Only a couple more days until my YouthWorks summer begins!

Well, it's pretty much official (I won't get my actual diploma for another 6 weeks), I'm a college graduate! It's so weird to say that, but also very exciting. Again, thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. God has truly blessed me with such wonderful people in my life.

Now, for the next leg of my journey. I leave for training for YouthWorks in Birmingham, AL this Sunday. Our training starts Monday afternoon and at the end of the week, my staff (so far 2 people, we are anxiously awaiting to hear who our 4th staff is) and I will be driving to our site, Daytona Beach Alliance Church, in Daytona Beach. We will have 3 weeks of prep before our first groups come through. So, our first official week of program starts the 13th of June. But, we still have plenty to do before then. I am starting to get a little nervous. I know that God is going to do great things, and I truly rest in that. I hope that I am able to write again sometime next week during training or soon after training. Please continue to pray for the community of Daytona Beach, the youth preparing for their trips, and the YouthWorks staff for the summer. Thank you for your love and support. :)

I wanted to give you a little more info on the ministry of YouthWorks and the little bit that I know about the community of Daytona Beach.

The following is also available on youthworks.com:

Our Work and Ministry
YouthWorks focuses on ministry. Although we use work projects as a way to see the love of Christ, it is not an end all. We do not call our trips “work camps” or spotlight a repaired house, instead the “works” in our name are about what God will do in our lives if we allow it. We desire to be Christ centered in everything that we do.
While it is important to be challenged in our ministry work, we believe the most important thing we can do is to live out the love of Christ with all whom we meet. Building true relationships is essential in showing Christ's love; the friendships you and your youth create with people in our communities are of the utmost importance. These relationships are more important to YouthWorks than any work we could accomplish.
We have all kinds of work ministry experiences set up for your trip that are designed to challenge teenagers. The opportunities vary from week to week and site to site, depending on the particular needs of the communities in which we serve. Everyone who participates in these work ministry projects will be divided into small teams. Teams may do various painting and rehabilitation projects, facilitate a Kids Club program or partner with other organizations working to meet community needs. More specific information regarding the unique opportunities at your mission site are available in the spring.
We firmly believe there is a need for people to have their homes painted and rehabilitated; a need for children to learn about the Bible through music, stories and games; and a need to serve existing community ministries. We know that paint on houses will eventually chip off, and that stories and games may be forgotten in time, but the relationships you develop with community members will create a vehicle for ministry to occur for a long time in the future. Come ready to experience the joy of being the hands and feet of Christ!

Daytona Beach, FL
The Daytona Beach area of Florida’s central East Coast stretches 23 miles along the Atlantic Ocean. Eight million visitors a year come to the area to stay in the beautiful resorts and participate in a variety of recreational activities. Many rich and famous individuals have vacation homes in the area. In addition, thousands of racing enthusiasts visit Daytona International Speedway each year. Ask the over 64,000 residents of this town, however, and they will point to several problem areas in the community. A citizen survey revealed major concerns like drug abuse, homelessness and high taxes. The U.S. Census reports that per capita income is $17,530 and nearly 24 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. An estimated 2,600 are homeless.