More testimonies from Basileia's student leadership conference.
Thank you so much for allowing me to grow deeper in my faith at Basileia! I can't wait to put God's word into action next semester as I enter into leadership on E-board at Fredonia. God has beautiful plans for me and I'm so undeserving of His Grace, but still He chose to call me child! [Sophomore]
Thank you for your generosity and prayer. IVCF has helped me and my friends form closer relationships with God and has provided many opportunities to be His hands and feet on campus and in the community. Thank you for being a friend to students like me who desire to see God move! [Junior]
Thank you so much for blessing me with the funds for Basileia. This week I was faced with the questions "What does it mean to follow Jesus where He goes?" "What's holding you back from following completely?" I realized that I am very weak. I often times doubt God's faithfulness and limit His works to my own capabilities. I have had a lot of time to spend in prayer asking God to kill the doubt and renew my faith. During the Retreat of Silence, He showed me this word and I hope it is encouraging to you as it was to me. Romans 5:2 "Because of faith, we stand in an undeserving privilege, surrendering to His leadership. Praise God that His mercies are new every morning. [Sophomore]
Thank you very much for the generous donations you have given to InterVarsity. Personally, it allowed me to attend Basileia. While at this Christian retreat, I experienced God in new ways and grew much closer in my walk with Jesus. InterVarsity has changed my life as well as many other students'! Some have made the decision to follow Christ while others have grown closer to Him. WIthout your donations, much of this would not be possible. [Senior]
Thank you so much for blessing me with the opportunity to experience God this week at Basileia. As a member of the Fall 2015 E-board [Student leaders] at Fredonia, I took away from all the messages on being more missional. On the last night, the word was from Matthew 25:45. God has really been pressing on my heart to love the least of these while at Fredonia, that will look like reaching out to the inclusive education students at Fredonia and in my dorm. Next semester I will be intentional on reaching three specific girls in my dorm. Praise God for the heart H has give me for His creation. Proverbs 31:8-9 [Sophomore]
Read about how God is working on The State University of New York at Fredonia through the students and Kathryn's journey as she raises funds to work as a full time staff worker. We aim to see students and faculty transformed, the campus renewed, and world changers developed.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Thank you highlights!
Below are some testimonies from students to the ministry partners who support InterVarsity prayerfully, financially, and with their time.
Joining InterVarsity has changed my life so much. I came into InterVarsity broken, with your support I was given the opportunity to worship God with some amazing people that helped fix that brokenness. Your consistent support has given me the chance to grow stronger in my faith, which is something that I doubt would have taken place if I was back at home. [Freshman]
Thank you for supporting InterVarsity at Fredonia! I have learned a lot of new things within this past year being a part of InterVarsity. One thing I learned was how to hear Jesus speak to me. With this, I will keep hearing Jesus throughout my life! [Senior]
You honestly don't know how much your constant support means to me. InterVarsity has helped me become a better person spiritually and mentally. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without InterVarsity and the fellowship they provide. My experiences at InterVarsity have been life changing and I hope that the Lord blesses you with all you need because you well deserve it. I hope in the near future I can become the leader that you want me to be, so that I can help support the next generation with their experiences with InterVarsity. [Freshman, new small group leader]
InterVarsity has helped me grow spiritually- through intimacy with Jesus, as well as the importance of fellowship. With this, I will continue to grow in my relationship with Jesus - the most important relationship of all! Thanks again! [Sophomore]
You have done an amazing thing for InterVarsity. You have given girls like me hope to get to know the Lord and what he stands for. InterVarsity has helped me get through a lot of [struggles] during the school year and I know stand here in triumph because my past no longer defines me, and InterVarsity helped me through that. I am forever thankful that I can continue my journey in InterVarsity for the next 3 years. Once again, thank you for everything you have done. [Freshman]
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and kindness throughout my time at Fredonia. I just finished spending five days at Saranac Lake for our annual Basileia conference. Basileia is Greek for "kingdom" and one cannot help to think about the kingdom of God as a place, right? But at Basileia, we have learned that the kingdom of God is a person, not a place. We took a look at the parable of the generous landowner, and it brought to mind that God is a generous landowner who supplies and abundant amount of grace to all his children. [Senior]
Your support has helped me a lot. If it wasn't for your support, there would be no InterVarsity at SUNY Fredonia. I will always be grateful that I got the chance to grow in my faith through InterVarsity. As I continue my years at SUNY Fredonia I will always remember the growth that I've experienced in InterVarsity in hopes that the class after me may experience the same thing. I just wanted to let you know in case no one has told you before you are amazing and all that you do for InterVarsity is well recognized. Thank you again. [Freshman]
Joining InterVarsity has changed my life so much. I came into InterVarsity broken, with your support I was given the opportunity to worship God with some amazing people that helped fix that brokenness. Your consistent support has given me the chance to grow stronger in my faith, which is something that I doubt would have taken place if I was back at home. [Freshman]
Thank you for supporting InterVarsity at Fredonia! I have learned a lot of new things within this past year being a part of InterVarsity. One thing I learned was how to hear Jesus speak to me. With this, I will keep hearing Jesus throughout my life! [Senior]
You honestly don't know how much your constant support means to me. InterVarsity has helped me become a better person spiritually and mentally. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without InterVarsity and the fellowship they provide. My experiences at InterVarsity have been life changing and I hope that the Lord blesses you with all you need because you well deserve it. I hope in the near future I can become the leader that you want me to be, so that I can help support the next generation with their experiences with InterVarsity. [Freshman, new small group leader]
InterVarsity has helped me grow spiritually- through intimacy with Jesus, as well as the importance of fellowship. With this, I will continue to grow in my relationship with Jesus - the most important relationship of all! Thanks again! [Sophomore]
You have done an amazing thing for InterVarsity. You have given girls like me hope to get to know the Lord and what he stands for. InterVarsity has helped me get through a lot of [struggles] during the school year and I know stand here in triumph because my past no longer defines me, and InterVarsity helped me through that. I am forever thankful that I can continue my journey in InterVarsity for the next 3 years. Once again, thank you for everything you have done. [Freshman]
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and kindness throughout my time at Fredonia. I just finished spending five days at Saranac Lake for our annual Basileia conference. Basileia is Greek for "kingdom" and one cannot help to think about the kingdom of God as a place, right? But at Basileia, we have learned that the kingdom of God is a person, not a place. We took a look at the parable of the generous landowner, and it brought to mind that God is a generous landowner who supplies and abundant amount of grace to all his children. [Senior]
Your support has helped me a lot. If it wasn't for your support, there would be no InterVarsity at SUNY Fredonia. I will always be grateful that I got the chance to grow in my faith through InterVarsity. As I continue my years at SUNY Fredonia I will always remember the growth that I've experienced in InterVarsity in hopes that the class after me may experience the same thing. I just wanted to let you know in case no one has told you before you are amazing and all that you do for InterVarsity is well recognized. Thank you again. [Freshman]
Monday, March 23, 2015
NYCUP
My viewpoint on justice has changed since I've been able to live it out regularly. I don't feel like NYCUP taught me much that was new as I knew about human trafficking and it's prevalence, I knew that I have trouble feeling and that sometimes it gets so bad that I'm not only suppressing my difficult emotions, but that I lose all desire to do anything, including simple tasks. I knew that I needed to work on accepting love and being shown love as well as being more vulnerable to share my feelings even in the midst of the constant pain that I feel. It's hard to accept that I can't do everything, but having the staff support to accept that makes a difference. I need that regular support and I felt truely loved as I arranged for a ride home and had three people willing to come and get me, even if that meant borrowing a car to do it.
Many of the phrases used during NYCUP I had heard before when I looked over the past notes from NYCUPs and training: discussing LoGOFF (Local, Green, Organic, Free, Fair Trade), ethnic identity, human trafficking, poverty + isolation=exploitation. But I want to increase my conscious thoughts for how I live in terms of the 4 P's: Pray, Purchase, Partner, and Policy. I want to continue to press into who I am as a Pennsylvania Dutch white person and what that means for how I relate to others. I'm thankful that I've grown in my own ethnic identity dramatically since I joined staff and then made the decision to fully invest in Dunkirk. I know that I have privileges that many others don't have and I want to help alleviate the differences when possible, knowing that they cause some types of poverty and isolation. I want to start next year with the goal of becoming a MEF and learning about who we are, embracing it and desiring wholeness in Christ. I know that others are watching my life and I feel that while I'm not perfect and I still have a long way to go, that I am far enough on the journey of racial reconciliation to invite others to join along side of me, even those who haven't considered their white culture. I never would have imagined my life turning out this way, but I wouldn't give it up either. I want that same thing for others so that they can see the bigger picture of the body of Christ. We need people of all races, ethnicities, ages, and voices to see who God is, to join alongside each other to rejoice and cry.
NYCUP gave us the chance to join alongside UVA in prayer around the police brutality that happened during the trip, to cry with others as they shared their psalms and were given permission to feel, to puzzle together what it means to accept our ethnic identity, and to rejoice as 10 joined in the body of Christ on our final night. Now as we return to our campuses and consider what this means for ourselves we know what we are inviting others to: a fuller picture of God's Kingdom on this earth.
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| Fredonia and Geneseo students know there's hope in Christ. |
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Videos!
This year we have at least three videos that have been made celebrating the work done through InterVarsity so far. Recently, one of the new students has decided to use his gifts and love of video making to produce future videos for us. This is a huge blessing as it frees up Kathryn's time for other things and enables more people to serve the Kingdom.
Check out the most recent video below then subscribe to the channels to see new videos as they are posted:
And if you missed the September newsletter, check it out here:
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b8ad235dbdf3cdd411d46dca5&id=ab7bfd753a
Check out the most recent video below then subscribe to the channels to see new videos as they are posted:
And if you missed the September newsletter, check it out here:
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b8ad235dbdf3cdd411d46dca5&id=ab7bfd753a
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Fall Service Trip
Ten students spent their Fall Break connecting to the local community and here's part of one story of where God met them in their service location.
I Saw God in an Assisted Living Home
To the person reading this blog post, a reminder:
God is alive, moving, and working in the most unexpected ways.
So, where have I seen God lately? Well, everywhere, but there's one place in particular; the WCA Assisted Living Home. There, senior women from the community have the opportunity to live in an assisted living home, with other senior women, and caretakers who help them. Thursday morning, a group of friends and I had the opportunity to serve these women. What did we get to do? We painted nails! I was ecstatic! I was so excited to have the opportunity to just hangout with these women and hopefully have the chance to hear some of their stories.
So, I arrived at WCA, with intentions of sharing hope and love to a somewhat depressing place. I mean, for a lot of these women, this may be the last place they will live in their lifetime. Mentally, they prepare themselves to finish their long-lived lives in this place. Most of them don't have visitors, and all they are left with are the memories they have from before they got here. But, my God is a God who lives and is not afraid of death. He has never left these women alone. He has never given up on them. He loves them.
Read the rest at Kayleigh's blog.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Five Years and One Week
It's been just over five years since I returned from spending a semester in Rockhampton, Australia at CQU. I never would have guessed how much that experience would have transformed my life. So instead of digging out my suitcases to start packing for my next trip there, I'm going to postpone that by sharing some of the lessons that stuck out and ways that trip continues to impact my life.
Lessons:
1. The decisions to sacrifice the ability to graduate a year early by not going and a semester early by not taking a super challenging class, I've never regretted. It gave me the four years I needed to easily complete my major, get a jump start on my Master's to finish it early, and learn what job I wanted.
2. I learned to connect with the local culture and make friends with people with different backgrounds. Most of the friends I keep in touch with are Australian, not other study abroad students (although I do keep in touch with a few).
3. I learned so much about hospitality as I was welcomed into my friends lives, and my friend's friends, and people who kinda knew someone that I kinda knew. It gave me a living example of Christ's description for how Christian community should work.
4. I got to be an international student, realizing how important that first ride home from the airport and every one of the first communications is. Little things like translations (yes, Australian has slang that I did not know) and proofreading are and were simple things that made a big difference. Now I can relate as I work with International students to minister how they need it.
5. I engaged in life in new ways: getting outside of my comfort zone to do adventure sports, appreciated nature more deeply, and learned to build fun time into my schedule (Thursdays at 8pm, at a minimum).
Opportunities:
1. The chance to be called Ranga all summer at a camp just after returning and to share my Girl Guiding experience with Girl Scouts.
2. The ability to experience the party atmosphere in a safe, legal way which enabled me to better empathize as an RA.
3. A chance to discuss a modern day conquistador (for God, not glory or gold) during student teaching and to have 36 5th graders interview my Australian friend over Skype.
4. When students study abroad from campus, or think about it, I can offer my experience. I also get to go back to Australia with the Study Abroad Office to help train the students there now to use their time missionally.
5. I have a learning attitude and patience when working with people of other cultures, realizing that white American is not the best or only culture, but that there are great things to learn from the people around us and across the world. Plus lots of their food rocks!
That's not all that I learned, or all of the opportunities that have opened up due to having something to compare my life to, but there are so many I can't list them all. I wonder what God will teach me when I arrive there in a week and as time continues.
I guess it's time to start packing to leave in two days for a return visit after taking a few minutes to look around my walls at the beautiful pictures captured from the last trip down under.
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| My favorite picture outside my dorm with friends |
1. The decisions to sacrifice the ability to graduate a year early by not going and a semester early by not taking a super challenging class, I've never regretted. It gave me the four years I needed to easily complete my major, get a jump start on my Master's to finish it early, and learn what job I wanted.
2. I learned to connect with the local culture and make friends with people with different backgrounds. Most of the friends I keep in touch with are Australian, not other study abroad students (although I do keep in touch with a few).
3. I learned so much about hospitality as I was welcomed into my friends lives, and my friend's friends, and people who kinda knew someone that I kinda knew. It gave me a living example of Christ's description for how Christian community should work.
4. I got to be an international student, realizing how important that first ride home from the airport and every one of the first communications is. Little things like translations (yes, Australian has slang that I did not know) and proofreading are and were simple things that made a big difference. Now I can relate as I work with International students to minister how they need it.
5. I engaged in life in new ways: getting outside of my comfort zone to do adventure sports, appreciated nature more deeply, and learned to build fun time into my schedule (Thursdays at 8pm, at a minimum).
Opportunities:
1. The chance to be called Ranga all summer at a camp just after returning and to share my Girl Guiding experience with Girl Scouts.
2. The ability to experience the party atmosphere in a safe, legal way which enabled me to better empathize as an RA.
3. A chance to discuss a modern day conquistador (for God, not glory or gold) during student teaching and to have 36 5th graders interview my Australian friend over Skype.
4. When students study abroad from campus, or think about it, I can offer my experience. I also get to go back to Australia with the Study Abroad Office to help train the students there now to use their time missionally.
5. I have a learning attitude and patience when working with people of other cultures, realizing that white American is not the best or only culture, but that there are great things to learn from the people around us and across the world. Plus lots of their food rocks!
That's not all that I learned, or all of the opportunities that have opened up due to having something to compare my life to, but there are so many I can't list them all. I wonder what God will teach me when I arrive there in a week and as time continues.
I guess it's time to start packing to leave in two days for a return visit after taking a few minutes to look around my walls at the beautiful pictures captured from the last trip down under.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Australian Hospitality
As I prepare to go to Australia again, I've been blessed by how pieces are falling in to place. While my airline ticket was a pain to buy, other things like housing are reminding me of the joys of Australian hospitality. I will be visiting five different cities and learned from the last time I was there that Christian hospitality is alive and well. I opted to stay with friends at as many places as possible. This enables me to hang out with Godly people at night (instead of staying in a hostel with unknown roommates), know that I am safe even if I am out later than dark (groups are great and it gets dark early), and it helps with cost and transportation (my public transportation skills are still lacking since I drive everywhere).
For four of the cities I have set up housing already, but the setting up of Cairns housing was the most amazing.
Two nights in Cairns are going to be my vacation and I knew noone who lived in the city, or so I thought. I asked a few friends if they had any friends who lived there. One only knew a few guys and wouldn't recommend me staying with either, while another mentioned a mutual friend who knew someone there. I contacted him and go the name of the girl who lived in Cairns. Turned out I had met her at the EasterFest Christian music festival in 2009, but had not kept in contact. She agreed to let me stay there after checking with her roommates. Then she realized she was going to be out of town... but her roommates are super excited for me to stay with them. I even get to celebrate one of their birthdays during my short stay.
This short exchange with roommates of a friend of a friend reminds me that Jesus taught us to stay with others in Luke 10. I am thankful of my brothers and sisters who are people of peace welcoming travelers on the way. They remind me of how I need to be hospitable in my own apartment.
Luke 10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.
Check out my blog from 2009 for other stories of Australia. Unfortunately, I did not blog as much as I wanted to cause I was busy.
For four of the cities I have set up housing already, but the setting up of Cairns housing was the most amazing.
Two nights in Cairns are going to be my vacation and I knew noone who lived in the city, or so I thought. I asked a few friends if they had any friends who lived there. One only knew a few guys and wouldn't recommend me staying with either, while another mentioned a mutual friend who knew someone there. I contacted him and go the name of the girl who lived in Cairns. Turned out I had met her at the EasterFest Christian music festival in 2009, but had not kept in contact. She agreed to let me stay there after checking with her roommates. Then she realized she was going to be out of town... but her roommates are super excited for me to stay with them. I even get to celebrate one of their birthdays during my short stay.
This short exchange with roommates of a friend of a friend reminds me that Jesus taught us to stay with others in Luke 10. I am thankful of my brothers and sisters who are people of peace welcoming travelers on the way. They remind me of how I need to be hospitable in my own apartment.
Luke 10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.
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