| First of all, I want to thank you for all your prayers for this summer, God moved in some powerful ways and I can’t wait to share about it! I am excited to report back about 3 things in particular from Elevate: 1. A Particularly Encouraging Elevate Year after year we send college students from all over the country down to San Diego to spend a summer growing in their walk with Jesus. This is our entry level summer project that we encourage everyone to attend because it is designed to help students learn and practice the basics of what it looks like to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus. When I and the other Elevate managers were trying to figure out what seems so different about this class of Elevate students, the only thing we could put our finger on was the fact that this year they seem to be particularly zealous of the things of God. Several times a week the students gathered in the evenings by their own volition to have a worship night, there was so much excitement around the content they were learning as well as ambitious plans to live it out in their lives, and the vast majority of these students are so excited to go back to their college campuses to try their hand at discipling people of their own! This is my 4th summer at Elevate and I don’t think I have seen a more zealous group! 2. A Story of God at Work One great story to help show what I mean about this unique zealousness comes from Thor! Once again, I want to thank you for praying for Thor all summer long, God has been moving in him in some incredible ways and I have quite the update for you! Elevate has been so good for him; he has grown so much in his faith! Over the summer, he has stayed in contact with one of our friends (Luca) who was coming to our village last year. Luca would always ask a lot of really hard questions about God. Thor loved having conversations with him because Luca would ask the same kinds of questions that Thor was asking before he became a Christian back in February. Finally, about a month ago, Luca realized that his heart was hardened to the Gospel and God humbled him to the point of believing and submitting to Jesus!! Thor played a huge role in Luca’s conversion and a few weeks ago Thor asked him if he wanted to be formally discipled. Luca agreed and now they have been going through the Grow Book together! Thor is really really excited to make disciples this upcoming fall and is making huge plans for his life. He is doing Air Force ROTC at U of I and now he’s seeing how God may have placed him in the military so that it can be the means by which he brings the gospel to the ends of the Earth! Prior to Elevate, he didn’t sign up for any official leadership position for this upcoming fall, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn’t really matter because he is eager to come back and make disciples and lead others to Christ. I’m taking him under my wing this year again and I’m really excited to help him learn and grow especially now that he is so eager for it! |
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| Thor and his Elevate room (Bottom middle is Abel his room leader and a dear friend and bother of mine) |
| 3. My Own Personal Growth Not only was this summer full of moments of God at work in the students lives, but Elevate has been so good for me as well! I have been growing a ton in both my own personal relationship with God as well as in my competency as a leader. This summer was on-the-job training for me and Vivian to manage Elevate for the next several summers. She and I will be a team as we continue to plan for Elevate all year long, establish partnerships with local churches while we are down there, manage the project when summer comes, and disciple the room leaders. I was praying that God would make me a better leader of leaders this summer and it seems he has answered that prayer in abundance this summer. I am very excited to apply what he has taught me as I lead another village and more discipleship groups this upcoming year. |
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| My Co-manager and I at La Jolla Shores in San Diego |
| In terms of personal growth, I thank God that he has graciously increased my eagerness to make my life count for something eternal. When I recount all the big ways that God used this summer to convict me, encourage me, and challenge me, I see that there is one common theme throughout it all: keeping an eye on eternity with Christ. If God has only given me 80 years (or less!) on this planet with this body, I want to make the most of this time because there is only one lifetime that I get to live down here proclaiming His glory to the nations before I get to spend the rest of eternity face to face with Jesus! If 80 years is all I’ve got, why not go all out?! Philippians 1:21 says “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This verse from Paul has never landed so closely to my heart than it has been all summer long. In fact, I had the opportunity to preach a mini sermon on this verse on the very last day of elevate before everyone went home. This was another huge way that I have grown this summer. I have been somewhat terrified to preach and (aside from a few outliers) I haven’t really enjoyed the times that I have needed to teach content (like at leadership trainings) back in Moscow, but something about preaching God’s word specifically was such a joy! I came back from Elevate and told our pastor that he has to let me preach this upcoming fall! He said there will be plenty of opportunity to do that 😀 All in all, Elevate has been so good for me as I am still trying to determine what direction I should go in life. At the very least, I have gained even more desire to live a hard life for the sake of the gospel, because after all, a hard life now is nothing in comparison to the glory we will share in for all of eternity after! |
| Conclusion Continue to pray for me as I seek direction for my life. For now, I will continue to faithfully pursue the college students at the University of Idaho with the gospel. And continue to pray for Thor as he is growing in Christ and helping Luca to grow in Christ. |
What an encouraging update from you. Kadin. May the Lord continue to use you in this “hard” life for his glory. Hi to your dear mom for me. Thankful for you and your ministry.
Kadin,
Thank you for the update. Great outcomes, indeed! I know the Father is saying “well done, good and faithful servant,” and I believe your own father is so proud of you. May God’s Spirit continue to fill you with his presence, power, peace, wisdom, and discernment.
Kadin your update is truly remarkable and so wonderful!!!! I’m so happy for you ! It sounds like you have your Dad’s ability to grow and share God’s word with the world ! Your Mom must be so proud of you !!!! The way she and your father raised the three of you is certainly evident in your life. Many , many blessings to you 🙏🙏🙏💓💓💓