Success: Paul’s 25 day, $25 challenge

If you’ve been following the story, here’s Paul shaving the beard.  Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=558855727205&oid=289071246201

Almost there! 80%!

I leave for India in two weeks, and I currently have 80% of the support I need raised!  Thanks to all of you who have given or been praying for me!  Only $600 left to raise!  (That means if 3 people gave $200, 6 people gave $100, or 12 people giving $50, I would be there!)  Check the previous post for details on how to give, and thanks for your continued prayers as I’m preparing to go.

In other news, Paul reached his goal for his 25 Day -$25 challenge! That means the beard will be coming off soon. I’m sure there will be a video of that soon.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

25 Day -$25 Challenge for Paul

Paul was one of our GOer Group students this semester.  He’s taking the next year of his life to go to Central Asia to share the love of Jesus and teach English.  Check out his video and then go to http://www.teachoverseas.org/contribute.php to join give $25!  He’s already got 100 pledges, so only 150 more to go in 19 days.  Let’s see this guy clean shaven and on his way to Central Asia!

First GOer Group!

We had our first GOer group this morning!  It was supposed to be last week, but it got postponed due to ice and snow.  I’m ok with that, because it meant I got to be there for the first one.

My alarm went off around 5:30am.  I had to fight with myself for a good 15 minutes to finally roll out of bed.  Me and mornings don’t get along.  But, miraculously, I was mildly coherent this morning.  Kyle, my EE co-worker, graciously picked me up so I didn’t have to walk, and we arrived on campus to meet in one of the dorms.

We arrived with Starbucks coffee and donuts, and were greeted gradually by 18 college students.  We were crammed into a little room on the first floor of Humphreys, and it was awesome.  By showing up, all of them are committing that they are actively pursing mid- to long-term missions in their future.  Amy Sterns shared about “Where should I go?” as our first topic, and it was very well received.  (For more great information, check out the book Run With The Vision).  She did a fantastic job, and several of the girls commented that she had so much energy it didn’t even feel like 6:30 in the morning.  :)

After that, everybody broke into groups of 2-3 to ask each other some accountability questions about how they’re going to apply the things their learning, and then we prayed for each other.  It was sweet to be able to stand in the back and hear the conglomeration of prayers.

Please join us in praying for these students!  Somewhere around 90% of students who say they want to become missionaries never actually make it to the field.

• Pray that God will keep these students on track and help them push through the obstacles that will stand in their path.
• Pray that their passion for God’s glory to be revealed among the unreached will grow
• Pray for strengthening of their commitment to each other, to hold one another accountable and to encourage each other
• Pray for us as Every Ethne staff, that we will have the wisdom to be able to guide them and provide an environment that will nurture them as World Christians

Columbia tomorrow!

Hello!
I just wanted to give you all a short update on some of the neat things that are happening this month.

• In the morning I’m flying to Columbia, SC. I’ll be catching up with supporters and friends there for a week (Feb. 3-10). I’ll also have the opportunity strengthen networks and help get the XPLORE book to people who will use it!
  • Please pray for a safe, encouraging trip, and that God will show up in unexpected ways!
• On Tuesday, Feb. 9, we’ll be having our first GOer group in Fayetteville. This is a place where students who are planning to serve as cross-cultural goers for 1 or more years can process through many of the issues and struggles involved. We’ll be meeting at 6:30am on Tuesday mornings for the rest of the semester.
  • Pray God will bring the right students to this group.
  • Please pray this will be an encouraging place of accountability for these students.
  • Pray for the Every Ethne staff as we organize the logistics, plan speakers, etc., that we can be a resource and mentor to these students. (And pray that we’ll all be awake at 6:30am! :) )
• Tuesday, Feb. 25 is the Collegiate Day of Prayer. Join with others across the country as we pray for America’s college campuses. http://www.collegiatedayofprayer.org. Invite your friends to join with you and take some time out this day to pray!

I hope you all are doing well. If you have the chance, please drop me a line and let me know if there’s any ways I can be praying for you.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Ice, Goer Groups, and Columbia

Well, due to pending inclement weather, Perspectives class has been cancelled for tonight.  It’s sad, but at least everybody will be safe.  Although, being from Wisconsin, cancelling things for weather before it even starts icing is weird to me. :)

The picture is from last year’s record breaking (and tree/roof/powerline breaking…) ice storm.  I was actually in Fayetteville for it in between Texas and Wisconsin.  It was definitely crazy.  So, we’re all hoping that doesn’t happen again this year.

We’ve got some really exciting things going on with Every Ethne these days.  We’re currently a Goer Group for students at the UofA.  It will be held Tuesday mornings at 6:30 am (yikes!  I hope I can get up for that!), and is for students that are serious about going as a cross-cultural goer for a year or more after graduation.  We’re going to cover all sorts of training topics, as well as provide a place of like-minded encouragement for students while they’re in school. Super exciting stuff.  The first one is scheduled for Feb. 9.

And speaking of February, I’m actually headed Columbia, SC again!  A supporter of mine is getting married, so I figured it would be a good time to connect with other friends and supporters.  If you’re in the Columbia area, I’ll be there Feb. 4-9!  Let me know if you’d like to hang out, and I’ll schedule you in!

Alpha

Alpha starts tonight!   Please pray:

• for the right people to show up
• for wisdom in leading discussions
• for deep community to form
• for the Holy Spirit’s presence to be evident!

Thanks!

Local Church, and getting involved

I’ve been very transient for the past several years.  On top of that, I was pretty involved in activities and ministries through college.  This has meant that for the past several years, I haven’t been able to really dig in to my local church body.  I was super involved in leadership and church activities all growing up through high school.  But due to lack of transportation, over commitment in other ministry areas through school, or instability in my location, I’ve been unable to really get involved in much of anything for a long time.

Well, since moving to Fayetteville, I have found a church that I’m excited to call “home.”  New Heights is incredible, and I got to go through a Discovery class last semester.  Well, today at church, I finally decided that I have no more excuses, and it’s time once again to start plugging in to a local body and getting involved.  And, to be honest, I’m actually kind of excited about this.  :)

This evening I attended a leadership meeting for Alpha.  I’m planning to be a co-leader for an Alpha small group on Sunday nights this semester.  Please be praying for me to grow in my skills as a small-group leader.  Also be praying that God will bring the right people to this course who are seeking answers about Christianity and need a place to openly express their questions and doubts.  We’re really praying for a lot of college students to attend.

Please pray also that God will guide me as I’m seeking Him on where and how to most strategically get involved in my local church community.  In the past I have been very over committed and burned out, and I don’t want to do that again.  I really want to be really invested in just a few things, and to do them well, rather than to have my hand in too  many things.  So pray that I will have wisdom to find those things that God is calling me to, and the courage to commit to them when I do find them.

Thanks!

International Christmas Party

Friday night’s party was SO much fun.  There were TONS of students there. We decorated ate food, decorated Christmas cookies, had a bonfire, strung popcorn for decorating a Christmas tree, and sang Christmas carols.  Then we took some time to share the Christmas story from scripture, talking about Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection, and second coming.  It was a great opportunity for students from all over the world to hear about Jesus.

Here’s a clip from our time singing Christmas carols:

International Christmas party tonight!

Getting ready for a fun International Christmas party, hosted by our Sunday night group!  Should be lots of fun!