So yes...I am here at Davidson! Students moved in between Wednesday evening and Saturday, and classes started today, which means, of course, that my real job has just begun!
First of all, moving went incredibly smoothly (thanks to the help of my sweet Aunt & cousins & grandparents), and the rain (which was in the forcast all day) held off until that evening, just after my campus minister & family had finished moving in a mattress & night stand - the last things to get moved in. And I absolutely love my new place! The location really is perfect, and once it cools off a bit, I think I will walk to campus a lot. Pictures to come - but right now, it's still a bit sparcely furnished & decorated.
Saturday was my first event with Davidson's RUF. It was a faux retreat with the Servant Team, made up of about 30 Davidson students who are really committed to serving through RUF. I was nervous, to say the least, but I got to meet a bunch of really sweet girls, and had the opportunity to get to know them a bit as we met all afternoon, and then as we fellowshipped over dinner at the Speakman house (Campus minister's family). Sunday morning, we all went to church together ar Christ Central in Charlotte, and so I had some more driving time to spend with people.
Today we had a staff meeting, and I got the names of several freshmen to contact. I'm excited, but I'm anxious about not doing things right, or scaring people off, and whatnot. These past few days I've had to keep reminding myself (as I've been going through the "what-in-the-world-do-I-think-I'm-doing-here sort of freak -out) that God has not provided the means for me to be here and allowed me to move in vain. By his grace, I trust he will work through all my flaws and misjudgements and accomplish his mission through me! Please pray that I believe this, and that, as I begin work here, I would truly learn to minister through a servant heart, and for the glory of Christ and the Gospel!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
God Provides (again)
So I need to update you on God at work over the last few days. It's a lengthy story, but I think the details are necessary to help you understand it.
I've been back in Winston-Salem now for over a week. Mainly last week, I spent my time apartment searching. I'm sort of a novice at this, so I hunted online, called churches, worked my way through grape-vine scrambles, emailed people about ads I had hear of, contacted various campus ministries at Davidson (looking for roommates), and called several apartments that had potential. By Friday, I had two apartments (one looking a whole lot more promising than the other) to look at in Mooresville, just north of Davidson. So I drove down, and after seeing them both, was just about ready to fill out an application for the one, so they could get me in Friday the 20th (I need to be at Davidson the 21st for the Ministry Team retreat).
So I called my campus minister to touch base with him. We wound up spending the rest of Friday driving around Davidson, Cornelius & Huntersville (Davidson College is in Davidson, but these towns are all tiny and running into eachother), stopping at apartments & writing down numbers on signs & in windows, to see if I might have missed something. Everything, it seemed, was way above my price range. Davidson is on Lake Norman (a very expensive area), and apparently Davidson is in the most expensive zip code in NC. Talking with my campus minister & his wife later that evening, I realized that the problem with the Mooresville apartment was that it was on the wrong side of Davidson to really feel like I was a part of the community, and to really get plugged in. But I had no idea what my alternatives were. We talked about finding temporary housing, with the intention of continuing searching for a roommate. That would be very hard for me - I've been basically couch-surfing all summer, and I'm very ready to feel settled, but I knew I needed to do what would be best for me and this position in the long run. So I drove back to Winston Friday evening very discouraged and, unfortunately, in tears.
Late that night, my campus minister left me a message about one more option he had just stumbled across. He had found a number for a couple with a garage apartment somewhere deep down in his email. Having no idea if the apartment was empty or even for rent, he called and left a message for them. They called him right back and said it was empty and for rent, and open for immediate move-in. Saturday morning, I called them and set up an appointment to go see it at 1. It really was the perfect place: one mile from Davidson College, in a beautiful, quite, and very safe neighborhood, and belonging to one of the sweetest couples I have ever met. Unfortunately, it was still over my housing budget.
Per my father's advice, I knew I at least needed to ask them to come down on the price. I had prayed about this, and I knew God was in control. Still, I hated to ask them. So, I was honest, and I told them my situation. They looked at eachother for a few minutes, and then, right then and there, without even confering, they offered me a compromise! And it was do-able! Honestly, I almost started crying again right there, as I saw God coming through yet again for me. Later I was talking with my campus minister, and he said he's known other people who have lived there (including married RUF interns), but they have never before budged on the rent. Obviously, God is at work.
I'm moving in tomorrow, and my sweet Aunt & two cousins & my grandparents are coming to help. I also just officially got the green light from RUF today, which means I am at 85% of support and am ready to move!
I have to cut this short, because my grandparents are taking me to dinner right now! But please praise God with me, and continue to pray for this transition to Davidson, and for the start of school this Monday!
I've been back in Winston-Salem now for over a week. Mainly last week, I spent my time apartment searching. I'm sort of a novice at this, so I hunted online, called churches, worked my way through grape-vine scrambles, emailed people about ads I had hear of, contacted various campus ministries at Davidson (looking for roommates), and called several apartments that had potential. By Friday, I had two apartments (one looking a whole lot more promising than the other) to look at in Mooresville, just north of Davidson. So I drove down, and after seeing them both, was just about ready to fill out an application for the one, so they could get me in Friday the 20th (I need to be at Davidson the 21st for the Ministry Team retreat).
So I called my campus minister to touch base with him. We wound up spending the rest of Friday driving around Davidson, Cornelius & Huntersville (Davidson College is in Davidson, but these towns are all tiny and running into eachother), stopping at apartments & writing down numbers on signs & in windows, to see if I might have missed something. Everything, it seemed, was way above my price range. Davidson is on Lake Norman (a very expensive area), and apparently Davidson is in the most expensive zip code in NC. Talking with my campus minister & his wife later that evening, I realized that the problem with the Mooresville apartment was that it was on the wrong side of Davidson to really feel like I was a part of the community, and to really get plugged in. But I had no idea what my alternatives were. We talked about finding temporary housing, with the intention of continuing searching for a roommate. That would be very hard for me - I've been basically couch-surfing all summer, and I'm very ready to feel settled, but I knew I needed to do what would be best for me and this position in the long run. So I drove back to Winston Friday evening very discouraged and, unfortunately, in tears.
Late that night, my campus minister left me a message about one more option he had just stumbled across. He had found a number for a couple with a garage apartment somewhere deep down in his email. Having no idea if the apartment was empty or even for rent, he called and left a message for them. They called him right back and said it was empty and for rent, and open for immediate move-in. Saturday morning, I called them and set up an appointment to go see it at 1. It really was the perfect place: one mile from Davidson College, in a beautiful, quite, and very safe neighborhood, and belonging to one of the sweetest couples I have ever met. Unfortunately, it was still over my housing budget.
Per my father's advice, I knew I at least needed to ask them to come down on the price. I had prayed about this, and I knew God was in control. Still, I hated to ask them. So, I was honest, and I told them my situation. They looked at eachother for a few minutes, and then, right then and there, without even confering, they offered me a compromise! And it was do-able! Honestly, I almost started crying again right there, as I saw God coming through yet again for me. Later I was talking with my campus minister, and he said he's known other people who have lived there (including married RUF interns), but they have never before budged on the rent. Obviously, God is at work.
I'm moving in tomorrow, and my sweet Aunt & two cousins & my grandparents are coming to help. I also just officially got the green light from RUF today, which means I am at 85% of support and am ready to move!
I have to cut this short, because my grandparents are taking me to dinner right now! But please praise God with me, and continue to pray for this transition to Davidson, and for the start of school this Monday!
Monday, August 2, 2010
"My God will supply every need of yours"
So, I know I'm long overdue for a blog update. I confessed in my first post that I am a terrible blogger, so please forgive me.
This past week I left my aunt & uncle's house in Winston-Salem (where I'd been living for the past couple of weeks) to go to RUF training in Atlanta. Training was overwhelming, but really neat. I love RUM because everything we hear seems really challenging and pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I feel really unqualified for the work I'm about to do. But we never listen to a seminar that does not include the hope of the Gospel and reassure us that God loves to use broken vessels and bruised reeds for His service, and to further His Kingdom here on earth. And I've been learning over the course of this summer how very much each and every one of you is involved in this: your prayers and your encouragement, via email, phone call, or face-to-face conversation, has really been the hands and feet of Christ witnessing and ministering to me, and keeping me strong when I've been down.
I spent a good bit of July feeling very down and stressed out about this internship, and what was ahead. I would consider myself to be a type-A personality, and I love to have everything planned out. So as I made support-raising calls and support-raising visits, only to see my reports show up with the same percentage, week after week, I began to feel very insecure, and doubt my own abilities. Actually, I think that was God's point. It's easy to work hard and expect to see a result. I do well working for improvement. But my work this summer is incredible, because, while I have plenty of things I'm supposed to do, God is really the one in control and providing. I found myself wrestling a lot with that. The verse that kept coming to mind and that I have begun praying in my fears is from Philipians, chapter 4:19, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." And truly he has. As the summer races into August, and the time for me to go to Davidson draws nearer, things have begun to fall into place, and I'm overwhelmed by God's provision. Officially, I'm at 78% of support, and unofficially, I might be all the way there. Although I don't know where I'm going to live, there are some potential roomming situations out there, and I know God will provide here, even has he has done with the finances.
This week I'm so thankful to be at my Grandmother's lake house with my family, and able to rest for a bit before plunging into the work ahead of me. Please pray that God would continue to keep me from trusting in myself, and that my faith would be strengthened as I head into something I feel totally unprepared for. And please do pray for housing to work out, and for a smooth transition as I look at moving in the next week or two.
This past week I left my aunt & uncle's house in Winston-Salem (where I'd been living for the past couple of weeks) to go to RUF training in Atlanta. Training was overwhelming, but really neat. I love RUM because everything we hear seems really challenging and pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I feel really unqualified for the work I'm about to do. But we never listen to a seminar that does not include the hope of the Gospel and reassure us that God loves to use broken vessels and bruised reeds for His service, and to further His Kingdom here on earth. And I've been learning over the course of this summer how very much each and every one of you is involved in this: your prayers and your encouragement, via email, phone call, or face-to-face conversation, has really been the hands and feet of Christ witnessing and ministering to me, and keeping me strong when I've been down.
I spent a good bit of July feeling very down and stressed out about this internship, and what was ahead. I would consider myself to be a type-A personality, and I love to have everything planned out. So as I made support-raising calls and support-raising visits, only to see my reports show up with the same percentage, week after week, I began to feel very insecure, and doubt my own abilities. Actually, I think that was God's point. It's easy to work hard and expect to see a result. I do well working for improvement. But my work this summer is incredible, because, while I have plenty of things I'm supposed to do, God is really the one in control and providing. I found myself wrestling a lot with that. The verse that kept coming to mind and that I have begun praying in my fears is from Philipians, chapter 4:19, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." And truly he has. As the summer races into August, and the time for me to go to Davidson draws nearer, things have begun to fall into place, and I'm overwhelmed by God's provision. Officially, I'm at 78% of support, and unofficially, I might be all the way there. Although I don't know where I'm going to live, there are some potential roomming situations out there, and I know God will provide here, even has he has done with the finances.
This week I'm so thankful to be at my Grandmother's lake house with my family, and able to rest for a bit before plunging into the work ahead of me. Please pray that God would continue to keep me from trusting in myself, and that my faith would be strengthened as I head into something I feel totally unprepared for. And please do pray for housing to work out, and for a smooth transition as I look at moving in the next week or two.
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