Hi all! For those of you who are just now checking out this blog page, welcome! It is a page where Laken and I can share a little bit of us. This specific page is to provide updates while I travel to the United Kingdom and serve at Young Life camp in Scotland. The previous post provides a little background about how this opportunity came about! Tomorrow is the day that I leave for Scotland. I’ve been able to spend some meaningful time with people these past few days and that has been the best preparation for the upcoming journey. Over the past few days I’ve enjoyed good conversations with Laken’s family, playing countless games of darts with a few of my best friends, and grilling out with my family. Discussions, prayers, and blessings I’ve received have overwhelmed me and I realize how great my support is- and that comforts me. Packing update- nothing is in my suitcase (and it is driving me crazy!!!). I am definitely like to have a plan and the fact that nothing is in my suitcase is driving me nuts. I am holding off packing because I know that I will have to repack once Laken sees the job that I did. She is the organized one and can fit everything I need (nice and orderly) which I cannot do by myself. Super thankful she is willing to help me out with this.
I’ve never been on a plane before. I’ve never been on my own before. You can definitely say I am a guy who likes company. When I arrive in Edinburgh I will be on my own for a few days. I’ll have to explore and go places alone, which is super uncomfortable to me. The first couple days there will be about exposing myself to the uncomfortable and embracing every moment of it. I truly believe that at the moment of uncomfortableness is where we grow as individuals the most. The potential for growth is HUGE and I am comforted with my faith by my side. Lastly, I am comforted by the support from Cairn Brae. I’ve received countless emails of encouragement from them. The camp director for the first month wants us all to memorize Philippians 2:1-11. I encourage you all to take a look at it! It is a super uplifting passage from scripture that has fueled my fire to serve and to leave myself vulnerable for growth while serving. I fly out of Chicago and will end up in Edinburgh around 2 am CST (or 7 am in Edinburgh!). I will make sure to update when I land and arrive. Again, I appreciate all the support and prayers. If you all would love to say a prayer, it would be appreciated- for safe travels and continue praying that Cairn Brae will provide an opportunity for kids to meet Christ. Blessings, BH
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Hi all,
We are able to dedicate a lot of time this summer to the blog now that school has ended. The next few months will feature a lot of new posts and pictures… FROM SCOTLAND! For those of you who don’t know yet, I am moving to Scotland for the summer! I leave June 15th and fly back into Chicago on August 19th. The adventure ahead of me is exciting and terrifying, but I am ready to jump right in. Who am I going with? Where am I staying? I applied for an internship through Young Life, an organization that is near to my heart (I will be dedicating a post to Young Life here soon!). Long story short, Young Life is an organization that believes in bringing adolescents to Jesus Christ. I am a volunteer leader and have spent the last two summers serving at Young Life camps here in the United States. We tell kids that a week at camp will be “the best week of your life” (and it’s true). Serving at a camp for a whole summer, or “interning”, was a goal of mine since last year. I applied stateside and in the middle of waiting for responses I came across Cairn Brae- a little camp in the highlands of Scotland. The camp was looking for interns to serve for the upcoming summer and I felt called to submit an application. After praying and going through an interview, I got offered a position in the kitchen at Cairn Brae for the summer of 2017. I was speechless, and after a week of prayers and talking with my family I decided to accept it. I am heading over by myself but meeting up with other interns once I arrive in Scotland. During the summer I will be staying on camp property at Cairn Brae in Crieff. From what I have heard, this area of Scotland features beautiful countryside- the perfect setup for kids to meet Christ. Why am I going? Joining Young Life staff when I graduate is something that keeps tugging at my heart. Whether God is calling me to serve as a staff member of Young Life or not, I don’t know yet. Working at Cairn Brae will give me the opportunity to witness the behind the scenes of running a Young Life camp. Not only will I be gaining experience in a field that interests me, but I will also experience personal growth. I anticipate my faith to grow a ton. James 1:2-5 says “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. I am not anticipating any trials, but I know they could be around the corner. The potential for trouble or hardships is something that sits in the back of my head. Initially, the trials ahead scared me. What if the summer staff kids don’t like me? What if I get super homesick? What if I mess up? What if I don’t catch my flight? The questions are still in my head but the passage from James has eased my spirit. I know the trials ahead will help my faith mature- another huge reason for accepting the internship. Lastly, I get a front row seat to watch kids meet Christ. What can be better than that? What’s next? I leave in less than three weeks. I am preparing furiously and taking some moments to enjoy summer with Laken, family, and friends before I take off. I plan on reading a couple of books before June 15th and taking some time to enjoy quality time with the people I care about most here in central Illinois. I would appreciate prayers over the next few weeks. Prayers for my potential to grow as a follower of Christ. Prayers for safe travels. Prayers that Christ will use me as something special this summer. And prayers for Cairn Brae as they prepare the camp. Blessings, BH |
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