W E E K {2}

Hey yall! 

So week 2 was absolutely incredible! I was able to lead XFuge on Mission this week instead of MFuge. We still went to do missions everyday, the only difference was that it was only 1 site a day instead of 2 like MFuge.

My bible study group was called the Xplosion! I had an amazing youth group for the week, and out of those students we had 9 of them come to know Christ! It was absolutely amazing! Praise God! They also held a baptism at the lake here for them!

I also was able to host a church from Mississippi, and see a friend from there I went to college with! It was great!

This was a week of having that "this is why I'm here" moment. 

For Fuge for Africa this week, we raised a little over $3,000 for unreached people groups in Africa! 

Week 3 starts tomorrow, and I'm so excited, but it's so hard to realize that my summer working Fuge is almost halfway over. And it just started! Please pray that I won't become too tired or worn out. Pray that I can keep my energy up for the students coming in for MFuge this week! 

Thank yall! 

Tonya

W E E K {1}

Hey Y'all!

Today was our last day of our first week of camp, and wow I can't believe it went by that fast! I wanna talk to y'all about my experience this week! 

The Glorieta, New Mexico FUGE Staff!

This week was so exciting, tiring, worshipful, hard, beautiful, and overwhelming week of my life. WELCOME TO FUGE! I remember before I came to training week I was beyond nervous about what was going to happen when campers arrive, and about how in the world I was going to be able to teach kids with only 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Especially for someone like me who doesn't drink coffee to get energy! Well, it is crazy how God can get you ready for anything! Yes, I woke up tired every single morning this week, I was wore out! But when those doors open for campers to arrive, I WAS AWAKE AND READY TO GO! Seeing all 1,400+ students ready to learn about God and worship Him and go to mission sites or recreation, put me in so much joy. I can't even begin to describe what it's like to be able to take part in these students lives for a week. 

My Prayer Partner {PP}, Haley!

In my bible study, I had a mixture of 23 students from different churches. We went through the book of James during the week talking about what it's like to be Alive & Free (our theme for the summer, and how to live like Christ called us to live, to speak life to others instead of tearing them down, to truly worship the Lord, and how to endure through trials and suffering.)

For 4 days out of 6, we went to ministry sites in Santa Fe. We visited 2 different apartments and played with children, went to a nursing home every day, and a food bank. It was incredible to see them growing in the Lord as they were serving, and having them see that they can do these things where they live in their hometown.

My roommates, Heidi & Abby!

For Fuge for Africa, we raised a little over $6,400.00 for unreached people groups in Africa! Also, a portion of that money goes to the ministries we are partnering with in Santa Fe. Also part of it goes to NAMB (North American Mission Board)! So exciting to see students grow in having a passion for missions in the world! And as the summer progresses, the amount will increase, and that is such an amazing thought! CAN'T WAIT!

This week, one of my students accepted Christ into their life! It was so amazing to be able to have a part in that! I can't wait to see how many lives become changed this summer!
I was so nervous and afraid of how students would respond to me teaching and leading them on ministry sites, but God completely worked through me. All glory goes to Him! I can't wait to see what He does this summer through thousands of students!

During "Free Night," students wrote different words that destroyed them, and words that restored them in life. Amazing to see how God convicted students to evaluate their lives according to His standards. #SpeakSlow #SpeakLife

See y'all next week!
-Tonya, :)

P.S. I know some of you want to see pics of my students and the sites we visit, but we are not aloud to  post due to protection policy.)

What Will I Be Doing This Summer?

Hey Y'all!

Many of you know that I will be serving at this youth camp called "Fuge" this summer, and if you didn't know, well now ya do! I know, I'm not going to another country! What's wrong with me?!
For the past 3 summers, I have had the opportunity to serve internationally for missions. So every time I return to the states and come back to school, people always ask, "So Tonya, where will you be next summer?" This time, I did not name somewhere out of the country. 

I remember thinking what I was going to be doing this summer, and Mission Fuge was put on my heart, and I was so nervous because every summer I do international missions, and this summer God was like, "You're gonna serve in the states!" I don't care where I am, as long as I'm serving God and following His command to GO.

So applied for Fuge as soon as I came home from the Philippines last summer, and to my surprise I got a position to work for Fuge Camps! I'm going to be serving in Glorieta, New Mexico! This will be a new and exciting experience for me, and I absolutely can't wait to be serving and spending time with youth, sharing the Gospel, and doing mission work all at the same time all summer! I can't wait to see what God does!

What is Fuge you ask? 

As a youth camp, FUGE mixes students and adults from various churches for one week into specialized groups. Students are spun out into Bible study and recreation groups which affirm them as unique beings created by God and draw them nearer to God who is the immovable center point. At the end of the week, students are brought back together and sent out to make a significant impact on their homes, churches, schools, and communities.

Fuge has different types of camp in one. Centrifuge, Mfuge, XFuge, and XFuge on Mission. What I will be working for, will be be MFuge. aka Mission Fuge. I will be serving as the Social Ministry Track and Bible Study Leader! Prayers this summer will be very much appreciated! The camp theme this year is Alive and Free, 

and will be a study on the book of James.

What is MFuge?

At MFuge, you will jump into ministry with local communities and serve people in need. Our highly trained FUGE staffers will take care of the details, lead Bible study and facilitate the planning for each day.

At MFuge, Students are divided into groups for Bible study and ministry based on the type of work they request. Off-site ministry is facilitated within Bible study groups by a member of our trained FUGE camp staff, who also leads the Bible study. Ministry sites vary by location, but groups are trained and equipped for ministry through activities such as painting and yard work, facilitating activities with kids, or working in a homeless shelter. Adult leaders from your church accompany Bible study groups to the ministry site. Lunch is provided at ministry site.

During the day your students will be challenged and stretched as individuals; in the evenings, you’ll have an opportunity to build group unity over dinner, worship, fellowship and church group devotions.

MFuge is designed to give students a mission experience that opens their eyes to similar opportunities they may have to serve in their own communities, learning to live every day life on mission! (Yes I copied and pasted all that from the website!) www.fugecamps.com 

((Check it out!))

I will be leaving June 5th to head to Gorieta, New Mexico to begin training that will last for 8 days, then camp begins! I along with about 40 other staffers will be working 6 straight weeks at Fuge! I can't wait to see what God does in those 6 weeks and the lives that are transformed by what He is doing through those youth coming!

Please pray for all youth attending Fuge Camps this summer! Thanks for reading!

Tonya, :)