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"…the kingdom of God is at hand…" Mark 1:15

Browsing Michaela's Mission Blog

Only in Him Will We Find Ourselves

Hello everyone!

First off, I would like to share some statistics with you. As of right now my team has completed 21 retreats, ministered to 1,683 youth, and I personally have had 109 young ladies in my own small groups. We have stayed with 19 host families, and we've stayed with some of them multiple times. We have also ventured outside of Ohio into West Virginia and Kentucky. 

My team and I have been doing ministry for over a month now, and we have settled into our roles and team life. The retreats with 150 youth and only 13 of us aren't that daunting anymore. Moving from house to house every night isn't as exhausting as it used to be. We live the way God has asked us to, and He is surely rewarding us. His grace helps us through every moment of every aspect of our lives. We've become wholly dependent on Him. 

One of the ways I can see this is through our growth as a team and as individuals. 

The best way for me to explain how my team has grown is by telling you a little bit about us. We are 13 very different individuals who come from 13 very different walks of life. We have already laughed about and joked that if we were not part of NET Ministries, we may have never talked to each other. Not out of spite, but just because we are so unique. We have our introverts; we have our extroverts. We have leaders and then those more prone to following. We have our goofballs, and our serious intellectuals. The only thing that ties us together is our love for Christ and for ministry. We started off the year a little unsure of how to interact with each other, but now we've become like family. Where we would awkwardly sit next to someone and try to force a conversation, it comes naturally now. We still have a long way to go, but each of us looks forward to the journey of growing closer as brothers and sisters in Christ.

As for growing individually, I know God is working in all 13 of our hearts, but I can only share with you how He's showing me the world in new eyes.  

My mornings begin with half an hour of prayer, no matter how early our day starts. I've come to the realization that my day needs to start with a conversation with my God, otherwise it's hard for me to love.

As of late, I've been very convicted in the realization that I am a sinner; you, my lovely reader, are a sinner; and everyone I meet is a sinner. With this knowledge, God has granted me the ability to be more merciful. Now, this isn't like God is guilting me, but rather like He's allowing me to be more aware of the moments where I could have grown in holiness, but chose not to. The more I realize I am a sinner, the more I am astounded and humbled by the fact that Jesus loved me so much that He died for me.  And this isn't new information. I hear it all the time. I bet you do too. In fact, we as a team say it to the youth on every retreat that we facilitate. We hear it a lot at Mass. But I sometimes think the reason we don't grasp the reality of it is precisely because we hear it all the time. 

Archbishop Fulton Sheen so very eloquently said,

"It is so hard to admit that one is a sinner; it is so hard to climb the hill of Calvary and kneel beneath the Cross and beg for pardon, for forgiveness. Certainly, it is hard.

But it is harder to hang there."

My life is not my own, it never was, and it never will be. I need God more than anything in the world, and only in Him will I be satisfied.  

Where do you find your satisfaction? Is it in things of the world? If so, won't they one day fail or fade away? What or who will you run to then? This is a question we must ask ourselves everyday, and I hope you'll take it to heart.

I am praying for you my dear readers! Please keep my team and me in your prayers as we continue to live out God's Will for us. 

God bless!

With much love from your fellow sinner,

Michaela Donovan

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