Jenner makes kids smile in Texas

This was a side of Texas I had never seen. As we came to Galveston for the Vineyard National Conference (SOBA was going to help out while as well as attend the sessions), we drove over a long bridge that connected the mainland with the Island. There were tons of palm trees on the island, although it was easy to see the devastation from last year’s hurricane Ike.
Mid-week, the pastors and conference attendee helped throw a huge outreach for the community. The goal of this outreach was to bring the community that got hit by hurricane back together a bit. On Tuesday afternoon we spent quite a few hours setting up for the outreach day. We built fences to designate the specific booth areas for the event. Altogether there was a prayer station, a medical station, a kids play area, a family portrait site, a hair-cutting area, a grocery station and a food court. I was working in the kids area doing one of the things I love most-- making them balloon animals/swords. The kid zone was so big! I got to go into the haircutting tent and make the kids a balloon while they were waiting to get a haircut. It was so much fun. I have such a passion for kids. At the end of the day, there was extra food leftover, so some of us drove around town and gave it away to the people who were left with nothing from the hurricane devastation. Cars were stopping us to receive the extra food. It was such an awesome day. I have so much fun just loving and giving to those who have so little. I would have to say this was probably my favorite day.
The next day was a very fun day though. Thursday was our day off. We didn’t have to be at the conference center until about 9:20am instead of like 7:30 or 8am. I stayed awake during that morning session, finally. Wes Stafford from Compassion International came and spoke. Compassion International is a children sponsorship program like Worldvision. It was a really speech and he had stories about kids that made me cry. It was a great session. After lunch, some of us went the beach. So the ocean for me is my peace. I love the ocean beyond reason. I want to get married on the beach. The ocean is just where I love to be. The water was perfect. The water off the Baha Peninsula is warm but California is still cold and this was just right and especially in the heat of Galveston. It was me and the 4 guys out in the ocean just having a blast. It was so shallow so I could go out as far as the guys and not be under water. They are all like a foot taller than me. We were riding the waves and just enjoying ourselves. At one point they guys decided to launch me and I got like 10feet in the air by using the momentum of the waves. It was extreme fun!
Worship & prayer during the conference was also a lot of fun. One of our leaders, Eric, came and prayed for me and it was so awesome. Everything he prayed was going through my head at the exact time he prayed about it. It was a dead-on prayer and I needed it so bad. Afterwards, three of us prayed for a pastor and his family who head up a Vineyard church in Chicago, and God moved through my prayers even though I often times feel uncomfortable praying out loud. He has taught me so much about prayer and worship this year, and when he shows me his enormous love for me. It always blows me away. I’ve learned so much this year & really enjoyed the conference.