Where do I even begin? More has happened in the past 2 weeks than I know how to summarize. I'll break it down into two parts: What's been going on, and what God has been teaching me.
First, let me break down the whirlwind of the start of a campus semester. Our first week of campus included working with 3 other campus ministries in an attempt to combine resources and reach as many students as possible. This week is known as Go Week; so named after Jesus' command to us all to Go:
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
On Tuesday of last week we had dinner and kicked off the semester. Early Wednesday we started moving Freshmen into their dorms, met back together for lunch, had the afternoons to work on funding, rest, meet students, etc., and then had dinner together and went to the campus events to continue to meet students. Thursday and Friday were similar in schedule.
Friday night was the culmination of our efforts for Go Week. We put on an event called FSU Luau. We had a rock wall, a water slide, an obstacle course, music, and free food. This allowed students to have fun, but also check out the ministries that are available to them on campus. There was a huge turnout! I think over 300 students came out! It was a great success and we met a lot of students.
I think the highlight though for me for the first week was on Saturday. We had kickball and ice cream on Landis Green. This was our first event on our own apart from Go Week, and I felt like I was able to connect so much better with the students here. I met some awesome girls, including a girl named Melissa. We were talking and sharing and I could tell she has a heart for the Lord, so I asked her to share her testimony. Wow, it was amazing. From living in New York, to losing her sister, to moving down south, to then losing her mom, and having to live with her other sister. You wouldn't be able to tell all this from the outside: she is such a light and so joyful! It was a blessing to get to know her, and continue to know her! Kickball was also a huge success! We had at least 50 or 60 students come out to play with us!
We had a small break on Sunday, and then it was back to campus on Monday. Monday-Wednesday included tabling at 3 different locations on campus to make ourselves available to students looking to get plugged into a ministry. We collected their information in order to contact them for our Bible studies and events for the week.
Tuesday was our first Nav Nite! There were some kinks to work out, but overall I was so excited to be there and see the students!! The small auditorium was filled! We must have had at least 60-70 students!
Wednesday was our Bible study! I'm leading a freshmen study in a dorm called Kellum with a student leader named Hannah. I am SO excited to be working with her! She is so sweet and so intentional with women. So far it has been a joy to work with her as an insider as a student on campus. We met together beforehand to talk over things and prayed for the night- we were wondering if anyone was even going to come. The Lord provided! Six girls came out, and we had such an awesome first night! We shared a little bit about ourselves, played a get to know you game called "Can of Worms" where we each write a question down and put it in the can, and then we draw a different question to answer. We also shared our spiritual stories, and all the girls were open about where they're at! It was so encouraging. Then we talked about the Bible study, took a look at how it's set up, discussed our expectations, I prayed for them and then we hung out for a little while. As I left campus, I prayed to the Lord. I'm already attached! I love these girls so much! My heart is already for them, I just pray they return this week!
Thursday night Lauren and I headed to campus to bring cookies and paint nails on one of the floors in Kellum. We met up with another one of the student leaders to meet the girls on her hall- 8 of them hung out with us! Friday was our freshmen event: Spicy Friday, which included tacos and spicy uno! We had a pretty big group of freshmen come out for dinner and to play games- a great hit! Saturday we had a girl's pool party and over 30 girls came! What a blast to relax and just get to know some of the new students!
So far it's been crazy. I can't believe how fast time is going and how busy we are!! I'm so exhausted! So what has God been teaching me through all of this craziness? Too much to even record!
I am continually reminded that I must abide in Him. There is no way I can do any of this on my own apart from him. I felt drawn to read some of Paul's words:
"We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)
There have been many nights when I get to bed late and have to wake up early the next morning, when I have to miss meals because I'm just so busy, but none of that compares to Paul's ministry. He wrote so many of his letters from prison as chains clinked around him. I love what he says at the end here. Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. There may be many things in this life that cause sorrow, but we have true joy that is only offered through the hope of the gospel. Poor, yet making many rich. I live on a measly budget, and as I walk through a store I think of all the things I've had to give up in order to do this. I live in a house full of people with no space to call my own. Do I regret the sacrifices? Not at all. Why? Because in doing this, I pray that the Lord uses me to make many rich, eternally so. I plead that I get to be a part of something bigger than myself. I want to offer the wealth of eternal life to these students! Not that it's mine to offer, but I want to share my story with them of how I became abundantly wealthy. It may appear to the untrained eye that I have nothing, and definitely nothing to offer others, but in truth, I possess everything! I have all that I need, and all that I do not deserve!
Last week in my extended time, I listened to God of This City by Chris Tomlin:
"You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here
There is no one like our god
There is no one like our God
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here"
That left me so encouraged! I know there is a lot of work to be done, but we are joining what God is already doing! Greater things are yet to come! I already have such a heart for Tallahassee. I love this city. There is still much to write, but not enough time! I hope this post helps give you an idea of what life is like here. Pray for me. Pray for our ministry. Pray for this city. I'll write again very soon!
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