4th of july fun

let me give you a little update...yesterday my site was closed because of the 4th of july, so my group as well as about 7 others divided up between the three beaches here in the area to do beach ministry. i was incredibly nervous about taking 25 students and adults to the beach to do ministry, but as always, God proved faithful. we were able to get a large game of football going and we were able to attract people by building sand castles. i only put sunscreen on half my back because i didn't realize that i missed half of it (i have no idea why?!) and half my back is fried. i mean, me, little miss white girl didn't put sunscreen on my back while i was at the beach in the sun for 3 hours. ugh. needless to say, i'm miserable. i'm really afraid that i'm going to end up with big blisters and peeling skin. eww. anyway, i also think i had a touch of sun poisoning because i was very sick last night. i'm feeling much better now though.
i have so many kids with so many needs this week. i can tell they all have a ton of personal struggles. they don't talk in bible study, they're so quiet. i feel like i have to grab their hands and drag them along. it's just really hard to know what's going on in their heads, but i know by their prayer request cards that they are seriously struggling. i really need time to just hang out with some of these kids God has laid on my heart. pray that i find time to be intentional with these kids, that i can build relationships with them and that i am able to lift them up in prayer. pray for my students this week, that they can be bold in their faith and share with my kids on site through bible stories, songs, skits, and during outside free time. pray for my site kids, that they understand who Jesus really is and why we believe in him. personal prayer requests for me...pray for my friend shea who is struggling with where she is in her life and her job situation. pray for my mom, nate, and corey who are in alaska visiting roy. pray for my dad, that he's not lonely while my brothers are away. pray for his radiation treatments and continue to pray for healing. pray for my staff because there are a bunch of people who have been sick. pray for strength for me and renewal from week to week and that it never gets old...but that each week brings freshness and renewal. thanks for the prayers.