What has been going on...

   Well, life has been not so busy. So I have no excuse as to why I haven't really posted on here lately. I have been trying to gather my thoughts. But with no real deadlines to meet, my procrastination can sometimes get the best of me. But here is a little rundown of what is going on.

ROCC
   Reaching Our Community for Christ is a youth outreach run by individuals that have a burden for the youth in our local communities. Recently we went to an all-nighter with over 200 youth. It was a great time of fun, and planting seeds in many youth that would never set a foot in a local church.
   ROCC provides an after-school discipleship meeting once a month. We watched as our group has grown, and the youth involved have a desire to learn and grow.
   We have our own event coming up the same night as the Super Bowl. Last year had a fair turnout (seeing a PA team was playing). We plan on having breakout sessions that discuss real-life issues these teens face each day and how faith plays a part in it, along with tons of games and food to accompany the football game on TV.

FAMILY LIFE
   Family life has been interesting. Both of my parents are retired, so the house is almost never empty. True quiet time is spent late at night (long after they have gone to bed), when they attend a relatives sporting events, or I escape to a local cafe for a break from my normal routine.
   My sister moved back down to Philadelphia. So a quick move was planned, and we had her back there in a day. On the way down her car had a little malfunction. It wasn't a wek later, and I was making a day trip in and out of the city to do a car swap. Repairs were much cheaper here than in the city. During Thanksgiving, cars were swapped back.
   Thanksgiving was spent making a little trip down the Turnpike to my mom's parents. Grandma and Grandpa Murray hosted a nice time of relaxing and spending time with family. It was a great time catching up and planning some upcoming events.
   Sunday should be fun. (That's later today!) I get to spend it with family I haven't seen in years. I'll fill you in later.

AWANA
    With Pastor Larry (Pastor of Warren Center Baptist Church... the church I am currently attending) having to miss a AWANA night, I stepped in to teach the 3rd-6th & 6th-12th classes. It was a handfull, but it got me back into teaching youth. It is something I hadn't done in a while, and need some brushing up in.

SUPPORT RAISING
   Support raising is going slow. I am confirming some dates in which I will be speaking in some local churches. Hopefully this will get the ball rolling and get word out about the burden I have for working in Alaska.

ME PERSONALLY
   Then there is me. How am I doing? Honestly it is hard being home. Ever since my internship at Victory, I have felt like Alaska is my home. There was a little time that I thought that I wouldn't return, but God has had plans for me. Sitting here in Pennsylvania is hard. It is a little depressing. But I can't say that it hasn't had it's rewards. I have had time to rest from a very busy summer. God has refreshed my mind and given me tons of ideas for things that I can do at Victory, and giving me time to evaluate my own life and make improvements.
   As said before, it is hard to be here. But I can see why I am here. God has a lot of work to do in me before I return to Alaska. Each day has been a battle to keep focused on my goal of returning. I can't say that I have been successful in that battle. For one example, I tried work... but God had other plans. My devotions have been a challenge each step of the way. It seems each day God wants to point out another area of my life that I need to step back and re-evaluate. They aren't quick fixes, and will take time to fix these habits that have been ingrained.
   Hopefully as I continue on this journey in ministry, I will continue to open up and share with you what is going on and how I am growing. I want to be real with you.



That seems to wrap it up for this little update. I plan on posting what will be a detailed rundown of what I will be doing at Victory, and how you can help. Stay tuned...