"He's the Rock of the Ages!"

Hello donors, and welcome back to my blog! This month has been full of really neat experiences, and it’s all thanks to your generosity that I get to do this work, and for that I am forever grateful!

A group of students had lunch together after church, so sweet!

        My core is doing great! I absolutely love leading this neat group of girls. It has been sweet to grow closer to each of them and watch them grow towards one another. In our study of Ephesians, we have been able to dive deep into what it looks like to live like a Christian, not just in college, but beyond that as well. One of our girls, Mariana, always comes ready to ask questions that make us think more profoundly about Scripture, and it’s been really encouraging to watch our girls bring the Bible to life with their interpretations of difficult passages. The girls don’t shy away from expressing what they think and why, even if they don’t have it all figured out, and in this rawness and vulnerability, God has helped me remember that this is what it’s all about: a group of people living life together, encouraging each other to look more like Jesus.

        In a non-COVID year, we normally would put on events throughout the semester to gather and celebrate different holidays on campus. This year, our gathering options were very limited, so we decided to hold an event we called Holidays in the Park! We assigned different times in the day to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years all in one day and it was a huge success! We hadn’t had many opportunities to see people outside of our cores or our normal group of people, so being able to gather as a larger community was so special. It warmed my heart to see the students form new friendships and have fun together, and I’m glad that they were able to experience a taste of what a “normal” year would look like!

        As a part of Mandy’s class, every apprentice has been practicing a spiritual discipline that aligns with something that they can struggle with. As a more introverted person who struggles with putting her emotions into words, I have been practicing encouragement, which has proven to be such a blessing! It’s been so sweet to see people’s faces as I express my gratitude to them or point out ways that they have blessed our community. Even within such a short period of time, I have noticed my heart growing to be more thankful and aware of the small ways that people care for me and for others.

        Every year, FOCUS puts on a fundraiser to help grow our ministry so we can continue to make and mature disciples on campuses across the DFW metroplex (we call this fundraiser Keep FOCUS Growing). On Giving Tuesday alone, we raised over $100,000, far exceeding our goal! Thank you SO much for praying and giving to our organization! God is SO good! As a part of our KFG campaign, we specifically challenged our students to help us raise $8000, and they far exceeded this goal! I am blown away and humbled by how faithful they were to giving out of the kindness of their own hearts. I am proud to lead such a faithful and generous group of students, sometimes it’s too much to comprehend!

Prayer Requests!

• Please pray for this upcoming break, that the students stay healthy, both physically and mentally. This can be a difficult time for many as the holidays approach us, so please pray that God leads us in continuing to foster a community even throughout the break!

• As this next semester begins, we as a staff will begin to have conversations with students about leadership for next year. Those considering doing the apprenticeship will begin to have interest meetings as well! Please pray for next year’s leaders, and that God leads us in making these decisions!

• This month, our outreach team gathered to brainstorm ideas for how to reach students at the beginning of next semester. Please pray that these events are a success and that we are able to meet students thirsty for community, and that we are able to welcome them and show them love!

Thank you so much for reading my blog! May the Lord continue to pour out his abundant blessings over you each, and that you feel overwhelmed by His love towards you! Keep an eye out for a Christmas card coming to you soon! :)