A lot had happened since my last blog. Training camp has come to an end. The squad has officially been together for over a month now. 

Here are some things we did during our last 2 weeks of training: 

• Climbed Mount Yonah
• Sabbath Dinner
• Star tipping 
• Team movie night!! 
• More Walmart evangelism 

After finishing training camp, we made our way over to Jackson, Kentucky and partnered with Samaritans Purse to help with flood relief. The flood happened two months ago and there was still damage to be dealt with. The waters rose to 47 feet, filling homes with water, meaning that some homeowners had to be rescued either by boat or helicopter. Many people lost all they had but our job was not only to fix up their houses but also to bring them hope and assure them that it will get better. We got the opportunity to meet some amazing people with all different kinds of stories. The Lord was definitely at work in Jackson, Kentucky because there were people getting saved almost everyday. Like I said, our job was to shed light into some dark areas. Being in Kentucky was a fantastic opportunity. Seeing the transformations of dark and damaged homes turn into houses ready for rebuild and restoration was a perfect reminder of how the Lord takes our dark and damaged hearts and transforms them into hearts that are bright and restored. 

Here are some things we did while in Kentucky: 

• mucked out multiple houses
• Many late night Walmart runs
• Lots and lots of Dairy Queen 
• Impromptu hike to the Natural Bridge
• Fantastic worship nights

The Lord was not only at work in the live of people in Kentucky, but he’s also been at work in our squad as a whole and as individuals. 

Here are some things the Lord is showing/teaching me: 

• The Lord has been revealing to me the fact that, yes he is my father, but he is also my friend. (John 15:15) He reminds me that while 
• The Lord has been reminding me of how deep his love truly is. Growing up, I’ve had the basic understanding of his love but he has been reminding me more of his majesty, power, and love. I mentioned above that while in Kentucky we got to go on a hike. On this hike, I was able to sit and marvel at his creation and it all hit me. The God that made the earth, the trees, the animals, and the rocks that sit above the tree tops also created me. The Lord that spoke creation into existence and knows the starts by name chose to have a personal relationship with me. 
• The Lord has been teaching me about boldness and the power of prayer. Right now, I’m reading through the book of Acts and in Acts 4 it is the prayer of Peter and John while in prison. They were thrown in jail because they healed on the Sabbath. Their prayer is so amazing to me and a good reminder of the power that prayer has. Acts 4:23-31 is their prayer. At the beginning of their prayer they recognized to whom they were praying to. For 5 verses they talk about all the Lord has done. They then go into a 1 sentence request to the Lord. They simply ask for boldness. After, the recognize the power of prayer and sovereignty of God and then the Lord grants their request. This passage struck me not only that they requested boldness while being persecuted but also the structure and powerga of their prayer. Instead of praying against their persecutors or for persecution to end, they asked for more boldness. I think a lot of times we ask the Lord to remove us from difficult situations because they are hard and uncomfortable. Here, the apostles teach us to do the opposite. They teach us to stand firm in our faith and ask for more of the Lord and his boldness to persevere through difficult situation. Our mindset has to switch from comfort to Christ because he is our priority.                                           The structure of their prayer is something that I love. They speak to the Lord and praise him for all he has done and reminisce on the work done through the Holy Spirit. Then they go into a one-sentence request for boldness. Many times I go into prayer and tell the Lord how good and loving he is and then proceed to run through my laundry list of requests when really, it should be the opposite. We should have a laundry list of ways to praise and thank the Lord instead of just a brief mention of his glory. 

Praise God for the work he has done. 

It would be fantastic to have prayer for: 

• a continuing work of the Lord in our squad as a whole and individually
• Safe travels and open hearts. We leave for our first country, Nicaragua, this Saturday the 15th. 

I am so excited to see more of what the Lord has in store. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement thus far!! May the Lord bless y’all!! 

With Love, 

Kate Gentry