The Closing of a Chapter || The Beginning of Another

Hello everyone!

The last time I wrote I was getting ready for a trip to China.  So much has happened since then I hardly know where to start!

China:
I left for this beautiful country on July 11.  While I was there I helped facilitate a student summer camp called Sunshine.  It is put on by CEO Global, an education organization that works on developing servant leaders of integrity in China and all over the world.  While they are there, the students learn that they have a purpose, and they work on developing their vision for that purpose.  To a few of them, the idea that they were an individual with a unique plan and purpose was a foreign idea.  One of the ladies, (English name Jennifer) had struggled with depression and suicide because she hadn't made the grades to get into a top university to set herself ahead of the rest of people looking for jobs.  She is no longer suicidal!  She also had a LOT of questions about Christianity and has since told me that she has noticed a difference in the atmosphere at Sunshine versus her normal situation.  In addition to all of these valuable lessons learned, we also had a LOT of fun!  From campus wide scavenger hunts, to city hunts in Xi'an, to teamwork towers, to learning how to swing dance everyone had a good time (and came out of our comfort zones).  I even got to teach one of the guys in my group, Rocky, how to waltz!  The life-group I had the blessing and opportunity to co-coach as became my family.  I am extremely glad to say that I am still in touch with them!  But Sunshine Camp lasted for about 2 of the 3 weeks I was actually in country.

The second camp I helped facilitate is called CJ Camp (CJ stands for something I've already forgotten in Mandarin).  While Sunshine focuses on University students in China, CJ focuses on teenagers from 12-14.  The teenagers invited were all the poorest of the poor students in the Shaanxi province of China.  These kids absolutely broke my heart when they started sharing their stories.  One student (his English name is Michael) has been abused his whole life and will go back to his situation without any guarantee of help from the Chinese government.  He is 14 and is 4'10 and I could see most of the bones in his body.  I couldn't speak their language, but I very quickly learned to show my love for them without words.  He wrote me a note at the end of the camp that said that he knew he could make his dreams a reality and that he would never forget my love for him.  His story is only one of the stories from my life-group in this camp.  There were quite a few similar stories in my life-group.  I will probably never see them again in my life, but I will NEVER forget them or stop praying for any of the students from either camp.

The biggest challenge for me was living my faith with all of the restrictions placed on me.  In China it is illegal to proselytize so I could not just walk up to someone and tell them that Jesus loves them.  I was however, able to answer questions that they may have had.  So I lived my life like Christ would want me to and waited for the questions.  For more information, please email me directly at my UPDATED EMAIL ADDRESS: renae.phillips92@yahoo.com.

Another challenge I faced while in China was something that happened on the home front.  While we were there, we received word that the Honor Academy internship is taking a year break during the transition to give the staff more time to really set up an updated and amazing format for future years of interns.  The only problem was that it happened so last minute that I had no alternative plans for this year and I only had four days to get my stuff together to move after the trip before graduation and having to move (later I learned that I would have been able to stay on campus if needed through August 31 if needed, but that's neither here nor there).  So I had a good cry and asked the Lord what he wanted me to do instead the next morning.  He told me to move to Washington.  Immediately Northwest University popped into my head.  Last year I was planning on attending this upcoming semester, and then the Lord told me to stay as a Core Advisor at the HA.  I had already partially put in an application so I called my mom and asked if she thought it would be possible to finish the application in time to start classes this semester.  To make a long story short, I am headed to Northwest University majoring in Elementary Education with a focus on Humanities and minoring in Intercultural Studies this semester!  Only because of God has it been possible to finish my application and get ready for arrival day in less than a month.  Praise the Lord!

Whew!  So in all the craziness, one thing remains faithful and true: the one, true God of the Universe who is personally interested in every individual's life on this earth.  I love Him so much, and hope you do too!

This will be the last post in this blog.  If you have questions about anything or just want to talk, email me at renae.phillips92@yahoo.com and we can set up a time.

Thanks for reading!
Renae Phillips