Organize, Organize, Organize!

As I pursue my work here at YWAM San Francisco, I realize that one thing I don't often share are my methods, how they've changed, the effects it's had on me.  Since coming to YWAM San Francisco, becoming a missionary, becoming a missions communicator, however you want to look at it, my ways of doing things have been stretched, squeezed, and tested.  

In doing what I do, I'm realizing as the days go by that I'm not living the life of a typical American 22 year old.  It hits me every day as I do the work I do, in the evening as I spend time with people, and generally very often.  It's funny sometimes to imagine the life I'm not living:  A life as a college kid, not really held up to too many standards, expected to be 'figuring life out,' prone to accident, etc.  Instead, I'm a missionary, but moreover, I'm head over a number of responsibilities like producing our base newsletter that's sent out to over 3,000 people bi-monthly, designing media for all of our ministries when needed, generally working with go between in ministries to make sure everything's flowing well, etc, etc.  I'd never had imagined everything I set out to do would involve all this, but God's been stretching me, and molding me in enormous ways since I've gotten here almost a year ago.

When I first got here, one of the strongest realities that hit me in the face is that time moves faster than a silver bullet around here.  Whether it be the YWAM base atmosphere, the city, or the neighborhood, I found that every day seemed to end as soon as it began, and I'd look back on the week, only to find it'd been a month.  Even still, I've had the hardest time learning how to best communicate with the world far away, but it's all been a proces.  And processes take time.

As from my usual play it by ear self, I now have forced myself to make a daily docket of the things that need to be done in that day and that week.  I put events that I need to attend in my calendar, linked online and on my phone, or else it wil zoom by me before I know it.  It's really been a stretching experience learning what it means to be supporting ministry in the heart of San Francisco, and in the neighborhood with the second highest population of homeless in America.

God's really been stretching me in time management.  I really look at all these aspects of my life and realize the hand of God moving so strongly in them.  In my human nature, I never would work to put this much effort into getting organized to such as strong degree, but through Christ I realize the importance to get my stuff together.  Christ guides me every day through the torrent of seemingly unending hardships, both minor and major.  From the minutia of someone not getting the news email, to figuring how to respond to someone from the street's bout of violence inside our doors, every day brings new challenges; but also new opportunities for God to grow me.

San Francisco has been by far the most stretching experience in my life, but every second has been worth it, and I would never go back on the path God has lead me on thus far.  Please continue to pray for me as each day goes by.  I may only be 22, and I may not have everything together, but Christ is using me, and oh how grateful I am.