Burgers, Beaches, and Bonding :)

So much is going on here, I don't even know where to begin!! I'll start by first saying...I'M EMPLOYED!!  We job-hunted for three long, monotonous days and God provided an awesome job in His perfect timing, just like I knew He would.  Now, I know three days sounds like an insanely short amount of time to find a job, but here in Kaleo world, it seems like forever, especially when you are turned down multiple times.  There were at least two jobs that I was so sure God would work out, but then I realized that, yet again, my plans were different than His.  I know that God orchestrated where I will be working and will open doors to do great things there.  Starting at 10 A.M. tomorrow morning (Memorial Day, woo!!) I will officially be the newest cashier of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, located just a few hundred feet north of the beach here in Panama City Beach, Florida. I am so excited!!  The manager is great, and the other employees seem really fun as well. I will certainly keep you posted on this part of the adventure!

One of the most amazing things that our entire project has done so far is beach evangelism.  It is insane how little most of us know about the gospel, and God has certainly slapped me in the face with that truth since I've been here.  I have gone to church my entire life, and yet I could barely explain the process of salvation.  Fortunately, we have had some incredible teaching on how to share the gospel, and, as of today, have spent two Sunday afternoons putting that teaching into practice.  I haven't had the honor of leading anyone to Christ yet, but one woman came very close, and I am certain that seeds were planted.  Basically, what we do is pair up and split up all along a few mile stretch of the beach, and for 2 hours, just walk up to strangers there and witness, sharing the simple story of the gospel, using Romans 6:23 as our base.  It is one of the scariest things I have done in awhile, but God granted us great peace and I have seen Him work in so many lives.  There have probably been over 20 converts from our group over the past two weeks, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!  The most valuable thing I have learned from all of this is how important it is to understand and be able to explain the message of the gospel, and even more so how intentional and proactive we must be in sharing it.  Our purpose as Christians is to share the good news of the gospel, and yet so many many Christians have never even sought to lead another to Christ.  I am so burdened by how passive I have been with my faith, and just in the first week of Kaleo, God is opening my eyes to so many incredible things, and I can't wait for all that He will continue to do here.

Another wonderful opportunity we have had as a project was to help out with the local homeless shelter in Panama City.  About 50 of us spent just over two hours sorting through an entire barn-full of food, organizing it, and re-packaging it in an orderly fashion.  It was very hot outside and took a lot of work, but was worth every minute.  It was such a blessing to work alongside such passionate and loving people, knowing that we were going to make a difference in so many lives through a simple act of service.  What we did in two hours, could have taken a small group a few long days to do.  God is just so good, I can't say it enough!!

In conclusion, I just want to again say how thankful I am for all of the support and prayers I have received.  It is a blessing that I can barely express.  Our schedule has certainly been full, but I know that God is utilizing all the time we have in these next few weeks to grow us more than we ever thought possible in our faith, and in doing so, will equip us better for the spreading of His Kingdom than we could have ever imagined.  Besides being surrounded by an amazing group of solid Christians who are incredibly supportive and encouraging, God is teaching us so much about discipleship, evangelism, and studying Scripture.  I am so very humbled by how much I did not know about my faith and God is revealing to me all that He wants to do in my life, and I can hardly wait to see all the doors that He will open and all He will do through this experience.  I hope to share more very soon, and I pray that you all find blessings in the grace, love, and peace of Christ.  And, even more than that, I pray that you receive a heart for the gospel and are reminded of how the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary is what defines our entire faith and should continue to do so every day that we walk with the Lord and continue to know Him better.

Much Love,
Caylee Joy :)

The Beginning of a New Adventure

I am just in amazement of all that God has done in my life over the past year, and am so excited for how He will continue to move this summer.  It is hard for me to believe that I am being allowed yet another incredible opportunity to spread the Kingdom of God is such a unique way.  On top of that, I am completely overwhelmed by all of the support I have yet again received.  More than enough of my support has been raised, and I am again overcome with gratitude of how generous, loving, and supportive my friends and family are.  God has blessed me tremendously through each and every one of you, and is going to do great things in Panama City this summer; I have no doubt in my mind.

So, to give a brief overview of what is going on here, I'll fill you in on a few details.  After about a 19 hour drive spread over 2 days, some minor car difficulties, and loads of road trip memories, we finally made it to Panama Beach City here in the panhandle of Florida.  The sand here is the most beautiful I've ever seen and the people are even better.  The friendliness, love, and passion for the Lord of all the Kaleo participants is so evident and amazing.  I feel like I'm already at home with these people and can't wait to grow in Christ together with them.

For anyone that doesn't understand what exactly we are doing here, the main idea is training college students to grow in their personal relationship with Christ by discipleship and evangelism through outlets such as beach evangelism and summer jobs.  We are going off of the idea that missions is an all day, every day occurrence and is something that needs to be practice in every walk of life.  As Christians, we are called to always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have (2 Peter), and that is exactly what this program is trying to do.

Right now, we are all looking for jobs.  If we don't find them, we will eventually be sent home.  I am not concerned about finding one, because I know that God will provide and He brought me here for a reason.  Please just pray that God opens doors and that I am sensitive to His voice in choosing a job, that I will be placed in the job He desires.  Pray for open hearts as we begin beach evangelism tomorrow, for both us and those who we will encounter.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of your love and support.  I have said this before, and I will say it again, this is not possible without you!! I love all of you very much and will try to be updating again soon!! God bless.

Here is the Stumo website if anyone wants to check it out:  http://stumo.org