Dayenu

Hello friends

I don't know what I was thinking coming into this adventure, but I somehow got it in my mind that since God taught me so much last summer, He would find a way for me to pass along that wisdom to the future generation of WDWSP students. My cup was filled, and now I here I am to empty it.

Mistake.

God has been teaching me so much already this summer, perhaps even more than last year. My stubborn heart was not about to let God in to break it and teach me more, I don't want to learn anymore. I am tired of learning about the areas of my life that need growth. But luckily God is more powerful than I, and He has been opening my eyes daily to things that I need to work on.

Life as a staff girl has been wonderful. I LOVE my job. That doesn't mean it is easy. But I love every minute of it. I finally have some pictures which I will post later on here.

That "secret activity" I talked about last time? Indoor surfing. Have you ever seen advertisements for cruise ships that have the surfing experience on board? Well, we got to ride an indoor wave, first as a staff team, then alongside all of the students. It was a really fun experience. Check out some info here if you are still confused-http://ultimateindoorwave.com/. It was a really great team experience- imagine 55 people cheering your name as you conquer a monster of a fear. Instant community. I will post pictures soon of that, I don't have any of myself from that day since I was out there attacking that wave as long as I could.

The students all got their job assignments and have begun training. They are all in the same exact locations as before- Outdoor food, quick service food, food stands, and the Emporium, just like last year. I hope the new Team Emporium can live up to the standard of awesomeness we set last year:)

I am loving getting to disciple the four girls in my small group. It is the highlight of my week when I get to spend time one on one with them.

This is us at the Fantasy Surf place. We really are a good looking bunch even after being tossed head over heels by monster mechanical waves repeatedly.

Please be praying for us as we continue to walk alongside of each other for the next few weeks.

Grabbing some desert on the beach of Disney's Polynesian Resort

Amanda from St. Louis College of Pharmacy (another friend for next year!!) Rachel from Texas Tech, Brittany from University of Illinois, and Jen from Western Kentucky University. I already feel like a proud mama!


We spent a day downtown talking to people about God, which was really awesome but pretty intimidating. We had surveys that people could fill out and ask more questions if they wanted.

This is me with Chelsea and Nicole, two of the other wonderful staff women who I am blessed to call part of my team.


One of the things that God has been teaching me lately is about relying on Him for everything I need. This past Sunday, the sermon at church was absolutely mind blowing. Here is the link, the sermon is called The 5000.

http://mosaicfl.org/?pg=cG9kY2FzdA==&pid=UG9kY2FzdA==

The title of this entry comes from a Hebrew phrase that is commonly spoken during the Passover meal. It means "it would have been enough." We talked about how much we try and fill our lives with unsatisfying stuff when God is enough. We can continue to search for our satisfaction and our security in things of this earth when there is something so much bigger out there. I REALLY reccommend listening to it, no matter who you are or what religion you follow. It is pretty epic.

Anyways, please continue to pray for me and my team. We have a lot of big things coming up in the next few days, including our surfing adventure tomorrow out at the real ocean!

Also, the mood the past few days has been a little bit more somber. One of the staff guys, Lee, lost his dad on Sunday. It was expected but still really hard, and he and his wife flew back home for the funeral and arrangements. That same night, one of the students, Ashlie, lost her grandmother. Please pray for them and us as we try to come alongside them during this difficult time.

And again, I am still trying to raise additional support in order to cover the higher than average gas prices. Here is my link again if you want to donate or my address if you want to send a check (or just mail in general, I love getting mail)

https://give.ccci.org/give/View/5559770?pp=Search+Results

Mike Ditka Resorts
Campus Crusade for Christ
Kelly Wood
3000 Bonfire Beach Dr
Kissimmee, FL 34746


Much love, Kelly

Gnarliness

God amazes me constantly. But there are those days where He is just showing off. Today was one of those days.

I apologize profusely for my lack of updates over the past two weeks. I can make excuses, but since most of you who know this already know that I am a procrastinator, it would be useless.

First of all, address. PLEASE send me mail here. I will be here till July 6th. I would love you forever. I just love getting mail.

Mike Ditka Resort
Campus Crusade for Christ
Kelly Wood
3000 Bonfire Beach Drive
Kissimmee, FL 34746

Last Thursday, almost a week ago, I finally ended my couch surfing excursion and began to get ready for a real surfing excursion (metaphorical AND actual..). I made it to Mike Ditkas in the early afternoon along with the rest of the staff team and we spent that first night bonding over a great dinner. I am in LOVE with my staff team and I am so excited to spend the next month and a half serving God with such amazing people.

We spent the next few days continuing to get to know one another on a deeper level and work out the details for the project as far as who was leading what. I will be discipling four girls- Rachel, Jen, Amanda, and Brittany. Please pray for us, I am incredibly excited to be able to pour out the love that God showers me with daily, but I am still nervous. I sometimes get intimidated trying to lead people who have know God longer than me. I know that those feelings do NOT come from God and I am praying to not be consumed with worry or those feelings of not being good enough. If I let them have power over me, they eat away at my confidence and leave me cowering in the corner. I battle this daily, and I humbly ask you, dear friends, to pray alongside of me that I will be filled with the kind of confidence that only comes from God working through me.

I will also be co-leading the World Vision team with Lee, one of the staff guys. I am really excited about this and passionate about the world and the gospel reaching the far corners of it. I am also just a social studies nerd and LOVE learning about different cultures and how people live in other parts of the world. Last summer I was a part of this team (it was combined with the prayer team last year) and I am really thrilled that I get to be a part of it again.

In addition to these two things, I will also be leading a bible study with two other staff members and helping lead Women's time, as well as helping out with other project activities.

We did some really awesome bonding activities on Monday, which I will tell you more about soon, because right now they are a secret for the students, some of whom may be creeping on this blog ;-)

I can't remember if I wrote this in a previous entry, but Pat, who was on project with me last year, is back with me this year as the other student staff intern!! We are sharing a two bedroom condo, which is insane considering there were 7-8 girls per condo last year. I have my own bathroom, which has actually never happened in my life, but I guess that will be good in preparing me for living in a 1/1 apartment in St. Louis next year.

It is SO strange being back at Mike Ditka's. Especially the first two days we were here or so, before new memories began to form, it was like a constant bombardment of deja vu. I keep expecting to walk into the condo and find Jess and Alexis and Sarah P and everyone waiting for me. It is really hard because as much as I am excited for the new adventures to come, my heart is longing for the community that was knitted together last year. We got to see some old friends who returned to WDW for the College Program/ semester project- Kyle, Liz, Jamie, and Michelle. For a while, Pat, Michelle, Jamie and I hung out on the floor of our condo and it was a bittersweet reminder of how vast the canyon between what was and what is has begun to grow. All of the feelings I felt last summer have been flooding me and leaving me with a constant emotional hangover. Fear and excitement dance around my heart like Russian ballerinas, spinning and weaving and swaying in beautiful, terrifying chaos. It is hard to remember that God is in control, but He has definitely made his presence known countless times already.

The students arrived yesterday!! 39 guys and gals from across the nation made their way here safely. We had a bbq and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner as everyone began to get aquainted with the strangers who will quickly become their family. After the bbq, we went on a scavenger hunt around Downtown Disney to begin the team bonding. Today was the first day of project orientation (known here as Surf Instructers training). They learned, just as I did last year, some of the heart behind the project as we began to unpack the analogy of surfing the waves that God has started here at Walt Disney World and around the globe. It was a long but wonderful day that concluded in some more bonding with staff and students. I really do enjoy getting to know new people. People just fascinate me.

This post is getting long. Please pray for my time with my discipleship group tomorrow afternoon. We will be sharing our testimonies with each other, or basically our life stories. Pray that we can engage emotionally and develop a bond of trust that will enable us to be vulnerable with one another. I am already feeling my heart grow to the point of bursting with love for these girls that I have barely met.

One more thing before I go. I am still trying to raise support for travel and living expenses this summer. If you are still interested in helping me on my journey, you can either mail a check made out to Campus Crusade for Christ to the address above OR, even easier, make a donation online at

https://give.ccci.org/give/View/5559770?pp=Search+Results

Thanks for surfing with me. Love you all
Kelly