The semester begins

Monday was the start of classes for all Fredonia students... but for me it was the day I finished my coursework. I officially turned in my thesis on Tuesday and am now done with my Masters in Education, although my graduation date in May 2013. I'm ahead of schedule by finishing a few days earlier than I planned.... anyway back to the rest of the students. As the jar busting post states (which you should read first), students are preparing to serve God in many different ways. Some students, like Danielle, will be posting on this blog to update you on how they're responding to the challenges God's placed in their heart: often as a result of the service trip or Urbana. They're stepping up into leading and branching out into different unreached sections of the campus and world. A few ideas of what's coming: Bowling and real friendships with international students set up in partnership with the International Education Office, a new 22+ small group to reach the older undergrad students, 3+ people inviting curious friends to Groups Investigating God, and the AIDS caregiver kit build. If you can pray for these new leaders as they step up and out of their comfort zone and for success in their ministries, they would appreciate it. While I did have the chance to be the staff worker (as shown here: http://vimeo.com/25837758) challenging the students, I am growing more excited as I prepare myself for campus. I'm reading up on leadership development and how to start new ministries while also strengthening myself and raising support through fundraising and training. Since I'm passionate about developing leaders, I plan to help grow the ministry on campus by growing more leaders and supporting them as they reach out in faith. Please be praying for all of the things happening on campus and for me as I prepare off campus raising my support.

Service Trip Final Night: Jar Busting

Our final night, Brett came to speak to us about carrying on the work of the service trip onto our campus during the semester. If the trip attitudes of service and Christian loving and family exist only during the one week then it's not worth having the trip. I agreed completely with this statement as over the past five years (since my outreach team started it in 2009), our on campus impact has varied. This year between the challenges presented during Urbana to 6 of the students and shared during the trip with another 20-30 students, I'm hoping we will have a bigger impact in our daily lives. Brett's talk focused on Mark 14:1-26 which describes a woman breaking a precious jar of perfume over Jesus' feet then wiping them with her hair. He challenged us to: 1. Go where most won't go 2. Bring what most won't bring and 3. Do what most won't do. This semester, the goal is for the students to break their jars (overcoming the fear) containing what is precious to them (time, money, future goals, etc.) to serve God where He calls them to be (wherever that may be). I know that I had to give up my preplanned life of getting a full time teaching job, with a guaranteed salary to continue to serve God on Fredonia's campus with InterVarsity so I know the temptation to just let our precious resources just drip out (giving little bits of money or time here or there, but not committing ourselves to His work completely. This semester I've challenged many students with specific ways that God might be calling them to step up and break the jar to serve Him. One student responded with "You just HAD to say the jar. Now I have no choice." It's a convicting thing to think about how God wants us to surrender to him and the metaphor can help provide students with the needed push to commit to going and doing something new this semester.

AIDS Caregiver Kits

At Urbana they had an event where all 16,000 of us made medical kits for caregivers in Africa. The caregivers are people that help the sick people affected by AIDS in their area. However, they are limited in their ability to help. The medical kits contain several items that the caregivers need to care for the people; such as petroleum jelly, anti-fungal cream, gloves, water purifiers, washcloths, all held in a drawstring backpack. I would like to have an event to make some of these kits and mail them to the caregivers. To do this, we would need to have a fundraiser since the kits are $22 each (this includes the supplies and shipping costs). Also, we need at least 50 kits to be made to do this. Please prayerfully consider helping InterVarsity at Fredonia to accomplish this goal.

Service Trip Overview: From the story box

Each night we had a story box where students could write short or long stories and memories from the trip to be included on this blog and in the newsletter about the service trip. Here's one story: "I've always grown up going to Christian camps, and it was hard feeling accepted. However, coming to InterVarsity, I was overwhelmed and showered with love. The first thing I noticed about coming here was that everyone made sure they talked to someone they didn't know... and they were persistent! Even as we were blessed to have a home made dinner at First Baptist Church, they too made sure the students and adults mingled. They were such a blessing to us all. This trip has been full of heartfelt moments, tears, and laughter that makes your side hurt. This experience was very changing." God works in wonderful ways through the trip and we have been challenged to take our experience during the trip onto campus. To share it with others, both in the chapter and not, and to go and do what few desire to go and do, in God's power. Not to be dripping our precious perfume (Mark 14), but to break the jar and go all in. I pray that will happen this semester on campus and that the campus will be able to smell the perfume of our lives in humble service to God.

Service Trip Day 5: Notebooks Part 2

Friday night at midnight was the scheduled time to open up our notecard journals. After we finished the evening activities we had about 2 hours to complete any remaining notecards and place them in the 29 bags. For some people it was easy: they had completed the cards by Wednesday or only had a few remaining. For others, especially the coordinators, the majority of cards still needed to be written. Personally, I ended up writing IOUs to almost everyone as I got the chance to have a few 1-1 conversations instead (which I prioritized above writing cards that will instead be done by the weekend so they can be more in depth). We learned the joy and challenge of writing detailed cards about the wonderful people we served with over the trip. At midnight, each person was handed their bag with the cards on a ring inside. As people read the encouraging words, you could hear and see the joy, awww moments, and hugs erupting around the room. Below are a few pictures of the scene and a chance to join in the celebration of how God connected all of us. The pleasure of a written word of encouragement in amazing and powerful as we can quickly refer to the trip through the cards. See for yourself.

Service Trip Day 5: Notecards Part 1

Throughout the week, we have been writing note cards with little stories and encouraging words on them for each participant on the trip. Today, I worked with one student to hole punch them and attach them together with a book ring. While many of the students have not finished writing the notes yet, later tonight we will pass them out to the students so they can read what other think about them. Last year, we had journals that we wrote in for each participant. These journals brought people to tears as they read the encouraging words. The best part about it is that each student can take home their notecards and look at it whenever they are feeling sad or just need some encouragement. I know the journal idea started (with the notecards an adaptation of the journals), when we realized the power of sharing our feelings with each other during the service trip. Just after the first student trip, I headed to Australia to study abroad, but the chapter through me a surprise going away party. The best present they gave me was a journal with stories of how I had impacted their life, memories, and encouraging words. Whenever I was feeling lonely in Australia, I would open up that journal and remember that I had Christian friends praying for me and that I had been an impact in their lives. When I left Australia, I had some of my friends write in the same journal, then decided to continue it last year on the service trip. Each time, people are built up and encouraged to continue to impact those around them. We are called to build each other up and the notecards or journals provide a way to continue to touch the lives of those on the trip. Please pray for us tonight as we rush to finish the cards. While a few are done with them, many of us still need to finish alot of the 28 cards. Tomorrow we will debrief and head back to campus for the beginning of the semester.

Service Trip Day 4: Potluck and Caregiver Kits

Each night different churches and businesses provide wonderful meals for us. Thursday night we went to First Baptist Church in Dunkirk for a potluck dinner and time of fellowship with some of the members of the church. They were very smart and had already separated themselves to 2-3 people at each table so we couldn't follow our usual tendencies to just sit by ourselves. Instead, we got to enjoy mingling and connecting with those at our table. After we finished eating a portion of the food (many of the leftovers we ate for lunch Friday and we still have more leftovers), we all introduced ourselves. Dan (the Western NY Area Director for IV) drove up to visit and shared about the proxe station he had helped with at the UB campus. It gave a great example for the students of what a proxe station could look like, since none of the e-board had ever seen one. Fredonia sadly has not done an evangelistic proxe station to reach out to campus in about 5 years. After Dan spoke, I shared some about the service trip and Urbana before introducing a student to discuss her plan to make kits to send to caregivers of people with AIDS in Africa. At Urbana, we built 16,000 kits and while Fredonia's goal for the semester is smaller (50-100 kits), it is still a large task to raise $22 per kit. She and a few other students are working hard this semester to raise the funds to build these kits. If you're interested in joining, please comment below or contact me. This goal of continuing to serve throughout the semester through the kits is just one of many ways the students are bring God's love to the campus and world. Please pray for us as we finish up the last hour of service and our final night together.