Sarah Seeser

"So what is Mission Year and why are you going?"

I am “doing” Mission Year because I feel like this is the next step of my life. After the Urbana 2006 conference especially, I knew that I wanted to serve for a year, in an urban area, partnered with a church, and working in the community. This next year of my life is ideal because I just graduated from the University of Iowa in December 2006, and I did not have any long term commitments to anything. I knew if I didn’t do it now, it likely wouldn’t happen.

Mission Year seemed to fit the best into what I was looking for. Its values and program set-up were great. And, when I described what I was looking for in a program, tons of people told me about Mission Year.

About Mission Year

Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…

Sarah Seeser's Blog

THIS IS IT / Jul 10, 03:29 PM

this is it. less than a month to go, and less than 10 days of work left. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? where did the time go? What am i going to do with the time I have left? Good question. Currently I am apartment hunting – today I have three to look at after work. Its weird to have to do all this stuff completely by myself. Everywhere I’ve lived up until now has been pre-arranged in some way or another..

My birthday is Friday! :) I’m excited. I think. 24 doesn’t seem that different from 23, but we’ll see. Tuesday night my team took me to see Hancock, because they knew how much I enjoy Will Smith. TWU. It was pretty good – better than i expected after all of the bad reviews. Not award winning material – but very few movies that are award winning people actually enjoy. Feel me?

I just ate a delicious mango for lunch that i got over the weekend… i love mango.

Next weekend starts the “lasts” of everything. Last city-wide. Last day of work. Last time at church. Last everything… But, since I have decided to stay in Chicago, I won’t have to say too much of a final goodbye to things.

Some things to pray for:

Emily – recently lost her Aunt Kathy

Cheron – mother is ill and may not have much time on this earth

Alicia – her and her baby would continue to be healthy

Housing for me on the West Side

My mental and physical health as the program wraps up

Sorry this blog has been so scattered – that’s how my brain is working right now. I love you guys – thanks so much for your continued support.

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Psalm 42 - part 2 / Jun 4, 10:42 AM

Here is part 2 of my thoughts on Psalm 42.

4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

These things I do remember, going to every “Jesus thing” available in college, bible studies, conference, trainings, etc just to receive more of Him… I was a leader in college for many young people, as well as with my peers. And now, I feel like I can’t lead myself to Jesus, let alone anyone else. I am missing the festive throng, or I just can’t see it. I saw Prince Caspian yesterday and it was pretty excellent… there are a lot of great interactions and one-liners about the Christian faith. Peter and Lucy are having issues at one time about Lucy being able to see Aslan (Peter cannot and doesn’t believe Lucy)… Lucy says “Peter, maybe you are just not looking for him.” (not a direct quote, but ya get it). Maybe that’s my issue, I’m too busy relying on myself to actually see God when He is right in front of me… dang.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Why am I downcast? What’s my problem? I have not yet put my complete hope in God, that’s my problem. Still trying to be self-sufficient and stuff. I was talking to a friend the other day about ways that we can hold each other accountable and things we need help in. I found so many ways that I can help, but was at a loss for the ways that I needed to be helped. Part of it is pride. I don’t want to admit that I need help, or that I want it from anyone. I’ve always been able to kind of take care of things on my own, and I turned out ok so I think thats been good enough.

I’m such a hypocrite. If someone had said something like I just said to me, I would find a million ways why they were not ok (why just being OK is not ok), why they need to trust Jesus more, and trust others more, etc. I’ve actually had this conversation recently and now I need to go apologize for my ridiculousness.

God help me.

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Mission Year Chicago Banquet video / Jun 4, 10:42 AM

Here is the video that was shown at the Mission Year Chicago banquet a few weeks ago. Some of the staff from Breakthrough were interviewed, as well as JJ. :)

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Psalm 42 - part 1 / May 22, 04:23 PM

hello dear ones. how are you? doing ok? Good. I hope so. There is so much going on in my brain right now, its hard to function properly some days. But! There is deliverance from all that, and His name is Jesus. Let me tell you a little about what I mean.
I was reading Psalm 42 last night. I’ve been really stretched and challenged in the things that I trust God with. I can trust Him with whether or not I am going to eat tomorrow (because I know that I will), but not that someone will have a place to sleep. I can trust that God will find me a job (or some sort of support), but not that someone can be delivered from their addictions. I can “trust” God because I know that if He doesn’t come through, I always have a back up plan. That’s not trust. Its hard for me to trust that He will care for someone else because I don’t know their plan. Or even if they have one at all. That’s not trust. I am pretty self sufficient. I can take care of myself. I do what I gotta do sometimes, but I haven’t wanted for much in my (short) adult life.

Psalm 42

1 As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

I wonder where I can go and meet the God that I hear so much about. Is it me? Or is it God? I think its me. I believe that He is there, waiting for me to “look” up at him, but I just keep getting distracted…. I love verse 3 – my tears have been my food day and night – because they have been in the last month. Situations come up that just scream to me, where is your God? Where is He when D tells me that she left her significant other because he beat her. Its hard to see Jesus in that situation. Until I remember that He provided Breakthrough as a place for her to go, where she knows people care about her. Its easy to miss Jesus in the craziness of what is (unfortunately) everyday life for some people. But I am starting to realize that because we have certain expectations that we are sooo busy looking to see met, we just plain out miss the stuff that He is doing. I need to start doing a better job of seeking Him in my grief and heartache as well as other people’s instead of just assuming that because things are not working out as I want them, that He is not working at all. Cause thats messed up.

I’m going to try and write more thoughts about the rest of Psalm 42 in the next week or so, so look out for part 2. :)

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