FREE FALLING

Hey Everyone, Thanks for praying for this weekend. It was definatly the best Youth Quake EVER!!! We had about 55 students come with us to YQ this year and God deifnatly showed up and moved in their lives and also in the lives of us "Super Leaders". The theme was free falling and it was such a sweet picture for me as thats how my life always feels like. I feel like GOd always calls me to take leaps of faith where I feel like I'm free falling but the best part about this kind of free fall is that I'm free falling into the hands of God...and it'll be the best jump of my life.

Sunday night GOd clearly spoke to me and confirmed with me what he's been saying all semester long "Leanne you need to trust me by taking this step of faith in staying moose jaw this summer and living as an incarnate representation of me to the youth of Joe's Place!" This is scary for me to trust God with my summer cause I miss you all in Ontario so much but I know God has amazing plans for me and the youth here in Moose Jaw and I'll be missing out of the amazing plans God has for me if I dont surrender all my desires.

Last night we had a pizza celebration party and gave the students opportunities to share what God did in their lives this weekend. It was so encouraging to hear from their own mouths how God has changed their lives. the continual theme of the weekend was "I was really reluctant about this weekend and I didnt really want to go, but Im now so glad God brought me to Youth Quake because it was the best weekend of my life cause it changed my life!" We had some of our hardest youth share how they've been searching their entire lives trying to fill the void that they feel in their hearts and this weekned they finally realized what is that is missing...and that is the love of God. God is so good. One of our youth and I over weekend were joking around and debating if the word I made up, "awesomer" (which i defined to mean "to be more awesome then awesome".) was a legitimate word and a correct definiton. I hadn't convinced him all weekend as he was determined all weekend to get people to disagree with me. Yesterday when he shared what God had done in his life he was like "in the words of Leanne this weekend was definatly awesomer!". He surrendered his life to God this weekend and is now part of His family!I am so excited to see what God is going to do in his life.

One girl who was in my Quest group last week shared also last night. I was so shocked to see her stand up and walk towards the mic as she is probably one of the girls who has the hardest hard towards Christianity. Last week in Quest she told our group while we were discussing Jesus be the only way to heaven something along the lines as "I think its fine if you want to believe this stuff but i personally think you are all naive and stupid to believe this crap". Yesterday she shared how she didnt want to go to YQ at all but once she got there she was reminded that it is with the people at Joe's Place that she feels the most loved and accepted and belonging. She was sharing how she can tell that her friends who are Christians and have faith in God have this joy and happiness in their lives...and maybe "you guys do have something or know something that I don't". WOW! She hasnt made a commitment yet to God but He is definatly softening her heart and working in her life.

I could write a book with all the things God this weekend in the lives of our youth and in my life. But I wont bore you all. Thank you for praying. On Thursday I asked God to teach me how to pray for our youth and he showed me how to pray and then I watched him throughout the weekend break the chains of bondage in their lives, softened their hearts and unveiled their eyes to His love, grace and mercy. He is sooo good and He loves his children!

I love you guys and please keep praying for me as I continue to minister to these youth and I continue to surrender my will to Gods. I know this summer is going to be different and hard but its going to be sooo good too! I cant wait!

love you all

Leanne

Hitchhikers and Auctions!

Last week was the best week all semester (didn't get much work done at all but it was definatly worth it). My friend Daniel hitched hiked from Calgary to come visit for a few days which was such a blessing getting to know him better and to have numerous battle ship competetions and just give him a lil taste of what life is like in the big town of Caronport. It was so refreshing just having a friend from Ontario here to talk about life back at home and actually him understand what and who I'm talking about. So fun. These are pics that we took on our photo shoot that didnt last very long cause it was flippin cold. the next day was even colder but I didnt realize it until I got from bite on my ears after only being outside for 15 minutes. You guys can't complain about cold till you've been out here. YIKES:P

On Thursday some of the girls in the highschool who I am freinds with came over for Spagetti and catch phrase. afterwards we wen to a dating auction that a girl i work with at Joe's Place was putting on. It started from her joking that she should auction herself off for a date to the highest bidder and donate the money for kids from Joes Place (drop in center i volunteer at in Moose Jaw)to come to Youth Quake (big youth ralley). SO what started as a joke ended up being the best night of the entire year at Briercrest.(I literally had to massage my face cause it hurt so bad from laughing.).Our goal for the auction was to raise $600 but God blew us away by bring out like probably 1/4 of the school and we ended up raising over $3800.00!!! God is sooo good! I think we are taking something like 70 youth this weekend.

Please pray that GOd would reveal himself to these youth. SO many of them are so hungry for truth. These youth are from such broken homes and have had super hard lives. I am praying that God will reveal to them the hope they can find in Him. Please if you think of praying for our youth and for our leaders this weekend (feb 23-25) I know GOd will bless you for it.

I'm so pumped to see what God is going to do. I know He has a purpose for each of these youth to be here this weekend and I am so excited to see how he is going to move and work in this place.

anywho i have tons of work to do before the youth start showing up so ill catch you all later. i hope your all doing well. I love you all tons

Leanne

Febuary Update

Hey Everyone,
Sorry it has taken so long to update you all on life but its been super busy here the past few weeks and its just going to get busier as we're at the half way mark of the semester.
At the end of January I began going on Tuesday nights to help run QUEST for the youth at joes Place (Quest is a youth outreach video minstry and Joe's Place is the drop in center I volunteer at in Moose Jaw). It has been such a blessing to be apart of this every Tuesday as we have about 40 students come out and eat dinner with us and then we watched the videos that address spritual questions youth have in gender specific small groups. I love the girls in my group and GOd is definatly at work in their lives. If you remember please remember to pray for this ministry as GOd is moving powerfully. Next weekend is a big youth retreat at briercrest called youth quake. a lot of our youth want to go and we are trying to raise up the funds so that they can go free (since many of them cant afford it otherwise). Please pray for God to provide the funds, and most importantly for the hearts of the youth who will be going.
My friend Dan is up visiting right now from Ontario, which has been super nice the past few days to hang out with him as I've been missing home a lot lately and its been so refreshing to have a familar face from home around. Some days its hard being way out here and not knowing when the next time I will be home will be. BUt God is good and he comforts me when Im lonely and reminds me that the reason I'm here is because he has plans for me here for this year.
I gues thats all the exciting news for now....well besides all the crazy gong show stories i have about getting stranded in moose jaw two weekends in a row (once getting a flat tire on the transacanada and 2nd car not starting in boston pizza and needing 3 booster cables attached to each other to boost it.) they're stories I'll have to tell you guys in person cause theyre to long that they wouldnt make sense over a blog.
I love and miss you all a ton
hope your all having a sweet february.
LEANNE