San Francisco! Here We Come.

"Yesterday the cities were in the nations; today all the nations are in our cities." Ray Bakke

This is a part of a letter I sent to some friends:

Over this past year, the Lord spoke several things to me. There have been a lot of themes, but the ones that keep coming up are “strength and joy.” I’ve spent a lot of time praying and fasting and really sense Him nudging my heart to get out of my comfort zone and go somewhere for an extended time this summer. After looking at several different possibilities, the one that I landed on is a Youth With a Mission base in (of all places!) San Francisco. One of the things that really drew me to them at the beginning was a disaster relief training program. I won’t be able to do this training program at this point, but I will be going up there for two and half months this summer to volunteer with their Summer of Service program. They have a lot of various things going on during the summer. The base is right downtown in the heart of San Francisco’s “tenderloin,” one of the worst parts of the city. Some of my family and I took a short visit and tour of the base a couple of months ago, and I was amazed at how strange the area felt… it truly felt like a foreign country to me. There were so many needy and hopeless people standing around in the streets. So I’m really looking forward to serving with this ministry. You can read more about them here.

What I will be doing is helping with the Mission Adventures teams that come for weeklong visits throughout the summer. These teams of young people come to serve the city through various service programs, evangelistic activities, and prayer walks. I will be trained, along with several other SOS staff, for the first 2 weeks before they arrive. I may be helping prepare meals, assisting with hospitality needs, and going alongside them as they pray and minister on the streets. Along with ministering to the residents of the Tenderloin, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to meet and bless many of these young people who have a heart for the lost and for prayer.

Thank you all for keeping me in your prayers. My heart has been so uplifted and filled with the prayers, encouragements, and love of my family and other precious friends. Thank you all for keeping in touch.