Jaimee Crawford
Hello!
Hi Everyone! My name is Jaimee Crawford:) I’m 18 years old, and I’ll be joining the team in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m not exactly sure what to say here.. so i’ll start with why I want to do Mission Year. Basically, I was looking for colleges and I had NO idea where I wanted to go, or what I wanted to do for that matter. God closed all the doors to the places I wanted to go, and soon I only had one month left and I had no idea what I was going to do. Until my friend, Samantha Bird, told me about Mission Year. It sounded so exciting, and challenging, I filled out my application that night! After telling one of my best friends I was considering doing this, she told me this, “I’m so proud of you, this is what God has called us to do, to live radical lives for Him.” That has stuck with me since then, I have been called to live a radical life! It’s not all about me! I’m not here to sit at home and to keep the gift of eternal life all to myself. God has called me to serve Him! I’m so excited that He is giving me this opportunity and i can’t wait to get started!
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…
Jaimee Crawford's Blog
lunch timeeee! / Jan 28, 06:53 PM
While I eat my lunch, i thought it would be nice to blog:D
I had marshmellow matey’s and yogurt! yummmmmmmm
This week has been really good! One of our neighbors Stepheena had back surgery a few weeks ago, and she is back in the hospital so we went to visit her the other day. Let me tell you, she and her husband, William, are the funniest couple EVER. Even sick in bed at the hospital, she had us cracking up! I enjoy their company so much, and can’t wait to visit her again today!
It’s raining outside! Gahhh, I used to love the rain until moving to Charlotte, now it’s just whatever. We got like a week and a half of perfect weather, then I woke up this morning to gloom and rain! No bueno.
Yesterday, was my favorite day of this week. It was the first time in a VERY long time when I felt really close to God. I am not sure why even.. nothing out of the ordinary happened, but oh well! I can’t complain, it was a great feeling that I have been missing. And I just realized I have TONS of amazing friends, that I just love and am so grateful for!
Also, a man named Alex gave me a piece of gum yesterday, so that was niiiiiiice!:)
For those of you who may not know, I am going back home at the end of this month to help with some family stuff, so if you could keep that in your prayers I’d appreciate it:)
Also, “The Ragamuffin Gospel” is an EXCELLENT book. I love it so much!
“Getting honest with ourselves does not make us unacceptable to God. It does not distance us from God, but draws us to Him- as nothing else can- and opens us anew to the flow of grace. While Jesus calls each of us to a more perfect life, we can not achieve it on our own. To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace. It is only through grace that any of us could dare to hope that we could become more like Christ.” – The Ragamuffin Gospel
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Holiday Inn / Jan 5, 10:42 PM
Christmas break was AMAZING, and I felt like I was home for like a month. It was great and relaxing.
I was really surprised out how different life seems there, it is just so strange.
I was also really surprised to arrive back in Charlotte, only to find out that we had forgotten to lock our door, and that our electricity was turned off and it was like 20 degrees in our house.
But God is goooooooooood, NO ONE broke into our home and everything was still there, not that there was a whole lot to take. ha. But still, God was looking out for us. Then We found out we get to stay in a hotel. So I am currently laying in a full size bed, and was given the option of a “soft” pillow, or a “firm” pillow, and the shower head was strong, and the warm water stayed warm. Wooohooooo!
Then we went into fuel pizza, and one of the leaders from our church was there and he bought us our lunch! Yeah yeah yeah boooooooiiiii. And Becky got samanthhhhh and I pineapple, apple juice, and granola bars for dinner. How great!
Anyways, I am very pleased with the way this day has gone! I hope everyone had a wonderful break!
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Strong Winds / Dec 11, 10:36 AM
It’s been a while! Hey everyone!
So, I haven’t been blogging because well.. I don’t know. I am just busy and haven’t felt like there has been too much worth while to write about.
Life here in Charlotte is becoming just that.. life. Which is great! I am comfortable here, and it’s my new home. I guess it’s just kinda weird because I’m not on this constant Jesus high, if you know what I mean. When you go to camp or on a short term mission trip, I guess most people get a high or something and feel like their entire lives have changed in a mere week. Which don’t get me wrong, that happens! But that’s not the case for me here in Charlotte, which kinda disappoints me.
It’s been a long while since I have felt completely “on fire” for God, and when God opened up the doors to come here I guess I thought He was going to make my relationship with Him perfect or something. And No, He has not made it perfect, but it’s become a lot more real to me. I am discovering that the ways I serve and worship God don’t have to look like everyone else’s way of serving and worshipping. My relationship with God is my own, and it’s not gonna look the same as everyone else’s. I’ve also learned that if that is how you go about your relationship with God, by comparing it to others you will find yourself let down, and defeated. Because there is always gonna be someone who seems like a better christian, and someone who in comparison to you has more love for the hurting world, or who when they worship seem so much more sincere and in love with God, you’ll always be let down because you’ll feel like you don’t measure up to these amazing Christians. So I’m learning to stop comparing myself to others, and just live my life for Christ as best I can and have a real, genuine and personal relationship with God.
In my last newsletter I think I talked about how I sometimes feel like a hypocrite being here as a “missionary,” or whatever you would like to call me, and sometimes I still feel like that, because I don’t have this amazing relationship with God that I feel like a missionary should have. But in a letter I wrote to my daddio I realized that I was grateful for the fact that I don’t always feel God, but that I am still walking with Him and serving Him here in Charlotte, because that shows me that my relationship with Him is real! Because if it wasn’t, i would have given up by now and would have started living for myself. So I am thankful for this time of blahhh and not feeling God, well as thankful as I can be!
“Blessed are you if you trust, When you cannot understand.”-selected
Also, today I came home and it was about 5:20ish? And the sun was setting, and it was SUPER windy, but the temperature was perfect. So before I went home I headed to the park and went on the swings. It was so beautiful out, and for some reason I always feel close to God when it’s windy. I am not sure why, but anyways, I just had the best feeling and I was so happy and just thankful that God doesn’t ever leave me, even when I am a little punk. And I was just so thankful that I have a God who creates beautiful sunsets and perfect weather for me to enjoy!!
And last night there was a crazy thunderstorm, it was soooo loud. Sadly I was too tired and cold to get out of my nice, warm bed. But the lightening lit up my whole room, and the thunder freaked me out, but it was awesome. It reminded me of how powerful our God is!
“You may not see or feel the inner workings of His silent power, but rest assured it is always mightily at work. And it will work for you, if you will only quiet your spirit enough to be carried along by the current of its power.” -Hannah Whitall Smith
I just read through Song of Solomon, and before I always thought it was kinda weird, but this time God showed me how beautiful He made love to be! And it just made me haaaaappppy:))
I will be home in EIGHT days… practically seven:D!! I can’t wait to see you all. Thank you for your prayers and support.
P.s. THANK YOU to Jason, your box of treats was a lovely surprise! Hope to meet you sometimeeeeeeee!
Mmmkkkaaay, adios all.:)
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dreadssss / Nov 17, 04:41 PM
Today has been great!
I seriously just had a great day! I really love the children’s after school program, and more and more I see that teaching and being with little kids is what I am meant to do! And to allllll my friends I got to chat with for a bit today, thank you for taking time to talk to me it gave me a burst of energy and just made me sooo happy, I miss you all more than you could know!!
New Moon Thursday!! Yay!
Ummmmmmm.. and lately I’ve discovered I am fo reeeeaaals ready for whatever God calls me tooooo, I think ha, and I want to go everywhere and do missions work! Gahhhhhhhhh, we’ll see what God has in store for me lata on:)
And my hair looks like I have dreads, it’s tiiiiiiigggght. But I don’t, don’t worry, I wash my hair all the time!K peace out girl scouts.
I LOVE you all, see you in ONE short month:)
Yours truly, J Craw:)
New Moon / Nov 10, 10:03 AM
Hey Everyone!
I don’t even know what to write about, I feel like I have so much I want to say and there is so much that has been on my mind lately, it’ll be impossible to explain it all.
I finally started at Druid Hills Elementary School, where I meet with two girls Reagan, and Janeskha for about a half hour to tutor them, and just talk to them about their lives. Then after that I work at the after school program which is both tiring and rewarding. There are so many little kids with a million different personalities it can get kinda crazy. I think my favorite part so far has been working with this little boy, devine, I believe he is in first grade, and he can’t read hardly at all. So I have been trying to work with him, and I really love it. It’s a challenge, and I want to see him succeed. But sometimes I feel like I get frustrated because I know he is capable, he just doesn’t always try, and he’ll give up. But I am trying my best to be patient and to stick with it, because I know he probably doesn’t usually have someone who will take the time to listen to him read, and to actually correct him and make him try harder so he wont get left behind. He is just so cute and little and I love watching him try to sound it out. I really think that teaching is where God wants me! I just love little kids and helping them understand new things! It’s hard though, because some of the kids are sooooo difficult and all of us at the after school program can lose our patience and kinda yell at them, and I HATE that. I hate when I have to be mean (even to the kids that seem to deserve it ha) because for most of the kids that go to this school especially, their home life is probably not that great and when they are here I want them to be able to enjoy their little lives! I want this to be a fun place for them, where they feel loved and I know alot of time I lose my patience and I don’t want to be like that with them.
Something that’s been really hard lately is just that I have been realizing all the ugly things about me and how I don’t even come close to measuring up to the life that Jesus lived. AH! It stinks, but all I can do is pray and try harder to follow Jesus’ example. And, just talking with my team about all the different things that go on in people’s lives, broken homes, being homeless, poor education… there are just so many problems in this world it is overwhelming and sometimes I feel like I am not making a difference at all.
I think I just need to humble myself, and be reminded that I am God’s servant and I need to do whatever He calls me to whether I see the difference I am making or not.
I miss my mom alot today. :(
BUT, despite the fact that most of this blog isn’t very uplifting things are going really great. I am seeing why God wants me here! And that’s a huge blessing for me, and sometimes I find myself wondering if I will even want to come back home when it is over. Crazy!
Samantha and I started our community group, with college girls from our church. It’s been so fun! All the girls are really great, and I truly think we will all be really good friends by the time this year comes to a close. They are a blessing from God.
New Moon on the 20th!
Free Bobcat tickets!
Oh yeah, this past weekend we had a festival in our neighborhood and we got to keep the cotton candy machine at our home the ENTIRE weekend! There was cotton candy all over our house, it was the best weekend of my life!
That’s all for now, I am about to fall asleep. Goodnight everyone!!
