Hey everybody!
It is HOT in Georgia!! There aren't a lot of team pictures yet, but that's mostly because everyone is too sweaty to want to capture the moment. Some of our west coast participants are having a hard time believing that people live in this kind of humidity. It has been good training for mission field living. Don't worry though, we have plenty of water and everyone is having a great time.
God is really good. I knew that already, but I have to admit that I didn't believe that He could do what He's already done so fast. Our team is the biggest by far, and I thought it'd be hard for the kids to be vulnerable with such a big group. He proved me wrong. After a teaching on our Identity (and how we are called to have identities that are rooted in Christ and not our circumstances, gifts, or struggles), the team met up to chat. The lead team felt like we should give the kids a chance to share what God was showing them. We said, "there's no pressure, so don't feel like you need to share anything, but if you do want to do so, know that this is a safe place where you can be real with each other, without any fear of rejection or judgement." What followed was beautiful. God showed up, and almost everyone showed great boldness and vulnerability. We shared burdens, struggles, and a lot of the lies that we had believed about ourselves. The team realized that even though we are all different, and we all come from different backgrounds and situations, we share many of the same problems, and we saw great unity growing and growing. It was worship! They were so raw with each other. It seems crazy that we all met yesterday. Jesus is freedom, and in Christ-centered community with each other and the Holy Spirit, we find the fulness of Joy that Jesus promised us. Many of the students are already experiencing that, and it made the heat so worth it, I almost don't want to go to Swaziland! (Well…almost.) 
In Christ,
Caleb
