Ryan's Blog

Friday, July 13, 2007

So i was thinking more about why I have a hard time updatine this blog, which I'm sure anyone who's reading this does not really care about. If not, skip to the end of the list...

1. I hate blogging. That's a big one.
2. I don't have a digital camera, which looses one of the only qualities of blogging I find redeeming.
3. In my free time I'd much rather do a quiet time, bible study, or write a letter to Ariel :)
4. I much prefer reading blogs than I do writing them.
5. I'm still unsure of how to boil down into words what I've been learning here.

So there you have it.

In other news, time here has been a blast. Last week I got to hear from Jim Leube quite a bit, and was able to learn about what he's been learning about over lunch with him and his son Doug. This Tuesday me and a group of friends with equally as little common sense drove 2 hours to see the new Harry Potter movie for the midnight showing in Denver. We took a deteur on the way home for a 24 hour Starbucks, Littleton, and Columbine High School, arrive back at 5:30am-just in time for the sunrise, mind you-and made it to work the next day at 7:30am (I was a little late actually...). Then the last two days I've been hanging out and hearing from Jim Downing and his first disciple Roy Sherwood--two super solid old guys who have some great stories about Pearl Harbor and the testing of the H-bomb ("sunrise in the west" as I like to call it). This afternoon my good buddy Thart comes in, tomorrow my parents arrive for the rest of the weekend, and then another lighting paced week will kick off once again.

The time here has really been great. I absolutely love my guys. The most humbling experience of this all, actually, has been struggling to see where and how I can help the needs of my guys. God has richly blessed out team with unity and lots of enjoyable times, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

With slightly less than half the program left, it has been super encouraging to see each of the guys on my team pursue Jesus and make progress towards many of the goals they've set at the beginning of the summer, and I am equally as excited for the rest of the summer. I think the biggest goal I'd love to see them grow in is consistant quiet times, beginning now and carrying back to their campuses. They can learn anything they want here, and that's great, but nothing will sustain them better than coming to a point where they honestly miss Jesus if they did not get time that morning to meet with Him. Please be praying for that if you can.

Also, this Wednesday we are spending the day in Boulder doing cold turkey evangelism. Please also pray that God would really be preparing the soil in the hearts of the people we'll talk to. I think it's really easy for me to begin to see this type of evangelism as solely helpful for the Christian, but I'd love to see it more as an offering of trust to God, having faith that He is and will be working in the lives of those we talk to.

till next time
Ryan