April Updates!

Hello everyone! The semester is wrapping up and coming to an end but even though we are nearing the end, there have been so many exciting things that God has been doing this month!

We had Spring Showcase this month! This is an annual show we put on with amazing performers from our community with the proceeds going towards students who are going to our Student Institute of Campus Ministry for a week-long training in Bellingham, Washington. There will learn about how to lead small groups, how to do one on one discipleship and practice sharing the gospel with other students. This show plays such a huge part in supporting and equipping our student leaders so that they can be Jesus to their peers on campus. The show was a huge success this year and it would have not been possible without generous people like you! Thank you!

Spring Showcase 

We had our last Thursday Night Fellowship this month as well. This was probably one of the most memorable and powerful TNFs as we spent time reflecting on what God had done in our lives and through the FOCUS community. We centered our conversation around the idea of thankfulness and spent time lifting up praises to God about how He has been faithfully at work in each of our lives. One of our freshman students shared how she has seen God transform her heart for people. She shared that in high school, she used to keep to herself and was not interested in talking to people. But since she has been in college, God has given her more love for people than she has experienced before. This is such good news and such encouragement that God is doing His deal all around us. We ended the night practicing gratitude by writing thank you cards to the leaders of the church we meet in and the SMU Chaplain's office! It was an amazing way to wrap up the semester and has left me thinking about the many other things I am thankful for that God has done this year! 

Our SMU Leader Team 

Lastly, We also had our End of the Year Party with our SMU students this month. We had dinner, shared stories about the year and had a awards ceremony in which we gave out awards like "Meme King" and the "Freshman that knows the most." This was so much fun and like many SMU events, it was overflowing with laughter. We ended the evening with a game of Sardines, a typical SMU FOCUS tradition (for those that don't know, Sardines is like reverse hide and seek). 

End of the Year Party

As the semester comes to a close, I am left thinking about how faithful God has been in my life and the life of our SMU FOCUS community. Although it hasn't all been easy, it has all been undoubtedly one of the most amazing experiences I have gotten to be a part of. I have watched God transform lonely and quiet students into those that are so excited to share stories and laugh with one another. I have seen God take a group full of strangers and make them into a family that loves and serves one another. 

Students from our SMU Focus taking an awesome picture!

I am so excited to be a part of this team next year and play a role in what God is doing at SMU! Please be praying as we go into finals and summer, that students would be ending well and be purposeful over the summer. Please also pray for me as I begin the process of fundraising, that God would give me wisdom and that potential donors would have generous hearts!

Thank you all for your continued support and commitment this past year. You have been a part of this journey and it is possible because of your faithfulness and generosity!