Lovermont

Greetings from Vermont!


"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5: 13-16

(Photo above: Looking out over Lake Champlain to the Adirondack mountains at sunset)

I'm writing to you from the Jeanne Mance dorm at the University of Vermont where I have the privilege of staffing a Navigators summer training program called Green Mountain Summer (GMS). Over the course of nine weeks 46 students from all over the country will get jobs in Burlington, Vermont and learn together through training courses and Bible studies how to be salt and light in the community! This week was our first hot, sticky week together, learning how to observe a culture, note its nuances, taste its flavor and see the imago dei--image of GOD--in every person we encounter. CS Lewis writes, "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendors."

One such soul was a young girl named Jordan I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday at our weekly community BBQ. Jordan is from New Hampshire and got connected with the students in the program last summer when she worked alongside a few of them at a local grocery store. Quickly being welcomed into the community she "basically did the program every day" (her own words!) joining the weekly Bible studies, events and hang-out times. This summer she returns with equal enthusiasm to be around "influential people" once again. Last night I had the opportunity to chat with Jordan for almost two hours as she very quickly opened up about her life, broken relationships, struggle with faith, self-condemnation, and longing for community. "Some time, would you mind sharing with me your story of how you found a relationship with God?" she asked me earnestly through the noise of 46 other conversations surrounding her. Today we have made a coffee date to get together and I am thrilled with the opportunity to get to share with Jordan the places Jesus has taken me.

Would you pray for Jordan today?

Please pray:

• That she might be drawn deeper into our community
• That she would encounter Jesus, know that she is precious in His sight, and surrender her life to Him
• For our GMS community to be salty beacons of light; that we might be growing in depth and love for each other, Burlington, and Christ--seeing the weight of each others' glory and un-ordinariness!

Thank you, friends!
Love to you--
allie