Busy past 2 weeks

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. These past couple of weeks have been very busy, plus I did not have internet for half of the time, so I am just now finally getting around to posting!

Anyways….so far everything has been going very well! The transition has been so smooth that it is almost too good to be true. God really prepared the way for me to be here and he has not stopped his continual provisional since I arrived. The upperclassmen in RUF are incredible. They are so welcoming and take on a lot of responsibility for RUF. I have met tons of students and have even started having one-on-one meetings with freshmen girls. I have met with 6 girls so far for coffee, breakfast, lunch, ice cream, etc. and I am about to meet with another one in about 30 minutes! I really enjoy these meetings- they are fun. The girls are all so different and are enjoyable to talk to. Tonight a group of girls is coming to my apartment to watch a movie and to bake these scotcharoos!

Last week Clemson started classes, and every night of the week, starting on Monday, RUF had welcome back events planned. On Monday RUF had a table set up on Bowman field for organization days, and afterwards RUF hosted a free snow cone night for any interested students. On Tuesday we had a big BBQ on the intramural fields. On Wednesday we had a game night on campus. On Thursday we had a swing and shag dancing night. (People up here love to dance, and they are quite good at it. In fact, shag is the official dance of South Carolina. I tried to learn shag and failed. I promised myself I would learn over the next two years though!) On Friday we went roller skating at a nearby skating rink. 80’s was the theme so everyone wore super tacky clothes, and skated to some old school jams. I felt like I was in middle school- maybe because the last time I skated was in middle school, or maybe it was because all the other people there were in middle school… Saturday we had a lake day, and some really great families from Clemson Presbyterian Church brought out their boats and taught students to ski and wakeboard. Overall the week was a success, and it was really fun! It was a great way for me to meet most of the older RUF crowd that has been involved in RUF for a few years as well as to meet new members, especially freshmen.

The first RUF large group will be this coming Tuesday at 8:00! Please pray that many students, especially freshmen, would come, and that they would feel welcome and accepted and that they would hear a clear presentation of the Gospel.

Also, I am starting a Book Club with several girls (mostly upperclassmen) on Fridays. We are all excited about it! I am especially pumped. I love to read and analyze a little too much!

Furthermore, I finally got my room settled yesterday, too, which is very exciting and also more comfortable- I had been sleeping in my sleeping bag. Now I feel a little more adjusted, and my apartment is a much more relaxing place.

Please pray for the relationships that I have already begun forming with freshmen. Pray that I would listen to them well and that I can plan activities that will allow us to bond. (I am hoping to take some girls hiking in the near future, maybe on Friday.)

Pray that I would establish more of a routine, more of a balance to life. Right now I am having a hard time sleeping when I need to, reading for the study program when I need to, and exercising when I need too. I can’t seem to find time to do any of these things!

I will hopefully send out an e-mail in the next week to all you who support, so be on the lookout for that.

Also, my mailing address (for anyone who needs it) is 833 Old Greenville Highway #830, Clemson, SC 29631.

Hopefully, there will be more blogging to come, soon and regularly.

 

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Here!

I finally made it, though I’m not quite settled in yet.

After some minor snafus with keys and such I finally got into my new apartment yesterday. Some unbelievably nice students hung around for about 2 hrs waiting for the keys with me and then helped me being all my stuff up 3 flights of stairs, where we put all my junk in the corner of my dining room since my room is currently being occupied. It would have taken me a long time to unload by myself so I am very thankful that I had help!

Last night I had a tasty dinner with the Speaks, and today for lunch I met a bunch of students at the Irish Pub where we ate and celebrated Stephen’s birthday.

So far, so good! I’m enjoying everyone I’ve met, and there seems like a lot of fun to be had in the great outdoors. Hallelujah! Ready for a schedule and to start meeting freshman!

Adios, I’m off to run errands!

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Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day. I’m moving!

I will roll out of Birmingham tomorrow morning about 7 a.m. (hopefully), and after that I will no longer hail from the ‘ham. (It’s weird moving to a different state. I didn’t realize how much I liked Alabama).

Two days ago the air conditioner in my car broke, so I got that fixed today (I didn’t want to scare off any potential students I might meet tomorrow with 5 hours worth of sweat built up) , and about hmmm….10 minutes ago I remembered that there would be a subleaser living in my room in my apartment when I get there for about a week…oops! But my car is already packed to the brim so there’s no turning back now.

After I move in tomorrow (or, more likely, find random unoccupied corners of the apartment in which I  can cram my stuff) I’ll go to Stephen and Rebekah’s house (that’s the campus minister and his wife) and have dinner. Then Wednesday is Stephen’s birthday, and he’s hanging out with students for lunch at a local restaurant, so I’ll go to that and meet some students. My parents are coming to move the rest of my stuff on Thursday, and my sister, Katie, is stopping in Clemson on her way from D.C. to Birmingham on Friday, and then I’m helping students move into their dorms on Saturday, so my week is already starting to shaping up!

Please pray that I can find space in my apartment to put all of my stuff once I get to Clemson. Pray that moving in is easy, and that I would have good first interactions with the students I meet. Also, the subleaser occupying my room doesn’t speak much/any English I’ve been told so pray that we can communicate and have a great week of living together.

 

 

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To whomever my anonymous donor is,

you inspire me.

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85%!!!

I got a call today from the RUF office  saying that I am at 85% and that I can now move to campus!! Woo! THANK YOU EVERYONE for your prayers and support! I am amazed and relieved.

My projected moving date has rolled back a few days to the 16th or the 17th now because it’ll give me more time to pack and get things finalized here in Birmingham. Clemson’s class doesn’t start until the 24th, anyway, so I’ll still be there a week early regardless, (which is incredible!)

Please be in prayer for my fellow interns as they work towards 85% as well. Some are really close and some have a really long way to go. I am blessed to come from an environment where people understand campus ministry and give willingly, but some of my intern friends do not have this type of support and are really struggling. Please pray that they would trust, that God would provide, and that others would give.

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Another update…and may I suggest a book?

I am up to $22,995! I cannot wrap my mind around how much money that is. That’s like another year of tuition at Auburn that people (like some of you!) have freely given me! Thank you a million times!

God is a good provider, not one who, like an indulgent parent, spoils his child with excess, teaching him nothing, but rather He is a provider who patiently and consistently dispenses the proper amount of blessing, teaching his child to value the wisdom and care of the Giver rather than his gift.

I am confident that the Lord will provide the remaining $4,625.75 for me to move to campus and then the additional $4,874.25 to reach 100% for the year. All these numbers seem small in light of a God who parted waters, healed the sick, turned water in to wine, and raised a dead man. All worry and doubt seem irrational in light of a God who chooses those that were enemies to his nature and calls them to Himself and to certain and future completion.

In other news, if you do not already know, interns have a study program that we work through over the course of the two-year internship. In addition to working through the Bible we read books on theology and ministry. The idea is that by reading these books and using our minds to engage every point we will be better equipped to love and serve students.

As I said in a previous post, I am grateful that RUF does not ground itself on a method of evangelism. (Not that having a strategy is necessarily a bad thing.) The books we read are not “how-tos” on witnessing or spiritual improvement. They are books that explore the Gospel from different angles and with emphasis on different components of it. Our goal in reading is always more exposure to the bare-bones Gospel in the belief that ministry springs up organically where the seed of Truth has taken root.

So, all that to say, you should read Putting Amazing Back Into Grace, by Michael Horton, which I just finished reading for July. Simply put, it’s the best book on understanding grace, particularly justification, that I have ever read. And for all you “reformed” people out there, Mr. Horton does of fabulous job of walking through some of the foundational tenants of reformed theology.

The subtitle on my copy of the book rhetorically asks, “Who Does what in Salvation?” It seems like a fairly obvious answer, but something about the way Horton explains it makes it seem quite radical. He makes bold claims, supports them, and doesn’t back down. (Everyone has time to read something like that. Yep, even you!)

And not having the money to buy it is not an excuse, either 🙂 I found a retro copy from ’94 on half.com for 75 cents + shipping. (Putting that support money to good economical use!) You can find it here: http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQprZ399308

I recommend the retro copy. You never go wrong with retro.

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Thank you! and an Unexpected Interview

Thank you to everyone who is supporting me either financially or in prayer or both! I am so humbled by the care and generosity that others have shown me. Seeing individuals within the church live out the Gospel with their time and money has made me love the church more than I ever have.

I am excited to say that I have raised at least $19,165! (I say “at least” because I have had verbal commitments from several people, but their money is still being processed in the RUF office so I am not sure what the exact total is for the day.) Hopefully, on Friday I will have a more accurate amount to report! I am still striving for a total of $27,620 by the 13th!!

Also, yesterday I had a strange thing happen to me.

A student from UGA majoring in journalism emailed me, asking if she could interview me about an article she was writing in response to a USA Today article about religion in the South and how secular universities impact a student’s religion. It was right up my alley.

I said “sure” and emailed her my phone number. She called about 20 minutes later. I asked how she got my name, and she said she googled “religious people on universities in the South.” I laughed really hard when she told me that. I’m not sure how my name showed up in Google. I think it may be because I was technically listed as RUF at Auburn’s president for the past 2 years. (Not a big deal…I just answered emails and attended a university meeting once a semester.)

The student interviewing me asked about RUF, what it is, how it works, who comes to it etc. It was awesome! How many people ever  just randomly  call you up on the phone and ask to talk to you about something you love, much less question you about Christianity!

For 30 minutes she asked me questions like, “Do you think students who grew up in Christian environments typically rebel when they go to college?” “Do you think peer pressure (especially the positive kind) to attend religious organizations plays a large part in students attending campus ministries like RUF?” “Is RUF a place mostly where students from the PCA or from Christian homes congregate?” “Do you think that students who grew up in religious environments are more likely to attend RUF or other religious organizations in college and why?” “Do you think that secular universities make students less religious?”

I believe that last question is what she was really getting at. It sounds like the USA Today article was arguing that secular universities DO make formerly religious students less religious. Interesting idea. I disagreed.

I am trying to find the USA Today article. I will post it here when I do. Also, the student told me she would send me a copy of her article with my interview in it once she’s finished. I will also post it here.

I would love to hear some of your responses to the question of whether or not secular universities have a negative affect on a students religion. Do you think attending a secular university make a student less religious? What would you have said?

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Training

I got back from my first official RUF training last Friday. The four days of training in Atlanta with all the other interns, campus ministers, and staff could not have come at a better time! I went into the week feeling tired and cynical, and I left feeling refreshed and energized to continue pushing on towards Clemson.

Being around the other interns, especially the first year interns like myself, was encouraging and fun. We talked about bad times and good times we’ve had this summer. We sat in the same rooms and listened to the same campus ministers tell us hard and good things that we needed to hear about what our jobs are going to be like next year. We got excited together. We got scared together. We laughed together, and occasionally cried together. We had great nights of fellowship, going out to dinner and even going to a Braves game.

One of the best parts about training was my prayer group. Five of us female first-years spent 3 hours in my hotel room spilling out the honest truths of what’s going on in our lives right now. Our same group had met once before, back in May at Orientation, when we spent the better part of 4 hours opening up about our life stories. (When I saw how much time was alloted for prayer groups on the schedule I thought it was a type-o, but, honestly, when you put 5 girls, who are raising support, in a room and tell them to pray for each other that’s about how much time you need.) We got really personal really fast back in May so there was no beating around the bush this time at training. It is a blessing to be amidst a group of people (that you’ve only been around for a total of 8 days ever!) and feel so much safety and acceptance. If you haven’t ever experienced that kind of unconditional love, the kind where you can say anything and the people you’re talking to don’t flinch, I hope that one day you do. As we went around the room I was reminded again, as I had been in May, that God does not call people to ministry who have their lives together. He calls the broken, the weak, those of us who have had great struggles and continue to struggle greatly to do his work and to gather His people to himself. I appreciate and love RUF all the more after those prayer groups: RUF chose to be interns people with really messy lives but who are loved by God and who have been called according to His purpose, not perfect people (they’re are none) to whom “sin” is a only chilling word they once heard on their way home from church. And, in light of unmerited choosing, how much greater is God’s love than RUF’s?! God chose sinners, not for a two year stay, but for an eternal life with Himself! I believed in the Gospel so much more after leaving that hotel room.

What Did Y’all Talk About At Training, April?

I am so glad you asked.

We went over RUF’S Philosophy of Ministry (POM), which I am about to (very) briefly outline below, and then broke it down into pieces. Different campus ministers addressed each piece. (You can probably find the seminars on ruf.org.)

*Side note: I really appreciate how RUF does not teach a process or a 12-step program on “how to minister.” Instead, RUF teaches the Gospel itself (see Principles below) and trusts that it alone is enough to inspire, motivate, and cultivate ministry. True ministry flows from a proper understanding of The Gospel.  

Basic Philosophy of Ministry:

Purpose: To reach students for Christ and equip them to serve

Goals: 1. Growth in Grace 2. Fellowship and Service 3. Evangelism and Missions 4. Biblical World and Life View

Principles: 1. Scripture 2. Justification 3. Sanctification 4. Glorification

Presuppositions: 1. God is at Work (I find myself saying this one a lot now) 2. The Bible 3. The Church 4. Demographics 5. The Individual 6. The Learning Process

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The First of Many Postings!

Hello!

I am so glad you made it to my blog. Feel free to stay awhile. I know things aren’t too comfy yet; the walls are a bit bare, and it may seem a little cold without words heating up the space, but new experiences have been ordered, and pretty soon I hope this blog will be smoking away with stories and updates and prayer requests that will leave you feeling welcome and warmed to the bone.

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