministry work (which was awesome) all day long, and worship at night. it was a constant flow of the His word into my life. since being at home, the bible hasn't just naturally surrounded everything i do or been apart of my schedule like it was during camp. it is a choice now. i must wake up and choose to be in the word, and choose to live by the standards it shows me. it is still an adjustment and i'm thankful for a group of friends that desire the word and desire to seek Him. i've had my struggles since being at school, but none the cross hasn't overcome. and i'm thankful for that.

It has been too long.

So, my last post was in JUNE! Unbelievable. I have missed blogging, I really have. Summer is over and classes are in full swing. I have so much I feel the need to share with the world, but it is all still overwhelming to me. A lot of things I'm still processing. Things from this summer, relationships that I've made, wonderful moments with my family, and now...school. It is unreal. God has been more than faithful and good to me this summer. I could write a novel on camp and the things I learned and the many ways I saw God move. There were many times we prayed as a staff for prayer requests given to us by youth ministers and many times we saw those prayers answered within days. God was faithful, and always good. I have a new sister and her name is Maurine. Maurine grew up in Compassion International and traveled with our team speaking on behalf of children across the world. I saw God move in huge ways through this 90 lb African woman. She is someone I have been so blessed to have met. She has changed my life and I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed her to come into my life. I continue to talk to her and learn from her. Currently, a few people close to me are praying through ways we can help Maurine and also help her community. Helping them in physical poverty, but more importantly spiritual poverty. God is mighty and it is all in His time.

Having been back at school I've been able to get involved in international ministries a lot! I've been so excited all summer to get plugged in more on campus. I'm hoping to get a conversation partner soon (i will meet with an international student for an hour a week and talk with them...so they can practice english). I was able to go to a spanish church on sunday and that was such a treat. It was actually a very powerful sermon. My knowledge of spanish is not that great, but I was able to understand a lot more than I thought. The pastor went over passages of scripture reminding us all that the devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy...and then he went over what Christ did for us. He set us free, Libre. We sang a song all about Libre. Being free in Christ. We then went through Psalm 51 and it just inspired me so much....praying that God would restore to me the joy of His salvation. I'm currently going to try and memorize Psalm 51. I'll leave on that note for today...
Psalm 51: 10-12
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalmos 52:10-12
"Crea en mi, oh Dios, un corazon limpio, y renueva la firmeza de mi espiritu. No me alejes de tu presencia ni me quites tu santo Espiritu. Devuelveme la alegria de tu salvacion; que un espiritua obediente me sostenga."