what is a road trip without a dance party in the car??katrina and ashley are two sophomores that went with us on a camping trip to Sedona
However, following that, the campus and our ministry had a really rough two weeks. It began with a suicide in one of the freshman dorms. Less than a week later, on our way to a camping trip in Sedona, a car-full of students in our ministry was in an accident and two students had to be lifeflighted to a hospital in Phoenix. Both students had been unconscious, but were conscious and communicating by the time they arrived at the hospital. They are both now doing fine and back in classes. The accident could have been so much worse and we were once again reminded of the goodness and sovereignty of God as the details of the accident were unfolded.
The Wednesday after we arrived back on campus, there was a stabbing in one of the dorms where many of our freshman girls live. By the end of that day, my roommates and I realized that the girl who had initiated the stabbing was someone that we had met as a result of our following up the surveys. She is now in the local prison, but God has orchestrated amazing ways for us to continue to have a presence in her life.
Those 10 days quickly made our staff team realize just how desperately the campus and our students needed and continues to need prayer! I am glad to say that we have not seen any more cases such as these in the last few weeks, but we are still very aware of the attacks on this campus. God is clearly moving here and Satan is desperate to thwart the good things that have been started in the hearts of these students.
In happier news, our ministry has gotten off to a great start. The freshman class is already starting to bond and to catch the vision of intentionally growing closer to God, each other and those around them. I have loved getting to know the 10 girls in my Bible study and see how God is weaving their hearts together. Each week I come home amazed at what He is doing in each of their lives. The last few weeks I have greatly enjoyed getting one-on-one time with each of them and hearing the stories of their lives as well as learning what it means to share my life with them.
Our Bible study has begun a study entitled "The Big 10," which has us looking at 11 key chapters of the Bible. This week we looked at Isaiah 53 and it was so fun to reflect on the previous weeks studies and see how the gospel is woven through each chapter. We got into a great discussion this week on why Jesus came if He knew what kind of life would be ahead of Him here on earth. I absolutely love watching these women, some with very new faith and some who have grown up knowing Jesus, really begin to grasp how wide and how deep and how long and how high is the love of God for them. And to watch them as they realize it is not a "whole-world" kind of love, but a love that is individual and tailored specifically to them. Isn't He a great God?
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His,
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture
Psalm 100: 1-3
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His,
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture
Psalm 100: 1-3
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