DTS Final Week, Graduation, and Coming Home

Yep, I'm now home. It has been so crazy this last week that I didn't have any time to write up a blog entry.
It was an amazing week. We had a bond fire on the beach together, and hung out with each other for the final time. Graduation was great, but very hard too. Honestly it was an emotional week and I have been going through a pretty hard time. I didn't get much sleep last week, so adding over tiredness to mixed emotions, adds up to even more ups and downs. On our graduation night, I spoke about my outreach and all the things God did through me during my time in San Francisco. God did a lot through me, and He has showed me what it is He wants me to do for the rest of my life. I'm called to serve in city ministry, and after the doctor sitiuations are behind me, and I'm healed up, I plan on serving in fulltime ministry. Right now I'm praying about where it is God wants me to go. I have a pretty strong nudge that He wants me in San Diego, but I want to keep praying about it, and meditating on it before making any discisions.
Now I'm home, and I'm adjusting to everything again. I must adimit it is pretty hard for me. Reverse culture shock, has hit me big time, and it is something that not many of you understand. Things just don't feel the same as they did before.
But this last 5 months have been the greatest and hardest 5 months of my life. God has completely transformed my life in an incredible way. I have seen and heard so much, and some of it has been great, and other things have been very painful. The stories I've heard from various homeless people, prostitutes, alcoholics, and the drugged, have hit me hard. I can't even tell them without getting tears in my eyes. One guy I witnessed rolling up his drugs getting ready to smoke them. He told me he just doesn't know how to quit. I just looked at him and smiled, and said do you know how much God loves you. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you. Your sins have been forgiven. It's okay to struggle, God gives you the strength to carry through. I asked him if I could pray over him. I just prayed for God to work in his heart, and to take away his addictions, and many other things. But anyways after I said Amen I looked at him and his eyes were full of tears. I asked him if he feels valuable, and if he has a purpose in his life. He told me not really. He basically feels totally worthless. I looked right at him and said you do have a purpose, and you are very much loved. Don't ever forget that. This is just one of many stories I can tell you.
My heart has been broken, and it will never be the same again. I mean this in a good way. I'm ruined for God, and I can never go back to the way things were. I want to keep serving, and now I know more than ever that I'm in the place God wants me. I'm doing what it is He wants me to do. Forever I am changed.