A Summer of Love: June and July Update

Me and other first year IV staff at staff training.

Whenever I write one of these updates, I look back at my Google calender to help recall what I did and big events that happened. Looking back on June and July, it's hard to even pick a few events that stick out to write about. It was a busy, hectic, awesome, fun, and rewarding summer. I worked a ton, prayed a ton, traveled a ton, and enjoyed every minute because it was preparing me for this August and the beginning of the school year. Here are a few highlights: 







Prayer and Work 

I started off the month of June in Des Moines doing a lot of fundraising and even more prayer. After Catalyst, I was heavily inspired by Nehemiah, who put in months of heartfelt prayer and fasting before he went before the King to ask for help rebuilding the wall.  It was this spiritual preparation which gave him the boldness and strength to ask and know that God's hand was on him and blessing him.  When facing a summer of fundraising, therefore, I decided I needed to put in the time of spiritual preparation before I could ask with boldness, knowing that God would provide.  Over the month of June, I tried to spend an hour or more a day in the prayer room taking my finances and fears before God. I fasted once a week and repeatedly petitioned God not only about my fundraising, but my family, friends, and future as well. 

Leading worship at the Iowa State Capitol on July 14th.

Like Nehemiah, out of this spiritual preparation came a calm confidence in God's provision that has blessed me throughout the summer. When meeting with potential partners, I was free to not desperately or awkwardly ask for money, but calmly and assuredly ask for friends and spiritual partners.  If money could be part of that, great! If not, that's great too! I was challenged to really believe that prayer partners were actually more important than financial partners and that God really would provide for me in His time.  I have actually enjoyed the blessing of donor meetings because the hand of God is on me and I know that He will provide! Mixed with a Needtobreathe concert on the Des Moines river and a lot of fun with friends, June was a fun month.

Trips and Transitions

At the end of June I got a job doing merchandising on the weekends for sports tournaments and did my first solo tournament up in White Bear Lake, MN, a four hour trip north from Des Moines. Later that week I had several one hour trips to officially move from Des Moines to Pella.  Although I will be getting a place in September, I am currently staying in the basement of the IV Regional Director, what a great boss!  After a day of moving, I turned around and drove 2 hours north to spend the weekend in one of my best friend's wedding. After that I turned back south for a quick 9 hour trip back home to Tulsa for two weeks.  According to my count, that made around 26 hours driving in under a week!

Me running outside with a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding.

Two weeks in Tulsa was great. I had the chance to eat for the first time at my Dad's new restaurant,  the Patriot Grill. I spent great time with my dad, mom, brother, and grandpa.  I even caught up with an old friend from High School who had recently gotten baptized! Even as I am seven hours away in Pella, even as I travel from place to place, it is comforting to know that God is in control, that He is working as much in Tulsa or California as He is around me and that He loves my family and friends even more than I do. When I returned in mid-July, I played worship on the steps of the Iowa State Capitol as a part of state wide day of prayer, fasting, and repentance.  I ended the month of July by working a full month and a half doing merchandising at the Junior Olympics in Des Moines.  It was a huge event of 12 hour days a lot of work but after it was done, all 8 tents had made close to $500,000! We sold a lot of t-shirts!

Settling Down and Ramping Up

After a final retreat to Webster City and trip to Chicago earlier this week, I am finally feeling settled in Pella and focusing my attention on the beginning of the school year.  Even as I prayed for fundraising, my focus was always on Central and William Penn and the fall semester. Everywhere I went, building God's Kingdom on campus has been on my mind all summer. Now it is nearly here!  Central's first back to school leadership retreat starts next week and although I have a lot of work to do before then, both practical and spiritual preparation, I can hardly wait. I hope you will pray for me as I continue to develop partners in ministry but also transition into doing what I was called to do: help bring students closer to Jesus.  Pray for me and my ministry! Open heavens over Iowa!

God bless.

Seth