Through the Wind and Storm

As one who was under the assumption that it never rains in Lubbock, I have been found to be perfectly disappointed in the fact that there have been more days where it has rained than it has not. Even as I write, there is a massive thunderstorm looming overhead flooding the streets and shooting bolts of light across the dark sky. I have become the "designated" driver for one of the AIMers here, so I'm glad that I can help out those who aren't comfortable driving in bad weather.

In a way, the weather mirroring how I am feeling here at AIM. While being here in this program is a blessing, it is hard at times, too. Time management has become quite the challenge specifically. I'm at school from 7:30-4:00, then trying to balance the social aspect with all the homework we have, it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day. Lack of sleep seems to be a prevalent problem throughout the class, as well as last-minute cramming for assignments and tests. Luckily, I believe we have come to realize the problem and are all working hard on fixing it.

Thinking on how I have only been for almost 7 weeks now, it's crazy how well I've gotten to know everyone here. From how close I am to my classmates, it feels as if I have been friends with the people here my whole life. Being here with so many other Christians who all have the same desire to do God's work has been a tremendous blessing in my life. Whenever I start to feel down, I just have to talk to one of my classmates and I start to feel better. I've also been able to be there for them, too, and it is a great feeling to be able to help someone who is in need of encouragement.

All in all, though it can get tough here at times, the people are great and are of great help as I continue on my walk with God. If you would like to hear more about my time here in AIM, feel free to contact me by phone or email. Please keep me and my class in your prayers as we are finishing this term in the next week. I hope to hear from you!

Poetic Inspiration

With my newsletter coming out soon - I should be sending it out on Saturday - I decided I should share a poem I wrote during my time at the AIM retreat. We had 30 minutes of quiet time every morning and I just started writing this during one of them. I performed it during the talent show the last night and it was well received, so I thought it might be worth posting it here. I would love to hear feedback!

This Is What We Did

by Taylor Reichel

“Yet not my will, but yours, be done.”

This was spoken by God's perfect Son

who in the garden, midst fervent prayer,

sweated blood for the burden He would bear.

This is what we did.

Betrayed by a kiss from a man once held dear

and seized by a crowd, for they were in fear

of losing their power to the one true Son,

shouting, “Crucify Him! He's the One!”

This is what we did.

Whipped and beaten, mocked and scorned,

on His head a crown of thorns.

Denied three times by one whom He loved,

alone He did the work of God above.

This is what we did.

Led down the crowded street in shame,

spat on, laughed at, they cursed his holy name.

Up on a hill, He was nailed to a cross

to be the Lamb, the Savior of the lost.

This is what we did.

“Forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Never were such selfless words so true.

“It is finished,” His final cry.

The Savior gave Himself to die.

This is what we did.

His body was taken and laid in a tomb

with spices and linen, as was custom to do.

The tomb was sealed, the guards were set,

but in the end, it was they who slept;

For on the third day, as was foretold,

He rose again, no longer cold.

Making Himself know, He ascended to the throne

where He eagerly awaits the day to bring us home.

This is what He did.

The First Month: Busy, Busy, Busy...

Man, time sure does fly! These first few weeks here at AIM have been pretty crazy, but in a good way. As I am writing this, I am getting ready to help out at a youth retreat this weekend that I just learned I was going to 2 days ago, part of which requires meeting at Sunset at 4:45 a.m. So, for the sake of time, this will be a brief summary of my time spent here so far.

My roommates, Kyle (left), Zach (middle), and David (right) are all pretty cool guys. They are all older, Zach is 21, Kyle and David are both 23, so it's nice to be with other people who didn't go to AIM right after high school and here their story of why they are here. Turns out that Zach and I have a mutual friend in Ashley Epperheimer since he went to Harding and met her playing ultimate frisbee. It's pretty crazy how connected people can be in the church!

The classes we are taking this term are all very engaging and I am learning a lot from them. My favorite one so far would probably have to The Life of Christ with Pat Sheaffer. For those who don't about Pat, he is one of the directors of AIM and is very emotional when it comes to talking about God.

We have had a trip every weekend so far, which has attributed to my lack of posts since I've been here. Our first one was to Canadian, TX where we helped out with services projects and talking with the youth group there. Then we went to a youth rally at Denver City, TX last Saturday followed by doing our first flag ceremony in Clovis, NM.

On Wednesday, all the AIMers were split into teams and assigned area churches that we will attending every Sunday, and I got put into the Sunset team! Along with that, since we will be helping out with the youth group here, we get to come on the youth retreat to Camp Blue Haven in New Mexico this weekend. Immediately following that, we will be heading to the Mountain View Camp where we will meet the rest of our class for an AIM retreat. Here, we'll all get a chance to relax and unwind, which our class desperately needs.

Now, there is much more I can talk about, but those are a lot of the big points. I will be sending out a newsletter around the second week of September, so if you would like one, send me an email and I'll put you on the list! Also, if you ever what to know more about what I'm doing here, feel free to give me a call. Keep me in your prayers, and God bless.

The Beginning

Hello everyone and welcome to the blog! This is where I will be posting updates about my time in the AIM program. It's my first time running a blog, so some changes to the page will most likely occur in the next few weeks/months. I will also be experimenting with how often I, post to try and figure out what works best.

For those of you who don't know, my decision to join the AIM program was not my first choice after high school. I was originally going to be joining the Army Reserves to get money for college where I was going to study music. The paperwork was all filed, I passed the physical, and swore into the service. This was back in April 2013, and my basic training date was set for August 2013. Then, later that month, I injured my knee playing basketball in P.E. class. It did not appear to be a serious injury at first, though after not completely healing after a few months, I got it checked and learned that it was a torn ACL. So into surgery I went, then I was medically discharged, but just until I recovered from surgery.

...or so I thought. Turns out the Army just wasn't meant to be. After the surgery, problem after problem kept coming up when I tried to reenlist, from my discharge paperwork not going through properly to the wait time for my surgery being longer than told. After this went on for awhile, it was obvious that God was wanting me on a different path, and AIM seemed to be it. I did not make this decision until May, so I was slightly worried about getting everything ready in time. Fortunately, with prayers and support, I will be leaving for Lubbock on August 6 to start my unexpected journey.

Thank you to everyone who has decided to support me in this! I plan on posting again within a week of arriving in Lubbock. Until then, I ask that you keep me in your prayers while I prepare to start on this adventure.