Graduation--So Worth It!

So we graduated a couple weeks ago from our first year of Elevate School of Ministry. It was an amazing year! God really stretched us, changed us and revealed so much to us. It was not easy at all but He never left us and gave us all we needed to get through it. And the kids made it too! They were right there beside us the whole way through- bringing blankets to the homeless, giving groceries to the needy, helping set up at church before anyone else gets there, meetings with worldwide missionaries and all! I thank God He gave us the grace to do it all. There is one thing that stands out over the year, though: At graduation, as Michelle listed all the different things done by interns this year, which included bringing a friend to church. I have a lifelong friend-I mean one I've known since we were literally babies. She moved away when we were around 10 but we always kept in touch and I used to visit her during summers. She is probably the funniest person I know ( one reason I love her so much) and always living life for the moment. Within the past few years we had kinda lost touch and I knew she was going through some rough times. Her mom let me know she was coming in town this past October. We got in touch, spent some great time together, and I invited her to church. I prayed and prayed that a seed would be planted. A couple months later I received a letter in the mail from her saying she wanted to put God first in her life and run to him with everything! God is amazing! I think, if this was the one thing that came out of this year of sacrifice (although God did so much more), it was so worth it!To know that such a wonderful friend, one that I could never imagine doing life without-I will never have to do life without. That's what it's all about. That one soul, saved for eternity!