A Confession: Some Incredible News

I'm sitting in the coffeeshop I used to work at enjoying the sugar cookie of my life. Honestly, if you live in Saint Louis, venture down here sometime and get a Caramel Apple Cider with a sugar cookie on a beautiful sunny day and experience the magic for yourself. That being said, I want to begin this entry by thanking you for your prayers over the past few weeks. God has been so abundantly faithful to me in the month of October and I see your prayers as the catalyst to so many wonderful happenings over the last little while. Thanks for your love of me and of the ministry of InterVarsity at SLU. It is an honor for me to call you a friend and to have you sacrificing those two great Western idols - time and money - all for the sake of supporting a young, inexperienced missionary with a heart for sharing Jesus with college kids in Saint Louis. I thank my God every time I remember you.

I'm saving the story of Fall Conference for my prayer email update, which you will receive this week as well. But I have to confess to you a piece of incredible news that I have known for a month or so but wanted to wait to surprise you with it. When last I wrote you, I was at 50% and begging for your prayers to make it to 55% by last Thursday to increase my stipend and feel secure after quitting my job at the coffeeshop to focus on fundraising full-time. What I did not tell you at the time was that I was also in a race to raise $5000 as quickly as possible. Why this specific amount of money, you may ask? In mid-September, the Missouri state-level leadership of InterVarsity decided to use a part of some surplus money raised by my staff partner to give me a matching grant of up to $5000 (10% of my total budget) to help me get back to campus as soon as possible. What does that mean practically? In mid-September, I was at 45%. This incentive was all I needed to put my nose to the grindstone and try to meet the challenge of raising $5000 in one month. Last week, I hit my target, which put me at 55%. InterVarsity came through and matched me with a $5000 grant. That means that in one month, God answered your prayers by taking the money I raised and doubling it putting me at 65% as of this writing. Isn't that amazing? Because of your prayers, I am now within 5% ($2500) of being back on campus. God is so faithful!

I cannot even tell you how often I have wanted to email you and tell you the great news along the way. But, I decided I would wait and surprise you with this unexpected blessing after the goal was reached. I hope this confirms in your heart (and mine) how important and powerful prayer really is. I feel a bit like the disciples in the midst of collecting the baskets of fish sandwiches left over after Jesus fed the five thousand with only a little boy's lunch in hand. God truly does take whatever small things we offer to Him and multiply them to overflowing abundance. May we only learn to trust Him.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." - John 14:12-14

Mile Marker One

It's been about a month since I've updated you on ministry-related news and thoughts (though I hope some of you picked up a copy of Andrew Peterson's fantastic North! Or Be Eaten after reading my previous post). I do have a bit of news and several prayer requests to share with you.

First, today was my last day working at the coffeeshop. As you may or may not know, I have been working at a wonderful coffeeshop for nearly a year now. The job was one of those obvious oases in the midst of a lot of desert wandering and transition that took place in my life as I got used to being out of school, fundraising here and there, and beginning work in a ministry that (like all ministries) can be quite emotionally draining. The staff and working environment were encouraging and fun at a time when I needed them to be. At the same time, though I loved my job, it has proven quite an able distraction from the fundraising and ministry to which God has called me. As this school year got started, I could sense that the time was coming to transition out of the coffeeshop and into surrendering to a life of full-time fundraising so that I can get back to campus as soon as possible. This realization came with the equally strong arrival of bills and other financial constraints that also needed to be satisfied. My supervisor and I met and determined that if I could get to 55% of my budget, I could live reasonably from my InterVarsity stipend alone and be free to quit my second job. As of today, I am within 5% of that goal. In faith, I have quit the coffeeshop praying that God will move in the midst of my risk to provide the remaining 5% before October 15th so that my stipend can be increased by the end of the month and I can feel the freedom to breathe easier as I continue following Jesus in fundraising and campus ministry. Will you pray with me that God will meet me here and blow all of us away with His grace and generosity in providing for and through His people?

I have a few other prayer requests for you to consider as you lift up both me personally and the ministry of IV at SLU.

• This weekend is our annual Fall Conference. Praise God - SLU is taking 21 students! This is the most students we have ever taken to an event! Please pray that those among our students who don't know Jesus would meet him this weekend! Pray that all of the 130+ students from across Missouri in attendance would feel the call to follow Jesus in mission on campus. Pray for me and the rest of the worship team as we attempt to usher our fellow worshipers into the very throne room of God.
• Though I have reached a significant barrier in fundraising, there is still a ways to go. Please pray for the next 20% necessary for me to get back on campus would come quickly. I have set a personal goal of arriving there by November 1st. Will you join me in praying toward that goal?

I will be sure to update you as we move into Fall Conference this weekend. I'll be leading the worship team and am excited to see how God moves in the hearts of students. I wish I could transmit my excitement and heart for my students to you through this blog. Keep us your hearts as we seek the Lord this weekend.