Day 14-21

I was prophesied over last night. It was pretty cool. There’s a song in me. I will create new songs within me to praise our God. I will come to know Him on a whole new level of just intimate worship. I’ll be able to really reach people when they hear my song, my praise to Him. God’s going to teach me to have childlike faith again; He doesn’t want me to be so overwhelmed with life that I lose my trust.

It was my mother’s birthday yesterday! I’m so proud to have her as my mother. Ridiculously proud. I always have this joke that I have this angel for a mother, but it’s somewhat true. She’s the nicest person I’ve ever known in my whole life. She beats Mother Teresa by at least 5 points. I was sad I couldn’t enjoy the day with her and my family, but a cool thing that came out of that day was I got to go sing to someone else’s mother on her birthday. I felt like we blessed her day; which made me and Sarah feel like a million dollars. God continue using us! It’s so awesome when you’re being used.
Tomorrow Sarah and I are going to sing to Sunnycrest, a home for mentally challenged people. This will be our second time going. It’s definitely an experience. Some are very sweet. Oh man…this one lady screams our hymns to the best of her lung ability. She’s so into it, but it’s so hilarious! I really do love the people there. Seems like they are soo much more in tune with Jesus and His love than most Christians. It’s very true. Compare someone who only knows His love and beauty and compare a Christian that has to face all these distractions and temptations, we get so distracted by questions while some of the people at Sunnycrest just knows that they are loved and that’s what matters. Childlike faith right there. I wish that for everyone.
Soon Sahara and I’s will be going to Six Flags. Booya.

Day 6-14

Tomorrow is Sarah Kurtz birthday, hurray! Really looking forward in celebrating just her as a person. God’s gifted this girl ridiculous amounts of talent. So other than me really wanting to see these two movies (eclipse and avatar: the last airbender) everything has been pretty chill over here. Lots of work still of course. Ditch digging. Filling ditches with rocks we have to dig up and find. Not to mention this storm that blew through here and caused several trees to fall down over power lines. We were only out for a day, but now we have to chop up this big maple tree, separate firewood from sticks and burn them in a bon fire. I liked this task for about a day, but when its 95 degrees outside working with fire? Fire is fun. Just not when you’re swimming in its heat.
Two nights ago Sarah and I slept at the Torch, one of the churches we are helping with, and we slept on the pool table! Did you know it gets really cold when you sleep on one? I think it’s because of the cement slabs that are its makeup. That morning we had to ride on our bikes back to the house (on BMX bikes with construction helmets…because we couldn’t find any other helmet). Bikes are so much fun!
On a deeper note:
I’ve been really struggling with the Holy Spirit and what to think of with speaking in tongues. This is what I know, it’s a way to get fed, it’s God working through us which comes out in this set apart language. I’ve never spoken in tongues. I don’t know if I ever will. I’m open to it, but I never ever want to force it. This other church we are helping with, in a way, pushes it. They think that it’s for everyone, that you haven’t experienced God if you haven’t spoken in tongues. I disagree. I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’s a gift. You can ask to receive it, but if that’s not what God has given you, you can’t open it. This is just my feelings on it. I really don’t have extreme strong convictions on it, because I still don’t know that much about it. It’s frustrating. Not knowing a clear answer. Right now I don’t feel led to try. When or if God tells me to, I will gladly accept.

Day 4-6

We’ve been put to work a whole bunch. I kind of don’t mind it so much though. Kind of like it. Kind of. It’s definitely a different change from being at home. We don’t have a garden to attend, a cabin to help build, wood to stack, or a huge yard to always maintain. Today we met with Sarah’s dad because he was passing through the area and had time to eat with us. It was a good break from working in the morning. Mr. Kurtz is a cool guy. I am starting to miss some people in NC. Some very much. I can’t believe it’s only been a week though. That’s…crappy. Just means more time away from my peoples, but it forces me to make some of these strangers my new peoples. That’s been a good and difficult thing. A lot of my close friends know that I’m just not that great when I meet new people and start these new friendships – it’s an absolute gift to those that find it easy!

God, Nature, and Sarah are definitely keeping me sane.  I wish you guys could see it here. So beautiful. Especially when you wake up really early and walk five miles through the luscious greenery to Wal-Mart…which, by the way holy crap, has horse and buggy parking spaces. Heck to the freaking heck yes. I want to dress up like an Amish person so bad. God’s still working. I can feel Him pointing and showing me things I haven’t thought of yet. Growing hurts. But it’s good in the end.

Day 1-3

Upon arriving at Pennsylvania I’ve been pretty observant about everything. Seeing the new house I’ll be living in for a month and a half, seeing the older side of living around, and getting to know the people around me. It’s been quite an interesting thing. It’s hard to explain the thoughts I have about this place. I guess I’m excited and confused. I’m excited because I’m growing, seeing different places, reaching different people, living this completely different lifestyle. I’m confused though; about how I’m suppose to go about things. I don’t understand why some people think certain ways. It intrigues me to the fullest of my interest why people believe what they believe. I guess when you’ve grown up around the ‘older’ religious ways, you carry them with you – whether you live by it or not, you always know that side of it. Well, I don’t know that side of it. All I know is the other side. The contemporary side of thinking. The ‘I don’t have that many rules I live by, all I know is that Jesus loves me and I’ll follow where ever He takes me’ sort of thinking.
I know a conservative church. I’ve been there; I’ve grown up in it. I do take that with me, but as a memory, not lifestyle.
Right now, in this moment, I’m not confident. I’m not confident in myself to do anything great. I know God is knocking at my door, waiting to show me something, I just can’t see Him through the peep hole.

Intro

Hey guys, so Sarah barah and I are dedicating two blogs to our PA trip this summer. It's for family and friends that want to follow along on our journey. I'm pretty stoked. Really interested in whats in store for both of us. www.sarahkurtzpa.blogspot.com is miss sarahs!

God has plans.
I'm ready to ride them.