The summer has flown by, and here we are at the start of a new school year. I have not even been here a full year, and already I have had the privilege to build relationships with countless youth in our community. All I have to say is “Yay God!”
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| By the church we stayed at in the Dells. |
Our summer kicked off with a weekend trip to Wisconsin Dells with six of our 9th grade students. We spent two days in the park, riding A LOT of go karts (and getting stuck!) and a few water slides. This weekend also provided a unique opportunity to talk about what it meant to be confirmed and to ask questions that haven’t yet been answered. I also had the fortune to get to know some of our small group leaders better, and to hear some of their experiences, frustrations, and joys about their role in confirmation.
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| VBS crafts! |
The following week we invited over 90 youth, and more than 30 volunteers (of all ages) into our building for a week of Beach Bash fun for Vacation Bible School (VBS). Each day we sang songs, collected offering, heard stories, made crafts, played games, and so much more that all revolved around one teaching from the Bible. We learned together what it means to know that God is the way, the truth, and the life, and had lots of fun doing it! We also reached our offering goal of $250, and were able to purchase a fish pond through the ELCA Good Gifts store, which means we provided a pond, fish, fish food, and education to a community that will now be able to keep a sustainable food source.
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| Campfire. |
The second week in July, six middle school students and I hopped in the van and drove 3 hours to Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Milford, Iowa. All of the students stayed in cabins with youth from other churches, and had a counselor or two that devoted their whole week to these youth. The week’s theme was Alive!, and we talked all week about how God is not dead, he is alive! There was time for Bible study, great food, campfires, and free time—during which all of our youth made it out on the lake tubing on a giant inflatable hot dog! We also got to play a lot of Gaga Ball, which is a game like dodgeball, but played in a confined space, and the ball is only thrown at your feet. It’s very intense.
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| Worship in New Orleans. |
Shortly after returning from camp, I jumped on a bus with about 40 others from Austin for a 20+ hour ride to New Orleans! We joined almost 34,000 other Lutherans for daily worships, service projects, Bible studies, and a little sightseeing too. I had the good fortune of running into a lot of friends and mentors from my life, which was exciting for me. I also mentioned to our group that one of my goals was to eat alligator, so on our last full day down there, Jessica and I ordered some deep fried alligator, and brought it upstairs. We shared it with most of our group, and had some takers and some that probably will never try it again. (I enjoyed it thoroughly.)
I tried to keep it short, but so much happened that I wish I could share with all of you! Always feel free to stop by my office, or check out the website where we have loads of pictures from all of our adventures this summer. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served and received so much already, and I look forward to the ways in which God will sow the seeds he has planted in so many this summer.
God’s Peace,
Ashley
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