Crazy Week!

Can I just say this has been one of the worst best weeks ever? Man, it's so awesome to see firsthand the work that God is doing in these young people's lives! I can already tell that the staff at Minnesota Teen Challenge is amazing. They have amazing testimonies and I'm so glad to be a part of the miracles and transformations from God. My first day was Tuesday, and it was pretty hectic. I got a nice run-down and tour of the main facility, and worked with the administrative assistant on some of the duties of Teen Challenge. The first week was rough, very busy, but also rewarding. I had the privilege of hearing my supervisor's testimony yesterday, and was able to sit in on two small women's courses that focused on "God's Design versus Satan's Deception." The course outlined the importance of understanding your core beliefs; knowing who God is; and what He is constantly doing in your life. He made two lists, one titled God's Design. It placed God at the top, followed by the Holy Spirit which has been provided to us, followed by our own spirits, followed by our minds, followed by our bodies, and ending with Satan. The second list (Satan's Deception) was identified by the same seven list items, but they were completely backwards. Instead, we see how Satan ruled the world, which causes our minds to rule our bodies, etc. God is at the bottom. We see that our thoughts, feelings, and actions are all influenced by what we BELIEVE; and this is the main indicator of success at a Christian organization like Teen Challenge. The staff strives to make the Gospel and Scripture the CORE of what students learn during their year in the facility. It's so great to see how much Biblical knowledge the students learn in a short period of time; and God-willing, to hear their testimonies. I love hearing the women give their input and actually participate in class discussions, and I myself have learned so much after only one week. I was put in charge of writing and teaching a brand new curriculum for an elective course on Nutrition, Fitness, and Spiritual Health. My first class is in six weeks. I'm EXTREMELY nervous and am kind of wading through the process (given I'm not anything close to an Education major), but hopefully things will go well. I know God has placed me with this organization for a reason, and I'm very excited about where He is leading me. Just an update! :)