It's summer!

Hello and happy summer!

The end of the school year has come to a close and we are entering into our summer season here in DFW. This has come with many end of year festivities and the closing of some chapters, it has been bittersweet to say the least. Many of my friends that I have been investing in or have known for a handful of years graduated, including two of my roommates. It has been incredibly impactful to think back to when they first joined our community and to see how God has transformed them into servant-hearted, fired-up, loving disciples who see themselves responsible for this higher calling of making and maturing disciples.
During our last Friday Night Fellowship meeting we had an open sharing time where people responded to the prompt: “How have you seen God working in yourself and others this year in our community?” It was surprising and eye-opening to hear students share about how God had shown them who he was through very simple and potentially overlooked ways. One student shared how meaningful it has been to be invited into someone’s home for a meal for the first time since they had come to college. Another shared about how God had surrounded them with people in this community that embraced them wholeheartedly and didn’t judge them. Another shared about how having one person meet with them every week to study the Bible changed their life. It has gotten me thinking, “Wow, is the gospel really that simple?” Yes! It really can be that easy to make an impact in someone’s life, and I’m so proud of each student who has taken seriously the call to look different than the rest of the world and to obey God in showing his love to their classmates, roommates, teammates, etc.

I am so excited to continue to see God radically change students at UTD by providing them with a home where they can ask hard questions, make deep friendships, and explore their relationship with Him.
Every year, FOCUS brings a group of students to Washington state to attend a leadership conference put on by Campus Christian Fellowship at Western Washington University called SICM. These students are identified by their leaders as people who could potentially step up and lead the following year. While in Washington, they get to spend a week training in campus ministry: asking questions, leading small groups, leading Bible studies, campus evangelism, etc. This year, we sent more than 100 students to SICM, including one student from my core this year, Savannah!

I just met up with Savannah after she came back from Washington and WOW! She had nothing but great things to say about what God had taught her during that week. She is excited to put into practice pouring into people and being their friends while asking Spirit-led questions and guiding them towards God. She told me that it was eye-opening to see how God could use her next couple of years at UTD to make an impact on her classmates and people she encounters on campus to be reconciled to God. I’m so excited to see what God will do through Savannah next year!

One of the big things that we as campus ministers do during our summer is fundraising! While people spent time at SICM, the rest of our staff spent their week in a fundraising sprint, contacting current and potential ministry partners in order to build our ministry support team for this next year. It can be a pretty challenging time as we have to learn to trust in God and in his provision for us, doubt being a constant opponent. However, it has also been an encouraging time of getting to share stories of how God has been at work at UTD and getting to reconnect with many of you!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for choosing to be a part of what God is doing on our campuses. It is mindblowing to me that God would allow us to be his mouthpieces to students and to trust us to steward his children. I am so grateful for each of you for being faithful supporters and for loving our silly, crazy smart, anxious, at times immature, caring, and God-loving students. Thank you.

In Christ,
Andrea