Dear Readers,
As usual, my blog post is long overdue. Regardless, here’s something I’ve been chewing on recently:
For the past…maybe 20 years, (and sometimes to some of the recipients’ chagrin), I’ve been in the habit of crafting most of my Christmas gifts. I love to craft all manner of things, and I’m reminded of this when I start dreaming up Christmas gift ideas in July and poking around JoAnn Fabric & Michaels looking for the best sales.
Ok, straying from the point.
Sometimes I make similar creations, but each gift is somehow unique, because it has the receiver in mind, and because, try as I might, no two handmade crafts are ever exactly alike. Generally, I pour hours and hours into each gift, not because I feel obliged to do that, but because I enjoy doing it, and I take pleasure out of seeing and being a part of the process and beholding the finished product.
Confession time: I tend to get very distracted in the middle of one project, and I have this bad habit of leaving it when I get frustrated, and moving onto the next, more exciting, easier, or more glamorous project. I’ve even been known to abandon some projects altogether. (The pitiful looking fabric store bags sitting with threads and papers hanging out of them are proof of this sad truth).
As I was in one of these “abandon-ship-until-further-notice” sort of moods the other night, I started thinking: I’m so glad God doesn’t treat me like I treat my craft projects! (Ok, yes, funny analogy, but bear with me: to me this fits better than all those sports analogies that always fly right over my head!) As I look at my own life and see myself still struggling with some of the same things I’ve struggled with for years, it would make sense if God just wanted to give up, to move on to someone more yielding, someone more exciting, someone with better potential.
Amazingly, God doesn’t do that with any of His children, because, think about it…if He did that with even one child, wouldn’t we each be concerned that we might be that one exception who God just decided to give up on? I know I would be. Instead, as the Master Craftsman and Creator, He delights in the process of creating each of us individually and uniquely in His likeness, and delights in knowing exactly how beautiful the finished product will be. Every. Single. Time. No exceptions. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6
So that means when the fabric is so tough that it breaks the sewing machine needle time and time again, he doesn’t throw the fabric into the depths of the closet to start on something better. Nor is he too lazy or too cheap to go out and buy a new needle. In fact, God spends immeasurably more on each of his creations than we could even dream: He purchases each of us through the death of his Son. Through Jesus, he makes us over again, new and beautiful. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – II Corinthians 5:17 And he delights in us, His creation!
That’s pretty comforting for me when I see how stubborn I am. It’s also pretty convicting when I realize I treat my students not all that differently from my crafting: smooth sailing as long as the work is easy, but come trouble… Please keep praying that I continue to love these sweet students even as Christ loves me, and that I keep pursuing them even when it costs so much, knowing that God purchased me with the ultimate gift!
(P.S. Thanks for pushing through the crafting analogies with me, even where they fall a little short. Also, last night, I went out and bought a few new sewing machine needles :-P )
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
a fresh look at fear...
I'm a very fearful person. I always have been, only now my fears have moved from being the tangible fears of children, to being more abstract. Not to say I don't fear a roach in my apartment anymore...but all joking aside, I've been seeing more and more recently, how much fear rules my life. Fear of the future. Fear of failure. Fear of God not coming through for me. And oh-so-much-more. And what's my reaction to all that? I'm scared to death.
The Bible certainly addresses fear - all over the place:
Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed..."
Isaiah 43:1, "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not...'"
Philippians 4:6, "do not be anxious about anything.."
These are a few examples that jump to mind, but by no means an exclusive list :-)
So, for most of my life, I've seen fear as evil - something to be repented of, to try and get away from. I've committed myself to memorizing verses such as the two above, and, in times of fear, repeating them over and over, hoping the fear will go away. And when it doesn't? Guess what? I'm more fearful.
Certainly, fear is a result of the Fall, but maybe it makes sense that we're afraid - living with all the sin around us!
What if God is not sternly shaking a fist at us, telling us, "do not be afraid!!"? What if he knows our fear, and therefore looks to be with us in that fear? Somehow, I've neglected to see the importance of what follows each of these admonitions not to fear..."For I will be with you." Or as we were talking about in my girls' Psalms study a few weeks ago,
"Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me"
(Psalm 23:4)
Talking through fear with some people recently, I've begun to see this picture of a gentle shepherd quietly telling us not to be afraid, because he's right there with us, holding us, rather as a mother comforts her child during a storm. It's not a harsh rebuke to not fear, but a gentle and comforting reminder that we are not alone, that the fear is natural, yet God is there. Maybe the distinction I'm making seems small, but the difference is huge and life-changing.
Surely Isaiah 42:3 is correct when it says, "a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench." Our God is not a harsh taskmaster, demanding stoic bravery, but he gently cares for us sinners, who are "bruised and broken by the fall", -and that includes fearfulness!
I pray that even as God reveals more of his grace to me in this lesson, He will enable me to show more of His grace towards the students in my life, and others around me.
The Bible certainly addresses fear - all over the place:
Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed..."
Isaiah 43:1, "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not...'"
Philippians 4:6, "do not be anxious about anything.."
These are a few examples that jump to mind, but by no means an exclusive list :-)
So, for most of my life, I've seen fear as evil - something to be repented of, to try and get away from. I've committed myself to memorizing verses such as the two above, and, in times of fear, repeating them over and over, hoping the fear will go away. And when it doesn't? Guess what? I'm more fearful.
Certainly, fear is a result of the Fall, but maybe it makes sense that we're afraid - living with all the sin around us!
What if God is not sternly shaking a fist at us, telling us, "do not be afraid!!"? What if he knows our fear, and therefore looks to be with us in that fear? Somehow, I've neglected to see the importance of what follows each of these admonitions not to fear..."For I will be with you." Or as we were talking about in my girls' Psalms study a few weeks ago,
"Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me"
(Psalm 23:4)
Talking through fear with some people recently, I've begun to see this picture of a gentle shepherd quietly telling us not to be afraid, because he's right there with us, holding us, rather as a mother comforts her child during a storm. It's not a harsh rebuke to not fear, but a gentle and comforting reminder that we are not alone, that the fear is natural, yet God is there. Maybe the distinction I'm making seems small, but the difference is huge and life-changing.
Surely Isaiah 42:3 is correct when it says, "a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench." Our God is not a harsh taskmaster, demanding stoic bravery, but he gently cares for us sinners, who are "bruised and broken by the fall", -and that includes fearfulness!
I pray that even as God reveals more of his grace to me in this lesson, He will enable me to show more of His grace towards the students in my life, and others around me.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
"Great is thy faithfulness"
The name of this post is probably more fitting for the internship as a whole, really, not just this post. Or maybe more fitting for life :-)
So, as I wait on a student to show up to a lunch date, I wanted to share with you about a girl I had coffee with yesterday morning.
We'll call her Claire.
I got to know Claire last year at a Christmas parade in Davidson, when she came with a couple of the girls I knew particularly well. We got to talk here and there as I saw her around campus, and some of our interactions were more lengthy than others. Eventually, we had the opportunity to sit down and have lunch together. Claire grew up in a nominally Christian home, but I don't think Christianity meant a whole lot to her. We continued to meet, and sometimes Claire came to RUF Large Group.
Late in April, Claire's friend and classmate whom I meet with often, texted me an excited text to let me know Claire had accepted Christ that evening! I confess I'd prayed for her, but I didn't see this coming, and honestly, it had nothing to do with me, just a lot of little events that God had used in her life to show her who He is.
Though the semester was about over, I was able to give Claire a Jesus Storybook Bible, and she was so excited to get it!
This year, Claire has been coming to our girls' Psalms study, and she faithfully attends RUF Large Group. In talking with her, I've seen a change in the way she relates with people, and the way she thinks about life, even! She's excited to see the things she's learning about as helping her bring restoration to God's Kingdom on earth!
Yesterday morning at coffee, (as we bonded over our love of fall and Pumpkin Spice Lattes), Claire was full of questions: she's longing to study the Bible, and doesn't know where to begin. I was feeling particulary out of it walking to coffee, and I didn't know what we were going to talk about, or how to love her best, or how God was going to be at work. But I prayed that God would fill our conversation with Himself, and that he would be at work even as I was feeling weak. And even as God has been at work in Claire's life for 19 years, and my own life for 23 years, he was faithful in that conversation. It was so encouraging and contagious to see Claire's excitement for learning about her Savior, and so neat to be able to talk through reading the Bible.
Really, I love seeing God's faithfulness. It's so true that "his mercies are new every morning"!
So, as I wait on a student to show up to a lunch date, I wanted to share with you about a girl I had coffee with yesterday morning.
We'll call her Claire.
I got to know Claire last year at a Christmas parade in Davidson, when she came with a couple of the girls I knew particularly well. We got to talk here and there as I saw her around campus, and some of our interactions were more lengthy than others. Eventually, we had the opportunity to sit down and have lunch together. Claire grew up in a nominally Christian home, but I don't think Christianity meant a whole lot to her. We continued to meet, and sometimes Claire came to RUF Large Group.
Late in April, Claire's friend and classmate whom I meet with often, texted me an excited text to let me know Claire had accepted Christ that evening! I confess I'd prayed for her, but I didn't see this coming, and honestly, it had nothing to do with me, just a lot of little events that God had used in her life to show her who He is.
Though the semester was about over, I was able to give Claire a Jesus Storybook Bible, and she was so excited to get it!
This year, Claire has been coming to our girls' Psalms study, and she faithfully attends RUF Large Group. In talking with her, I've seen a change in the way she relates with people, and the way she thinks about life, even! She's excited to see the things she's learning about as helping her bring restoration to God's Kingdom on earth!
Yesterday morning at coffee, (as we bonded over our love of fall and Pumpkin Spice Lattes), Claire was full of questions: she's longing to study the Bible, and doesn't know where to begin. I was feeling particulary out of it walking to coffee, and I didn't know what we were going to talk about, or how to love her best, or how God was going to be at work. But I prayed that God would fill our conversation with Himself, and that he would be at work even as I was feeling weak. And even as God has been at work in Claire's life for 19 years, and my own life for 23 years, he was faithful in that conversation. It was so encouraging and contagious to see Claire's excitement for learning about her Savior, and so neat to be able to talk through reading the Bible.
Really, I love seeing God's faithfulness. It's so true that "his mercies are new every morning"!
Monday, October 3, 2011
September happenings
Let me start out by confessing to you that I'm not in an inspired-writing mood today, so I'm not really a writer anyways, but today is really more information-giving than interesting to read :-)But I did want to update you! Read at your own risk!
A couple things that have happened since the last post:
I flew to Dallas for one of my best friend's wedding! Since we were only a few weeks into the semester, it seemed like a hard time to take off for a few days. But also, the beginning of the semester can be difficult, and so it was a blessing to have time off to celebrate with friends and spend time together for such a wonderful occasion!
The next weekend was RUF's Fall Conference, which took place at beautiful Camp Greystone, just south of Ashville, in North Carolina. We had about 20 students from Davidson there. Conference came at the end of a couple of very fully and stressfull weeks for many students, and so the opportunity to be away from campus and spend time getting to know other students in a beautiful environment was excellent.
Our speaker, Tom Cannon (pastor of Red Mountain Church in Birmingham, AL) talked about the sufficiency of Scripture. After our Large Group sessions, we broke into small groups with our schools to talk about the sermons. I was so encouraged by the way the girls opened up with one another and were willing to talk about what challenged them, and to show where God is at work in their lives. I was also encouraged by the opportunity to get to know some of the freshmen girls better, and the chance to get to know some of the other girls in a different environment. I've discovered that car trips stimulate the best conversations, and I'm all for more in the future!
I've posted a lot more pictures from Fall Conference on the Davidson-RUF website, if you're interested in seeing them. I'd also direct you there if you're interested in checking out the website and reading more about RUF at Davidson in general!
As always, thank you for your prayers and support! Please continue to pray for the semester. I've been seeing God at work in some of these students in ways I never could have imagined!
Please keep praying for the work here! And please pray too for my financial situation. I am so incredibly grateful by God's provision for me here, and some of the timely gifts I've recieved recently. It's humbling, and I don't like asking, even though I know this is what I have been called to do right now. Please continue to be in prayer, since I'm still about $6000 behind for the year. Pray that God would make me bold in asking, and that I would be dilligent in taking the time that I need to work on support raising.
Until next time,
Anna
A couple things that have happened since the last post:
I flew to Dallas for one of my best friend's wedding! Since we were only a few weeks into the semester, it seemed like a hard time to take off for a few days. But also, the beginning of the semester can be difficult, and so it was a blessing to have time off to celebrate with friends and spend time together for such a wonderful occasion!
The next weekend was RUF's Fall Conference, which took place at beautiful Camp Greystone, just south of Ashville, in North Carolina. We had about 20 students from Davidson there. Conference came at the end of a couple of very fully and stressfull weeks for many students, and so the opportunity to be away from campus and spend time getting to know other students in a beautiful environment was excellent.
Our speaker, Tom Cannon (pastor of Red Mountain Church in Birmingham, AL) talked about the sufficiency of Scripture. After our Large Group sessions, we broke into small groups with our schools to talk about the sermons. I was so encouraged by the way the girls opened up with one another and were willing to talk about what challenged them, and to show where God is at work in their lives. I was also encouraged by the opportunity to get to know some of the freshmen girls better, and the chance to get to know some of the other girls in a different environment. I've discovered that car trips stimulate the best conversations, and I'm all for more in the future!
I've posted a lot more pictures from Fall Conference on the Davidson-RUF website, if you're interested in seeing them. I'd also direct you there if you're interested in checking out the website and reading more about RUF at Davidson in general!
As always, thank you for your prayers and support! Please continue to pray for the semester. I've been seeing God at work in some of these students in ways I never could have imagined!
Please keep praying for the work here! And please pray too for my financial situation. I am so incredibly grateful by God's provision for me here, and some of the timely gifts I've recieved recently. It's humbling, and I don't like asking, even though I know this is what I have been called to do right now. Please continue to be in prayer, since I'm still about $6000 behind for the year. Pray that God would make me bold in asking, and that I would be dilligent in taking the time that I need to work on support raising.
Until next time,
Anna
Saturday, September 10, 2011
A day in the life...
I love hanging out with students. I really do. Some days more than others? Of course, but isn't that true of anything? Fall semester is in full swing now, and that means life is gaining back its rhythm and regularity that it lost during the summer. Or at least, as much rhythm and regularity as it can have.
Some things about the semester are fixed: weekly Large group, for example, or staff meeting, or numerous Bible studies, or Friday Night Dinners (um...where we go to dinner on Friday night with any students who want to hang out, in case the name isn't self-evident). Everything else (like hanging out with students individually and in groups, music rehearsal for large group, study program reading, and so on), fits in around these.
As much as I would like for there to be, I don't think there's any sort of "day in the life" - scheduling lunch and coffee dates with students who already have classes, studying, and innumerable extra-curricular activities to plan around, is understandably difficult and unpredictable. So much so, that I tend to spend collectively a couple hours a week emailing students (back and forth, back and forth), and working out a time to catch up. So much so, that I have to ask some students to hang out a week or two in advance. So some days, I wind up with 5 dates back to back, and other days, I'll have one or two. I'm trying to learn to be flexible. This is a lesson I probably need to learn.
But at the end of the day, (whether I was on campus from 9am-9pm, or whether I read my study program in my pajamas half the morning), I'm glad for the craziness of the new semester. This coming week I get to have coffee with a nominally Jewish girl who I'd gotten to know through some social outlets last year, but never dreamed would be comfortable sitting down and talking to me. This past week, I've gotten to hear from a couple of girls how they've seen God at work in their lives this summer, and rejoice with them over His faithfulness. Of course, I've also gotten to walk around Claire's and try on funny hats and jewelry with a student, but I like that too :-)
Thanks for listening, thanks for reading, thanks for encouraging, and thanks for supporting & participating in what's going on here.
Until next time...
Some things about the semester are fixed: weekly Large group, for example, or staff meeting, or numerous Bible studies, or Friday Night Dinners (um...where we go to dinner on Friday night with any students who want to hang out, in case the name isn't self-evident). Everything else (like hanging out with students individually and in groups, music rehearsal for large group, study program reading, and so on), fits in around these.
As much as I would like for there to be, I don't think there's any sort of "day in the life" - scheduling lunch and coffee dates with students who already have classes, studying, and innumerable extra-curricular activities to plan around, is understandably difficult and unpredictable. So much so, that I tend to spend collectively a couple hours a week emailing students (back and forth, back and forth), and working out a time to catch up. So much so, that I have to ask some students to hang out a week or two in advance. So some days, I wind up with 5 dates back to back, and other days, I'll have one or two. I'm trying to learn to be flexible. This is a lesson I probably need to learn.
But at the end of the day, (whether I was on campus from 9am-9pm, or whether I read my study program in my pajamas half the morning), I'm glad for the craziness of the new semester. This coming week I get to have coffee with a nominally Jewish girl who I'd gotten to know through some social outlets last year, but never dreamed would be comfortable sitting down and talking to me. This past week, I've gotten to hear from a couple of girls how they've seen God at work in their lives this summer, and rejoice with them over His faithfulness. Of course, I've also gotten to walk around Claire's and try on funny hats and jewelry with a student, but I like that too :-)
Thanks for listening, thanks for reading, thanks for encouraging, and thanks for supporting & participating in what's going on here.
Until next time...
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Farewell to Summertime
First, a few highlights from this summer:
A week at Panama City Beach for RUF's Summer Conference with some sweet students; we had lots of good teaching, worship together, and relationship building. I'm excited to see where some of these relationships go this Fall!
A lovely trip to St. Louis with some of my favorite people to watch a beautiful friend become a beaming Mrs. H... Tears were supressed so I could play viola, but it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to with both the bride and the groom glowing. Everything about it just felt right.
Then, I spent a week chaperoning a youth trip to Camp Ridge Haven with my church's youth group. I had time to get to know 4 sweet girls, and also see sister #5 who was working there all summer and having a blast! This is me with our youngest girl - quite a cutie!
The end of July was busy, including fundrasing trips to Athens, GA and Birmingham, AL, with RUF training in Atlanta squeezed in the middle. Lots of neat lessons & encouragement I could mention. No pictures.
But Birmingham also meant a wedding shower for another dear friend with more favorite people. (okay, maybe another more conventional term would be best friends!) :-)
And last, but not least, a lovely week of vacationing in Canada with family. Canoeing, reading, giggling, resting... good descriptors for an awesome trip!
And now, this weekend, in fact, the craziness of the Fall semester at Davidson starts back up. After a relaxing summer, I must admit I'm slightly anxious about how it will look. But then, I've gotten to hang out with a few students already this week as they start to trickle back in for pre-school activities, and suddenly I'm reminded why I'm here and why I'm so excited for the crazyness of the fall. I love these students, and I'm excited to see where a new semester takes us!
Please pray for us as we kick off Large Group and Bible Studies this semester, and as we seek to serve these students and reach out to the new freshmen!!
Until next time!!
A week at Panama City Beach for RUF's Summer Conference with some sweet students; we had lots of good teaching, worship together, and relationship building. I'm excited to see where some of these relationships go this Fall!
A lovely trip to St. Louis with some of my favorite people to watch a beautiful friend become a beaming Mrs. H... Tears were supressed so I could play viola, but it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to with both the bride and the groom glowing. Everything about it just felt right.
Then, I spent a week chaperoning a youth trip to Camp Ridge Haven with my church's youth group. I had time to get to know 4 sweet girls, and also see sister #5 who was working there all summer and having a blast! This is me with our youngest girl - quite a cutie!
The end of July was busy, including fundrasing trips to Athens, GA and Birmingham, AL, with RUF training in Atlanta squeezed in the middle. Lots of neat lessons & encouragement I could mention. No pictures.
But Birmingham also meant a wedding shower for another dear friend with more favorite people. (okay, maybe another more conventional term would be best friends!) :-)
And last, but not least, a lovely week of vacationing in Canada with family. Canoeing, reading, giggling, resting... good descriptors for an awesome trip!
And now, this weekend, in fact, the craziness of the Fall semester at Davidson starts back up. After a relaxing summer, I must admit I'm slightly anxious about how it will look. But then, I've gotten to hang out with a few students already this week as they start to trickle back in for pre-school activities, and suddenly I'm reminded why I'm here and why I'm so excited for the crazyness of the fall. I love these students, and I'm excited to see where a new semester takes us!
Please pray for us as we kick off Large Group and Bible Studies this semester, and as we seek to serve these students and reach out to the new freshmen!!
Until next time!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Thoughts...
It has been entirely too long. I know that. You know that. I apologise. At some point we can talk about what went on during the past seven months, but for now, let's move on :-)
From time to time this summer, I've headed over to the Davidson Student Union, which, during the school year, is where I spend most of my time - meeting with students, hanging out, reading, making myself available... The Student Union is a buzz of activity, the place where students come through between classes to grab a bite to eat, or where they come to pretend to study, in the hopes of meeting up with friends and having the excuse to procrastinate, or where they sit for a few minutes to watch the most current sporting events, or where they anxiously hover around the mailboxes, looking for the next good package from home. Since Davidson doesn't offer summer classes though, it's a totally different place in the summer, devoid of almost all life, except for a small lunch crowd of student researchers.
That's why the excited buzz in the Union this morning struck me as odd. Students. Young students. Clustered together. Talking excitedly. Sleeping bags and over-stuffed back-packs in hand. Learning names. Looking nervous. Catching glances of their excited but perhaps over-protective parents hovering in the background. It's time for Odyssey, a week of extreme backpacking and/or service adventures for the incoming freshmen - an opportunity to make friends and get excited about the four years of Davidson experience coming up, before the work sets in.
Who are these people? What has made them decide that Davidson College is the place where they want to spend their next four years? What are they feeling right now? What are they afraid of? What are they looking forward to? What are they wanting to learn and accomplish in college? These are the questions racing through my mind as I watch them.
These are the people I get to meet this fall! These are the students whose lives I might get to learn about, and with whom I will be able to build relationships. I'm excited. So many opportunities. So many different stories. It's such a privilege to be able to get to know them, even as I've gotten to know so many students this past year, to have the chance to see where God is at work in their lives, and to be able to listen to them, and to be able to share the beautiful Gospel message with them. Like them, I'm excited. I'm scared. And I think this is where I'm supposed to be.
Please continue praying for me this summer as I'm prepping for this fall - planning Bible studies, brainstorming about different outreach opportunities, thinking through and praying for relationships that I've already built this year.
And please continue to pray for my finances. God is gracious in providing for me here, but over this summer, I'm still trying to raise about $10,000. I'd love to meet with you, talk with you in person, and share more about this ministry with you. And please pray about continuing your support, or supporting me for the first time! At the risk of being a broken record, I'm constantly reminded that I'm not alone here - that I can't be here without your prayers and support!
Sincerely,
Anna
From time to time this summer, I've headed over to the Davidson Student Union, which, during the school year, is where I spend most of my time - meeting with students, hanging out, reading, making myself available... The Student Union is a buzz of activity, the place where students come through between classes to grab a bite to eat, or where they come to pretend to study, in the hopes of meeting up with friends and having the excuse to procrastinate, or where they sit for a few minutes to watch the most current sporting events, or where they anxiously hover around the mailboxes, looking for the next good package from home. Since Davidson doesn't offer summer classes though, it's a totally different place in the summer, devoid of almost all life, except for a small lunch crowd of student researchers.
That's why the excited buzz in the Union this morning struck me as odd. Students. Young students. Clustered together. Talking excitedly. Sleeping bags and over-stuffed back-packs in hand. Learning names. Looking nervous. Catching glances of their excited but perhaps over-protective parents hovering in the background. It's time for Odyssey, a week of extreme backpacking and/or service adventures for the incoming freshmen - an opportunity to make friends and get excited about the four years of Davidson experience coming up, before the work sets in.
Who are these people? What has made them decide that Davidson College is the place where they want to spend their next four years? What are they feeling right now? What are they afraid of? What are they looking forward to? What are they wanting to learn and accomplish in college? These are the questions racing through my mind as I watch them.
These are the people I get to meet this fall! These are the students whose lives I might get to learn about, and with whom I will be able to build relationships. I'm excited. So many opportunities. So many different stories. It's such a privilege to be able to get to know them, even as I've gotten to know so many students this past year, to have the chance to see where God is at work in their lives, and to be able to listen to them, and to be able to share the beautiful Gospel message with them. Like them, I'm excited. I'm scared. And I think this is where I'm supposed to be.
Please continue praying for me this summer as I'm prepping for this fall - planning Bible studies, brainstorming about different outreach opportunities, thinking through and praying for relationships that I've already built this year.
And please continue to pray for my finances. God is gracious in providing for me here, but over this summer, I'm still trying to raise about $10,000. I'd love to meet with you, talk with you in person, and share more about this ministry with you. And please pray about continuing your support, or supporting me for the first time! At the risk of being a broken record, I'm constantly reminded that I'm not alone here - that I can't be here without your prayers and support!
Sincerely,
Anna
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)