Tomorrow, I will have been here 1 month. In some ways the longest month of my life, and in many others, the shortest. God has been so good the last two weeks. Not going to lie, the year started out really slow and I was pretty discouraged that first week. We were barred from some activities we had planned on, but just trusted God to work. The involvement fair was rained out and postponed the day before we started Bible studies on campus.
But, then the last two Sundays we have had many students come interested in the church. In fact, the church has been so full, we will most likely be going to two services soon!!!!! We have quite a few core kids that we can expect at pretty much anything... they are just eager to hang out with us and come to church and study God's Word!!!! So encouraging!!!
The Involvement Fair was a huge success once it finally happened. We had 40 new contacts who checked interest in something, 20 girls and 20 guys!!! :) So, this last week and a half has been following up with them, which has been exciting and busy. A lot of people really liked meeting us and were excited about visiting the church. The last two weekends have been full, but a lot of people have been gone from campus and the church body because of Labor Day and then the hurricane, so this weekend could be interesting as it will be a more normal weekend with our core people and most of the body there in addition to all the college kids! Yea, I know...AWESOME!!!!
We deal with a lot of cultural Christianity here I feel like. Also people who know a lot... they grew up in the church and can give you all the right answers and talk the talk, and go to church, but it just hasn't filtered down to their heart and come out in their life just yet. They don't realize it's a lifestyle, not just a label. So, when you ask people about church they are happy to talk about it... we haven't received much opposition there, but it will be fun to run alongside them and challenge them in the months ahead.
We also have a girl who has been coming to our Bible study and to church and some activities who is not a believer and will tell us she is just checking it out, but her prayer request is that she would keep an open mind because she is just not sure what she thinks!!! Be praying for her. She's learning a lot and soaking it all in. She has to miss Bible study occasionally because of her job, and she has asked if it would be possible to meet with us at a different time to catch up!!!!!! WHAT??!! Yea!!!!!!
The guys Bible study just started this week with 5 guys coming with a majority being non-believers. Just crazy to me! God has also brought at least one pretty strong guy leader who may also be stepping in for worship once Lucas leaves. Yes, Lucas is leaving to go back to Colorado at the end of October, and we will miss him greatly, but trust that God will use him mightily wherever he finds himself. So just trusting and still praying for some strong guys to step in and be able to help out with college ministry especially.
We are starting a second girls' Bible study that I will be leading... whoa! Excited, but kind of nervous as well... still getting used to these college girls after spending so much time with my youth group... but just trusting God with it and we'll see what happens!!
I have been in a bit of a strange place. Most of you know that I despise change in so many ways and yet, I seem to thrive in changing times when it comes to depending on and growing in God. This has certainly been a tough transition from Colorado to here and from being a student to somewhere in between being a student again and looking for a job. I came out here after an entire semester of desiring to GO for God, to experience the adventure He has in store for each of us, to seize each moment as God's will for my life. I wanted that purpose 24/7 as I knew the thrill and the joy of that. I wanted to be sprinting towards the throne of God as I threw everything else aside. I guess the biggest thing I have learned being out here is that this race is not a sprint after all... it's a marathon of marathons. There isn't a "mountain top" experience that fires you on through the valleys... it's a constant battle and you just trust in the Lord as He provides a peace, joy, and hope beyond understanding and beyond circumstances. He endured the cross, what is my hardship here? That alone gives you strength to continue... not any experience I have here. Don't get me wrong, God has used a few people and events to encourage me on, but it's God and not those people and events in and of themselves. It is not that energetic hyper kind of joy that I have been accustomed to... it's more a steady, calm trusting kind of joy. I truly miss the deep relationships I had in Colorado. Nothing can replace those, but it is difficult to start again with a whole new set of people. Luckily, we have Christ that bonds us all together, so in some ways it is instant family, but at the same time... yea... I miss y'all a lot!!
Please continue to pray for the ministry on campus here. For non-believers and believers we encounter. For the leadership of the church. For provision of a guy leader in college ministry and a worship leader. For our Bible studies. For continued strength and endurance. For the retreat we are planning. For our weekly campus activies. For wisdom in job seeking. Above all, for God's light to shine in this place and penetrate the darkness in people's hearts. For God to be glorified and use us as humble servants, willing and faithful.
Love y'all!!!!
Bůh ti žehnej, God bless you!
