What Happens in LA, Doesn't Stay in LA

"Hey guys, I was finally able to tell the gospel to one of my best friends! I’m so proud of myself and wanted you guys to pray for him. I did it the other night and I literally started crying when I left his house because I was so happy and amazed that God used me to talk to him! He was really interested and was asking me questions."
 

Paul and I with Gaby and Misa, who decided to be our "adopted daughters" during project.

This was shared in a text message with our entire summer project group about 4 days after project ended. Gaby is a student involved in a fairly new Destino movement at Northern Illinois University. During our 5 weeks in LA, she expressed how much fear she had about coming and that she almost decided not to join us. Fortunately, her friend and campus leader, Gus, kept encouraging her to come with him. Though summer project still had plenty of challenging moments, Gaby was so thankful for how God used this experience in her life.

Seeing the text message above was a perfect reminder for why we have these summer projects. It’s not just about having a great experience and doing ministry for a few weeks. Its meant to be just the beginning of a journey to allowing God to use us in greater ways wherever we go. I love that we still have a group text message chain to continue to hear how God is working and to pray for one another! I am so thankful that God used the ministry and training we did in LA to reach out to a young man in Chicago. Please pray with us for Gaby and her friend, Juan. Pray they continue to have gospel conversations and that he would come to know Jesus.

God has a plan for everyone on our project to have an impact this year. Some are starting new jobs after having graduated. Some are deciding whether or not to transition to a new city and school. Most are going to be leading in Destino movements on their campus. Some are deciding if they want to go into full-time ministry. All of them have friends or family that need to know Jesus. All of them have seeds planted this summer that need to continue to be watered. I’m just waiting for more exciting text messages!