Summer 2022

What a crazy summer it has been!

I have finally stepped into the new and exciting journey of the E4 Life gap year program.

Before the program started I had one of the most influential summers of my life. Over these summer months of June and July, I visited Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington state. In each of these places, God revealed himself in so many new and inspiring ways as I learned to lean deeper into His word and surround myself with Christ-centered community.

I first visited Ohio where I spent time most of my time with my Grandpa and took some valuable rest. During this, I was really able to spend a lot of time reading and studying. I read “Follow Me” by David Platt (highly recommended) and my passion for mission and an active life of faith was definitely encouraged. While in Ohio I was able to spend some time with friends and took two road trips, one to Dallas TX, and the other to Nashville TN. On these trips, I made some of the closest friends I have ever had, as I traveled an accumulative 48 hours of driving. On the drive and within the community I had, I was able to unpack a lot of what has happened in the last year and was reminded of God’s faithfulness and the way He has intentionally loved me. After Ohio, I visited a friend in Spokane Washington, and really enjoyed the time to rest and was able to build relationships while being encouraged in the Word.

God obviously used this time over the summer to lead me in sanctification and give me the opportunity to trust Him during the preparation for the coming months. From August 4th onward, I have been living with 17 other people in one house and doing life as a team, aiming to reflecting Christ. There are 10 guys and 8 girls including our two R.A’s, Ryan Breakfield and Chloe Keen. I have really been enjoying getting to know each of these people individually and taking time to connect with people who aren’t my typical ‘friends’. God really has been teaching me the way that loving patiently and without expectation of return is the most freeing way to live.

Although God really has been placing love on my heart, there was and still is a lot of healing going on that makes loving really hard. Something that God is revealing I need to heal from is my insecurity from my past and the ways my trust had been betrayed or abused. I have been letting my trust issues impact the way that I guard myself in being vulnerable and opening up. God slowly has been helping me realise that living in His truth helps me to trust without reservation and helps me to have an open heart that allows people in. I have been trying to be intentional with how I love and have been experiencing the freedom that comes from pursuing agape love in all that I do.

Within all of this healing and learning, I have quickly adjusted to a new way of life at the E4 house. Our daily routine during the week goes a little like this:

• Quiet Time

• Breakfast

• Class 1 (Either ‘Study In Genesis’ (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) or ‘Identity’ (Thursdays & Fridays))

• Class 2 (Either ‘Biblical Theme Overviews’ (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) or ‘Godly Disciplines’ (Thursdays & Fridays))

• Lunch

• Service/ Free Time /Study Hours/ House Maintenance

• Dinner

• Church/ Biblical Man-Womanhood Bible Study/ Team Time/ Mens Night

This is a typical day but on weekends and sometimes during the week we have opportunities and excursions where we serve and/or spend time in creation.  

The excursions that we have currently taken part in have been so much fun and great experiences to learn. Within the month of August itself, we had a couple of service oriented days including two different outreach days in Old Colorado City. The first outreach we did was handing out notes of encouragement to strangers. I was able to have a fruitful conversation with a shop owner and pray over her and her children, which was a very Spirit led experience. The second day we did a ‘spiritual survey’ which was used as a conversation tool to share the truth of the fullness of life in Christ. Using this I was able to invest in two people who were both needing encouragement. One woman that we talked to even said that the conversation and encouragement that we were able to give her was “divine intervention”. Moments like these have reminded me of the daily importance of sharing the gospel and encouraging people on the day to day.  

On the Saturdays that we have not been serving or doing outreach, we have been outdoors enjoying creation and experiencing God in new ways. We climbed the Manitou Incline which is a trail that gains over 2,000 feet in elevation in less than 1 mile. This was an exercise that taught a lot of us the value of perseverance as a team and making sure that our ‘discipline’ has direction. The second outdoor excursion we took part in was a weekend trip to Ouray. Ouray is a beautiful mountain town that is nicknamed, “Switzerland of America” for its lush landscape that is contrasted against the jagged peaks of the San Juan Mountain Range. While in Ouray we hiked and climbed the Via Ferrata, both of which were opportunities to test our limits while also admiring the vast beauty of Gods creation. As I looked at everything around me God really reminded me of who he has made me. He said, “I made the mountains so beautiful that you stand in awe of them. The jagged mountains have been scarred by the wind, rain, and icy conditions but they don’t compare themselves to eachother, they don’t wish that they were less jagged or taller. Luke, I have made you greater than the mountains, stop comparing yourself to others. You are my masterpiece. Learn to love yourself the way I see you!”

The small truths that God has been reminding me of are slowly changing my life and leading me to a deep understanding of God and who I am in Him. I am so excited for what God has in store and am learning about what building a life on the Lord really looks like.

Thank you for your prayers and love.

Please continue to pray for effective pathways to share the love of Christ and for unity within the program.

God is good and He loves you very much! Do NOT take that for granted.