Enconter 2010

We had an awesome time at Encounter 2010 - Crusade's winter conference!

These videos will probably say more than I could ever write about - enjoy!

Video made by one of our UT students, featuring our students!

The official video - Midsouth Region Encounter 2010 Recap.!

It's Been a While

Wow! It has been such a long time since I've really posted anything of worth. Life has been out-of-the-ordinary for about a month now, since the students have been on Christmas break, and I have been really enjoying the time with friends and family, and resting up for next semester. So for this post, I think I will just hit on some of the things going on in my life and the lives of the people I love over the past month. Things that have been on my heart, and just good times that were had this Christmas break!

Right after leaving Knoxville I was able to take a week and travel to Spartanburg, Charlotte, and Boiling Springs on a marathon visit of old friends. It was such a wonderful time - I was able to see so many friends who have become dear to me over the years. Seriously - couldn't believe how many people I was able to spend really good quality time with. The only bummer was that I missed a few in Boiling Springs, but hopefully I'll get back there soon - I really love that place and the community that became my family. Also, let me just say how much I realize I love the people of Spartanburg. I mean, I knew that I had come to really love being there, but it hit me afresh when I visited a few weeks ago - I have been blessed with AMAZING people who really love me and care for me in that city, and I miss you all terribly. Thanks for showing me the love of Christ and just pouring your lives into mine.

My brothers and I spent the entire week before Christmas working out tails off to make an NC State Corn Hole board for our dad's Christmas present. We had to try and apply a million layers of paint and use saws and drills, etc. without dad finding out about it. Also, paint takes about 10x longer to dry when its cold outside. Suffice it to say - I was paranoid for a week! BUT, it all paid off. I thank Chris Keene and the Gardner-Webb Theatre Dept. for my excellent training in detail work in painting - the end result was pretty awesome!

Another awesome thing - it SNOWED on Christmas! I absolutely love snow, and I absolutely love Christmas, and the two combined was wonderful! We got about 12 inches total, and it really was a Winter Wonderland.
I was really grateful to, and excited by, my family this Christmas. We scaled back our Christmas to each other so that we could give to others and invest in the Kingdom of God. What a blessing.

The day after Christmas we went to our friends, the Teaters' house, and had a sledding party! I love it when we do things like that - like we used to when we're kids. I hope I never get too old to have sledding parties. Also, Luke and Betsy came from D.C., which was wonderful, since I think they're awesome and I want us to be good friends. My not-so-secret hope is that one day Betsy and I will be able to have coffee dates on a regular basis.... Also, I'm dying to visit them in India.

Once they move there, that is! On December 2, my friends Aaron and Abby had their first baby - little Eli. From what I've heard it was a wonderful day, in that Eli was born, but otherwise pretty terrifying, in that he was way too early, Abby went into seizures and almost died, etc. Their journey has been incredible to watch and read about (Facebook and blogging can be huge blessings when keeping up with friends!). I am amazed at the provision of the Father in their lives, and so thankful for this sweet baby boy who I know already is, and will continue to be, such a blessing. I'm also amazed to see the vast community that has gathered around them in support. They inspire me, and I hope to have such an impact in so many lives. You can read about their story here.

Dec. 27th - Jan. 1st I was in Greensboro, NC for the MidSouth region of Crusade's Winter Conference called Encounter. Wow - lots of capitol letters in that last sentence. It was really an amazing time with students, fellow staff, and the Lord. A huge blessing for me was that it was the first time since coming on staff with Crusade that I began to feel like I "fit." Not that anyone has made me feel like an outsider - quite the opposite - I have been truly welcomed and made to feel at home among the staff and students at UT. But you know how it is - it just takes a while to feel like you're not the new person, especially in my case, not having a Crusade background as a student. It was a wonderful time, and included a dance party - one of my favorite things in the world!

The past few days I've laid around and read some awesome books - another of my favorite things in life. I can seriously get caught up in a story. Something I decided a long time ago - music and books are always worth my money! (not that I blow it all, but if I'm going to spend some - that's a good investment!)

Finally, my best friend is having a baby in about 3 WEEKS!! I think it's really cool that she got to experience being super pregnant at Christmas time - could kind of identify with Mary. (thought I don't know if she feels the same way!) But I get to be Aunt Cayli so very soon, and I CAN'T WAIT! If I love this little baby so much already, what will it be like to be a mom? I hope I get to find out one day!

Siblings and cousins on Christmas day!

Betsy and I at the sledding party!

Beautiful winter berries. Isn't God's creativity and beauty astonishing?

White Christmas? Yes, please!

Sometimes I'm really bad at remembering to post. Apologies.

On the upside, its looking like we might have us a white Christmas!

New staff and interns with Campus Crusade must go through a 2-year training process in order to become full staff. Therefore, one morning a week, I can be found in Remedy coffee for several hours reading articles and books, journaling, listening to podcasts, etc. as part of my training. About half of the training is study, and half is experience (discussing a certain topic with a student, taking a student through training materials, making contacts on a new area of campus, etc.) Its actually really practical and useful, as much as we sometimes get frustrated with it :)

So as part of my training, I was supposed to write my testimony in a way that can be communicated in about 3 minutes. That's really hard to do, by the way, but now that its done, I'm beginning to see how very useful it is! The simple truths of the gospel (we use the basic 4 spiritual laws, if you know what that is) are included in the testimony, and therefore, you can actually share the gospel of Christ in situations where you might not have a lot of time - like chatting with someone while standing in line at the grocery store! It is also the most natural way to share with people, because you're just telling them your own experience and something that is important to you.

One of my checkpoints in training is to post my testimony online somewhere, and receive feedback from people. So, here it is below, and I really would love your feedback!

My Story

God is good. What do you think when you hear that phrase? Does your heart readily agree? Do you cringe? Do you laugh? Does anger well up inside?

I think a lot of people struggle with the idea that God is good. Some spend their whole lives wrapped up in a lie - speaking words of faith and conviction, while they harbor anger at, and fear of, God on the inside. Others go into open rebellion, cursing His name and doing all that they can to rebel against His character and Law. Still others decide to simply deny His existence, rather than deal with their disappointment with Him and hurt over what He has ordained for their lives.

I have definitely struggled with whether I really believed that God was good, cared about me, and was trustworthy. My senior year of college, especially, was a really hard time when I was dealing with a lot of doubts about God and my faith. I have believed in God since I was very young. My parents are Christians, so I grew up going to church and being taught about God, the Bible, Jesus, etc. I knew that God created me, loved me and wanted to have a relationship with me. I also knew that I had done wrong things that were against God’s good laws and standards for living, and because God is holy and perfect, those wrong things made me dirty and separated me from Him for eternity. But I was taught that God Himself, in the form of a man named Jesus, came to Earth, lived the perfect life that I couldn’t live, and then died – taking my punishment on Himself, so that the way would be clear for me to have a relationship with God. When I was nine years old, I decided that I wanted that personal relationship with God. I told Him that I needed to be clean because of my sin, that I believed that Jesus had paid my penalty and that I was trusting Him to cleanse me and rescue me from my own sin and death. I asked Him to come into my life and take control of it, deciding that I would follow and trust Him.

The thing about trusting God is that you have to do it when things are dark and scary and painful, as well as when they’re great. My senior year of college was a very dark time for me. I experienced the loss of a significant relationship in my life, and for the first time, really had to walk through the valley of grief. I was hurt and angry and afraid, and began to doubt many things about God and my faith. Was God really good? Did He even care about me? Was I expendable to Him? Was I somehow messing up my entire life? Was I going to walk away from God? I was afraid of God, and even more afraid of walking away from my faith – I had made it the foundation of my life, and now I was questioning the validity and trustworthiness of that foundation. I entered into months of depression driven by grief and fear.

I wanted so badly to believe with confidence that God is good, that He loves me intimately and cares about all of the details of my life, that He is patient and will never give up on me, but those were the very things that I was doubting, and I didn’t know how to escape those doubts. Then one day a ray of light burst through the very dark clouds in my life. I was laying in bed one morning, literally trying to work up the will to get up and do something – anything – to engage with life. All of a sudden God spoke these words into my mind: “Remember the little girl?” It really took me off guard, and for a second I had no idea what He was talking about, but then a memory rushed to my mind of someone telling me the story of a little girl who was adopted. For months her parents would find rotting and moldy food hidden all over her room, because she was so afraid that she would not be fed. Her father described how painful and frustrating it was to watch his daughter continue to live in fear, regardless of how many times he told her that she was safe now, would always have enough food and would always be loved and taken care of. It was a year before that little girl stopped hiding food and trusted the love of her father.

All of that story flashed into my mind in an instant, and then the Lord spoke again into my heart and mind, saying: “You are that little girl. You’re so scared right now, and you don’t trust Me to take care of you and do what’s best for you, but that’s okay, because I am that father too. He was hurt and frustrated that his little girl took so long to trust Him, but that had no effect on His love for her. He never stopped loving her and taking care of her, and he would wait as long as it took for her to trust His love. It’s okay that you need time and aren’t perfect in this, I’m your father. I love you, and I’ll wait for you.”

Did I instantly trust Him? No. But I had hope. I knew that He loved me. I saw that He is personal and intimate and patient. And looking back, this was an essential turning point in my relationship with the Lord. I needed to see, practically, in my life that He is faithful. I needed to know Him as the God who is incredibly personal, who cares for me with unwavering attention and concern. And it was because of walking through such a dark time in my life that I was able to see and believe His goodness and love. That is the definition of a faithful God – who takes brokenness, pain, and despair, and from that brings newness, wholeness, hope and joy. He is my foundation – one that is solid and trustworthy, and I can say with confidence, “God is so very good.”

CCC Chilean Mine Involvement

Every month I receive a special staff newsletter from Campus Crusade for Christ (pretty official huh?!), and the last one had an article by Christian Maureira, Campus Crusade National Director of Chile, that I found interesting/inspiring/exciting/etc., and so I shall now share a section of it with all of you.

"At Campus Crusade, God guided us to think about how we could help these men and this was how we took initiative to contact some churches in the north, leaders and authorities about sending the JESUS audio (from the JESUS film) into the mine...God in His sovereignty provided that we were able to gain contact with the daughter and the brother of one of the three Christians who were trapped there.
During several weeks, I was in contact with them, and I explored the possibility of sending them audio material. Finally, I travelled to the mine with 33 MP3's containing the JESUS audio version and an ample portion of the Bible. I was there for two days, and we sent the MP3's throught each family member who was there.
Jose Samuel, my contact in the mine is an extraordinary man who has really surprised me. The psychologists, who are giving help from the surface, have recognized that he has been a tremendous emotional and spiritual support for the rest of his co-workers.
He sent me a letter that grabbed my attention for his incredible clarity of thought. For example, some parts of the letter are:

- 'I want to express my appreciation for this great blessing for me and my co-workers, it will be very good for our edification.' (He is talking about the MP3's)

- 'I am well because Christ lives in me.'

- 'We have prayer services at 12 (noon) and 6 p.m.'

- 'I ask all of you for prayer not only for us here, but for all the lost people in the world.'

At the end of his letter he signed off with Psalm 95:4: 'In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.'

Let's continue to pray for the salvation of these souls. Thanks for being a part of this."

What amazing evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in a believer! This man could have been depressed, fearful, doubting God, etc. But instead, He showed great confidence in his Lord, who, even while they were in that mine, was holding the depth of the earth in His hand. He knows that He belongs to God and is held by Him no matter what, and because of that security, his primary concern is that his coworkers and all of the people of the earth will have that same security!

I'm pretty thankful to be working for an organization that is seeking and open to the Lord's will in how He wants to use us in any and all situations - even in the collapse of a Chilean mine. So there you go, my cool story for the day. Enjoy your Monday evening!

Happenings...

It's hard to believe that we only have a few weeks to wrap up the semester, but its true! I had forgotten a bit what college life is like - short but intense semesters. It leave us as a staff team trying to cram all sorts of events, meetings, one-on-one time with students into a very short amount of time, in which students are super busy with school, social lives, weekends home with family, etc. Its definitely a challenge, but also lots of fun!

The next few weeks will be pretty busy, but I'm excited about what we have coming up. On Wednesday we are holding an outreach on campus called iCare. We will have couches out in a prominent location on campus, with free hot chocolate and apple cider, and people ready to sit down on the couches and simply talk about life. It seems like people wouldn't want to sit down and talk with perfect strangers about their lives, but you would be surprised how many people are willing to open up, and this is the sort of event that actually appeals to many college students - just random and weird enough to make them want to participate (plus free food always draws a crowd!) We are hoping to engage people in spiritual conversations, and it should be really cool to be able to just sit down with people on campus and talk about issues, thoughts, experiences that are important to them.

We just had a fantastic Halloween party this past weekend. Our students are always looking for an opportunity to dance, so we called it Rave-o-Ween, gave out glow sticks, got some colored lights and strobe lights, and they danced the night away! We had some great costumes, great food, and great times with great people! Top costumes of the night: a guy dressed up as Madea from the Tyler Perry movies, a group of students dressed up as Toy Story characters, a girl dressed as Sarah Palin, and a guy student who went as our campus director of Crusade, Britton.

In two weeks we will be holding a Fall Carnival on campus in place of our regular weekly meeting. Its a great way to meet new people who aren't involved in Crusade because in order to get tickets to participate in the different carnival booths, students fill out an information card. Then we have their contact information and can do follow-up phone calls and meetings with them individually. Also, it'll be lots of fun - complete with a Cake Walk, balloon-dart game, football toss, and Pie the Staff in the Face booth! Fun times will be had by all.

I've got a pretty regular group of freshman girls who are coming to my Bible Study now, which is exciting because I am beginning to meet one-on-one with them regularly, and figure out how to best disciple each of them. They just held an outreach event for the girls in their dorm where they handed out candy to all 400 of the girls in Morrill. We had encouraging notes in the baggies, but had to remove them because the Resident Hall Director saw it as soliciting. Our prayer is that the girls will hear that the Morrill Crusade girls were the ones who gave out the candy by word-of-mouth, and hopefully that will begin good relationships with the girls in the dorm. I was really proud of how my girls took ownership of the outreach, and I think it helped to bind them closer together as a group as well.

So that's whats going on in the next couple of weeks...

And now, lovely autumn thoughts to leave you with...

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~George Eliot

"October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter." ~Nova Bair

Autumnal Days

So, I have been a horrible blogger. I have truly abandoned all efforts to update in the past 4 weeks, and there is no excuse except that I have literally been out of town for half of this month, and catching up with everything back in Knoxville the other half! So apologies friends and faithful followers - I shall now attempt to resume updating on a reasonably regular basis!

It is Autumn. I capitolized the word, and I'm not sure if that is grammatically correct, but I love the season so much that I felt it needed the recognition of capitolization. The air starts to get crisp at night, but its still warm enough during the day to sit on a blanket in the sunshine and read, or go on the perfect walk with a friend. I have been having some of my meetings with my girls in a park nearby and going on walks - just to enjoy this incredible weather! Everywhere you look trees and bushes are exploding with color. People seem to be drawn outdoors, soaking in the last warm days of the year, and taking time to simply gaze at the beauty.

Autumn is also the season of the harvest. I think its so cool how God tied this idea of harvest to an experience I had at New Staff Field Training a couple of weeks ago. I was on a team of people who were helping launch a new movement (basically a ministry) contextualized for African American students on a university campus in eastern NC. I went in thinking that most of the people we would be talking to would have some sort of Christian background, simply because of my assumptions that most African Americans in the South go to church as a part of their culture. The Lord really showed me that I can't make assumptions about people, though, and that in doing so, I can actually limit Him and even put Him in a box.

While we were working on this campus, a couple of the people on our team began a conversation with a girl who was willing to fill out a survey. When they saw that she answered "yes" to a question about whether she would want to know more about how to know God personally, they asked her more about that, and she told them that she had always wanted to know how to know God, but she had never been told anything about Him or how to know Him! One of the girls on our team met with her the next day, shared the Gospel with her, and she gave her life to Christ in their meeting! She even shared that she'd had friends tell her that they were praying for her, and she always wanted to know what that meant and how she could pray, but didn't know how. I suppose she just never asked anyone, and no one thought to ask her if she knew God, or if she wanted to.

That story just blew my mind! I was sharing it with one of our senior girls the other day, and she reminded me of Jesus' words: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Luke 10:2). There are people who are ready to be harvested - they don't need any more time or sunlight or water - they just need the Word of life so that they can respond to it! They need to know about Jesus, because they are so ready to say "yes" to Him - but no one is telling them. How many pepole have I told, "I'm praying for you," but have simply never asked, "do you want to know God? Because I can tell you how to know God." How many people are waiting for a question like that - absolutely ready to respond to the news that they can experience forgiveness, love, peace, and freedom?

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray that we would be bold on UT's campus. Pray that we would take the initiative in the power of the Spirit to share the Word of life with people. And pray that the Christians on campus and involved in Crusade would do the same - that "Christ-centered laborers" (as Crusade puts it) would be raised up to reap the harvest that Christ already said was plentiful. I am praying the same for all of you. And as you pray, go on a walk, because it's good for the soul - and how can you ignore the beckoning of such beauty?