Feeling 22!

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, let's get everybody caught up on what God's been doing in the Tees Valley! Shall we?

These past few months have flown by but they've been so good. We've started a new Thursday night group and some new guys have been coming to it and Wednesday night group as well. So it's been a great opportunity to just hang out with some guys and build relationships with them! They're quite easy to lure in, just soda and pizza and boom, they're there.

We've also been doing the Easter story lately at Galley Hill Primary School (Holds no candle to Greenbrook Elementary lol) and the kids have been great. Before that we got to do a lot of the Old Testament with them and I got to lead a session on the story of Jacob and Esau in which we blindfolded the kids and had them try and guess which classmate was which just by hearing their voice and feeling their hair and face...they surprisingly knew most of their classmates! Many of these kids love just talking to Lindsey and myself and playing with us on the playground. Most of these 10 year old kids are miles better than me at football (or soccer if you're a lame american)

I've had so many people who ask why I've come all the way to the Tees Valley from America and through that I get to share my faith through my testimony, and it's been so great. Then they think I'm crazy when I say I actually like it here. We've got a lot of new outsiders coming to youth groups though just because they meet Lindsey and myself out on the streets after school and they have continued coming back.

A few weeks ago our house group of 8 went on a retreat near the Lake District. I had a lovely time, everybody got to lead a bible study, prayer walk, or worship session during the weekend and it was so great to just go away with people my age or older than me for a change. The theme for the weekend was God's love, or Agape. I did my session on 2 Tim 2, and just talked about having a world view. While planning it, I thought of how Getwell does the thing where we pray for the persecuted church in a different country each month and I really started to miss everybody at Getwell. The weekend was full of Glorifying God then going and exploring God's glory, overall a great weekend, and it snowed!

As Easter approaches I've been going through all the prophecies that described the Messiah in the OT, and I just love how everything that they said would happen did with Jesus. He was and is the only one who could ever defeat death and wash our sin away.

I'd like to thank everybody on the church staff as well! Received your birthday cards yesterday and they were great! (Especially the picture Michelle sent me!) Just to let everybody who was wondering back at home know I have not gotten married and I haven't seen Prince George or One Direction (Sorry Getwell Girls)

PRAYER REQUESTS!
1. I've gotten to know so many kids and teenagers over here and build relationships with them and I would love to start seeing some fruit grow from these relationships before I leave so just please pray that my time with them would be glorifying to God and that I would take the backseat to him.
2. We had a Wednesday night group that has been cancelled temporarily until we find a new venue and these are with kids that desperately need people hanging out with them that will show them love. They live about 30 minutes away and we used to drive out and have a club with them but it stopped a few weeks ago because the people who owned the place we went to couldn't afford to keep it open.
3. Just general prayer for Guisborough, we've had a few meetings about where the Methodist church is heading as far as Family and Youth ministry go and we just need \God's help and direction. Then prayer for Lindsey as she decides whether or not to stay in Guisborough for a 3rd year.
4. Prayer for Energy, I've got just under 4 months left and I want to make sure I give it my all while I'm here and I'll be needing a lot of energy to keep up with these kids.


I miss everybody a lot and can't wait to see you all again, and I really want to thank everybody who has been supporting me, you guys have kept my ministry going in so many different ways. There is no way I would ever be able to explain to you guys what this year has meant to me and it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for everybody back at home supporting me through prayer and finance as well.

Lastly, if any of my friends from back at home are reading this and have a passion for working with youth and young people, the bridge will need somebody to replace me when I leave at the end of the summer. TVYFC needs gap year students to put into Guisborough. If you're at all interested message me on Facebook and let's talk about it! I can connect you with Mike Taylor and he can tell you even more than I can but the kids and teens here are great and they've impacted me just as much as I hope I've impacted them!

Love you guys and gals, miss ya!