This week has been all about freedom in Christ. I've learned so much this week and it's just been so great to be able to relax and not be stressed out about weird things that are going on. We went through a process of asking God to reveal unconfessed sin to us. This morning we didn't have lecture, but instead spent the time confessing that sin to each other and to God and asking for forgiveness. It was so freeing. I just feel so much lighter and happier. It feels so wonderful to be free of disgusting things in my past. I'm am so grateful to God for being so forgiving and loving. I can't even comprehend how wide and long and high and deep His love is for me. It's so hard to put into words.
We had a Haiti meeting today and sort of found out what we'll be doing, to some extent. Nothing is for sure, but we'll probably be staying in a refugee camp in Haiti for 2 months, documenting everything that's going on there. We'll be doing some stories for Unicef and Voice for the Voiceless and some other organization I can't remember. We'll also be working with a bunch of youth there and running some sort of program for them. So, basically, I won't be bringing much at all. We'll probably only bring about 3 laptops between our whole team and a bunch of external hard drives, and then we'll be sleeping with our equipment. Then we'll spend the rest of the time in the DR, showing our work to the people there. I'm super excited to be finding out more about what we'll be doing! Here's my team, except the girl on the left won't be coming and there's one girl who isn't in the picture. So excited to get to know them better!

We had to read another book this week, also by Loren Cunningham, called Making Jesus Lord: The Dynamic Power of Laying Down Your Rights. It was a perfect book to read last week and it talked a lot about laying down the rights that you have to live for Jesus.
One of the chapters that impacted me the most was the chapter about laying down your right to comfort. He talked about people who work interdenominationally and how it's more important that we agree in spirit than in understanding. Basically, as long as we all believe the major things doctrinally, little things don't really matter. As he puts it in the book, "A greater degree of humility is needed within the body of Christ if we are ever to move together in the spirit of unity and cooperate in the task of world evangelism. Each one of us needs to realize, 'I don't have exhaustive truth. I don't understand all things.'" He talked about how we don't agree with what others do all the time, but it's not a big deal because God doesn't agree with what we do all the time either, yet He still loves us. Another quote that really inspired me: "We must be committed to the cause of Christ more than we are committed to examining our personal differences in the body of Christ. We've had enough walls built in the body of Christ. It's time for some bridges!" This has just been a huge part of what the Lord has been teaching me. Who cares if they speak in tongues or worship differently than I do? We all love Jesus and He loves each of us the same. We'll do more working together for His glory than fighting about who knows the right way to do things.
He talked about so many more things than this, but this was just the one that effected me the deepest. Other topics were laying down your right to family, your right to wealth, and your right to your reputation. It was such a great book. If you ever get the chance, read it. It's so good.

Random things I did this weekend:

- Went to kareoke at a bowling alley
- Talked to a bunch of homeless people
- Interrogated my baby sister about her stalker (she knows nothing...boo)
- Finished my homework early
- Ate too much chocolate
- Rode in a tiny car with 6 other people
- Made makeshift guacomole
- Went to the farmers market and bought my mommy something super secret
- Tried to watch glee with my roommates until the internet turned off
- Slept in!
- Got a package from my family!
- Got asked how I'm so social and if I had friends
- Played I have never
- Talked to anna and emily
- Jumped in puddles

And right now I'm watching people play screaming ninja. Hilarious. I love these people.

This morning was terrible. I was angry at the speakers for everything they've been teaching and the way they do things. I didn't even want to worship or listen to lecture. But then I really got to thinking and praying about it. God's really been teaching me that it's okay for them to do things the way that they're doing them. We're all human and none of us has all the truth. So one denomination is not in any way better than another. We're all equally sinful. This doesn't mean that I'm comfortable doing the things that they do yet, but at least I can let them do what they do and know that we all love Jesus. We all serve the same God. We all believe that He is the only way. I don't have to be angry at them for silly little things they do. Who cares if they worship an entirely different way than I do? I can just accept the way they do things. They are no worse than I am for the things that they do. No one has all knowledge except God.
Sorry for my whole rant yesterday. This has been a crazy week. It's been all up and down and just plain tough. But I've learned so much. It's good to challenge what I actually believe. It's been hard and I'm exhausted from it, but it's still great. I love having to actually think about what I'm learning. I mean, I did that to some point back home, but here it's completely different. I love that it's not a huge deal if I don't believe what everyone else does. God still loves me. And about that - God loves me. It's crazy to think that the creator of the entire universe, as big as that is (watch that video I posted a few posts back. honestly. do it.), loves little me. He loves me enough to write my entire DNA code. It would take 96 years to read one person's code. Isn't that ridiculous? Just think about that for a while. He loves you. So much. And really. Watch the video.
On a lighter note, there is a crazy cockroach that lives in our room. It just came out again but went into the cupboards somewhere. All of us are too scared to kill it cause it's so huge, but it moves too fast to get someone else to kill it for us. It's probably like 2 inches long plus the antenna. Ew. At least they don't bite or anything. But I'm pretty sure we need to find ourselves a gecko. Or 10.

I'm going to Haiti!!
Just got back from ice cream sundaes, dance party, and finding out our teams! It's going to be the best! I'm so excited!

We found out our outreach location options on Friday. I'll either be going to India, Mexico, The Philippines, or Haiti and Dominican Republic! I'll know for sure tonight. I'm so excited to find out! I have a pretty good idea of where I'll be going, but nothing's final yet.