Austin: the next step of my journey.

I just want to be adored: the words someone wrote on the bathroom stall of Spider House. How many girls walk in and out of that bathroom, stare into that mirror, and long to be adored. Long to be wanted. I longed to find a pen and say on top of it, Jesus adores you. Because he so adores that girl that wrote it. That girl who is desperate enough that she wrote it on a bathroom wall. So lonely, so without someone to talk to, that she resorted to the secrets that some other girl will read and identify with. If only she knew how adored she is. If only she knew the things Jesus says about her, how He gushes over her and is so excited about her. If only she knew that he longs to walk with her and romance her and just be her best friend. If only she knew.

The city of Austin needs to know the love of Jesus. There is a hunger here. People are longing for something to satisfy them. And man, how cool it is to watch people come to know him! Over these past few months at university I've gotten to see the Lord move in such mighty ways. I feel like I'm in the midst of revival. And it is such an incredible place to be. School is hard, and life is stressful, but man the peace of the Lord that resides here is so beautiful. I wouldn't trade going to UT for anything. Because people come here open, and hungry, and broken, and then God meets them. I don't think UT knows how prayed over it is. But my goodness, it is soaked in Jesus!

Every Thursday night we have Hampton prayer over at the CHOP. And we've had some awesome times, like every time has been really beautiful. But last night there was breakthrough. Last night God spoke truth over our community. We asked God for words, and He provided. He is soaking Hampton in Jesus. I am so excited to see where He takes this house. To see how He blesses it with His presence and redeems the people who live here. Community is a rough place to live. There is no escape here, and when you live with this many people, there is a constant mirror being shoved in your face. A mirror of your faults and strengths, when you live with people it brings all the gunk to the surface. But man how cool is it to live with people who allow you to be so genuine and allow you to work through the pain. I am so grateful for being allowed to work through the issues.

Some of my Hamptonites in our kitchen

I was freaking out about life and issues and stress today and I looked up and saw this beautiful blonde woman, who had lost her left leg. And I cried. I cried and cried and cried. She lost her leg and now she's begging on the street. I don't know what misfortune brought her to this place. But I realized how broken she must be. She is so beautiful, her smile so warm, I don't understand why God allowed her to be in such a broken place. But ,I know sometimes God lets us be broken so that we hold onto him.

Austin is city with broken people, lonely people, tired people, but Austin is a city where Jesus is being glorified.