This past semester in the Kaleo program has been beyond incredible. I have experienced and learned so much but sometimes it is hard to depict exactly what God is doing. It is easier for me to see the growth in others instead of myself.
God has placed me in many situations (camp ministry, church ministry, various leadership opportunities) where I am able to expand my horizons, learn more about myself and how God has gifted me and ultimately see him work. It is so rewarding to hear the stories of how God is working through the ministry areas he has place me in. Hearing the stories is only part of it; God is working in me personally too. He has been growing in me a love for others, humbling me and guiding me in my interactions with those around me.
One goal for this coming semester is to dedicate time each day for devotions and to process what God is teaching me. As part of this I'm praying that God will open my ears to hear his voice. This is something that I have not been consistent with and I know that it affects my day.
Within the group of students, God has really instilled in me a love for this community and I have learned a lot about the value of community through my interactions with them. I have really enjoyed getting to know them; seeing their heart, their desires, what God is doing in their life or how they are struggling. (Many people have told me that I am good at listening and asking questions) I feel I get to know people better when we have one-on-one conversations. This kind of interaction seems to come very natural to me. I realize that I have not been able to reach out to everyone in this way yet. There are some students I do not know very well and so would like to develop a closer relationship with them.
In regards to the academics, I will admit I was a little unsure coming into the program. Majority assignments are reading and writing and I am not a strong writer. God has been good though. Some students have helped me out at times as well as God has miraculously enabled me to write and finish the papers strong. How I would like to grow in this area is being more productive with my time and not pushing assignments to the last minute. As a side note, I have thoroughly enjoyed the classes and professors we have had. There is so much variety in the different classes and so much to learn that sometimes I do not know how I contain it all. My hope is that I will be able to see how I can practically apply principles from class into daily life. Sometimes I have these opportunities and other times I guess I just do not see the opportunities. Praying that my eyes would be opened and that I would choose to follow God's leading no matter what He is asking of me or where it takes me.
God has grown me in ways I could not have imagined and there is still so much more to come!
Tomorrow we leave for a 5 day ski/snowboarding trip to Mount Washington.
Thanks for your prayers!
Sabrina Thiessen
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