I have no good excuse for not recently blogging except that I feel I have been waiting for some 'big stuff' to happen in my life before I blogged again. It wasn't until late last week, as I received inquires for an updated post, that I begun to realized how much has really happened. So here, in my best effort, I will try to update and share a little of what has been going on in my heart and life.
My Internship at Salem Alliance Church was kicked off 2 days after I got back home from
school. This is the second year that I have done an internship for the summer and it is rockin! Super fun and a lot of good opportunities mixed with personal
development and outward relational development. I am the Creative Ministries Director for the Youth (Middle School and High School) which has placed me in the position of video production, photography, web design, and music. It has been amazing developing the Creative Ministries Team (CMT) which is comprised of Middle School and High School students that have decided to step up and lead their peers by living a lifestyle for Christ 'off stage' and offering their creative abilities 'on stage.' That is my main goal for this summer-- to create a sustaining program (for when I leave in September) that will be pushed by students with constant adult leadership. So that's where I am working this summer in Salem, Oregon, and through my job, and
for no deserving reason, God has been blessing me like crazy-- So here's some more of what my summer has been like so far:
- In the later part of June (June 21-29) I had the opportunity to go down to Lake Shasta, California with a group of 70 High School students. I was doing the music and video for the
retreat, but I had plenty of time for wakeboarding, tubbing, water balloon fights, and AMAZING conversations and relational growth. This trip is called "RED" and I will post the movie that I created for it on my personal website Tuesday, 7/22. It's about 16 minutes long and captures the heart of what "RED" is about. Check it out!
- After arriving in Salem, I took my car into a repair shop to have some damaged assessed. The Damage was from some hail storms that happened when I was at school at ORU in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After several weeks I was notified that my car was 'totaled' as it would cost more than the car is worth to fix all the little dents. Because of this I was able to get 'financial gift' and still keep my car because it runs perfect and the damage isn't noticeable unless you are at the right angle. With the money I got though the ordeal I was able to buy a brand new, very nice, Digital SLR camera and laptop (which I have been wanted to do for a long time). All the pictures on here, I took with this camera.
- I have taken several trips the Pacific City Beach, the most recent trip being July 10 where
the High School group at Salem Alliance Church (SAC) went. I took my surf board, 2 skim boards, and had a blast teaching and laughing with the Students as our hands and limbs became completely frozen in the unusually cold pacific ocean.
- As of today, I just returned from a Middle School Northwest District Conference called "Youth Quake" where I did music and Video and pictures for. It was amazing with around 200+ middle school kids from Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. We had an amazing band, amazing weather, and unforgettable memories. I saw a CRAZY passion in the students for a life sold out to Christ-- that was amazing! Also, the movie that I made for Youth Quake will be on my personal website also. It's 23 minutes long and took me last night to make when I edited it from 10:30 pm last night to 10:30 am this morning. Check it out
- For the last big news-- Yesterday I received a call from a man named Jeremy West who is going to be heading up and leading the DTS program on the YWAM Montana base. After talking to him for a little while and him asking me some questions, he formally accepted my admittance into the DTS program in Montana; so I will be officially going to Montana in the Fall!
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So that's where I'm at. God has been blessing me and blessing me like crazy and I can't explain it, but I do hope that this will serve two-fold-- 1.) That you would be reconnected to what's going on in my life currently. 2.) That the grace and blessing that God has given me, would cover over you-- That you would walk in Joy everyday, knowing that you have a purpose, you can make a difference, and that you can right now.
Thanks so much for reading this! I would love to connect with anyone and hear about what's going on in your life so please feel free to e-mail me at:
oconnor.sean@mac.com
Thanks so much!
