A voice in the wilderness- Welcome week is here!

 After preparing all summer, the start of the semester is finally here! While this school year holds a lot of uncertainty and challenges- I truly believe that God is going to do some amazing things this semester and bring about life in what seems like the most unexpected and desolate of places. Like in the book of Ezekiel, I believe that God is going to breathe new life on the driest "bones" of our campus- and that is SO SO exciting!

I am confident of this because even before the semester has started, I have already seen God faithfully pursue students and start a beautiful work in them! At SMU we have had two events, prior to school even starting, and we are having students show up! They have voiced wanting friendship and community and are so excited to be a part of something like FOCUS on campus! Despite us having to do events outside with masks (making the wonderful Texas heat feel even more hot) students are just excited to be around other students and feel welcomed and loved. Check out some pictures of our event this past Sunday- "Lawn Games" that we hosted! 

At TWU Dallas- even though we hadn't started welcome week and hadn't put on any virtual events- God still worked in some AMAZING ways!! There were three girls from TWU Dallas that joined me for church this Sunday! One of them shared how she was so excited to be a part of a church community again and shared with me how in the recent months, God has been at work powerfully in her life! Where there once was hopelessness in her life, there is now new hope and life! And I cannot wait to see how God continues to bring truth and love into her life through being a part of loving, genuine and mission-minded community! Praise God!

Our theme this year is, "A voice in the wilderness", and I am reminded this week that while we may feel like we are the lone voice, trying to proclaim Jesus to a lost and hurting world, God is always with us. He is working within us through His Holy Spirit and He is also powerfully at work in the lives of others around us. "Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.'” I believe the fields are ripe for harvest and God is calling us to go faithfully out and share our hope in Jesus with the world- with the promise that His helper goes with us! 

I would invite you to please pray with me for this upcoming week (and the next few after that). Pray for our student leaders at TWU Dallas and SMU. Pray for their safety, for boldness, for strength, for opportunities to meet students, for hearts that are excited and ready to invite other students in and for a mind that is fixed on Jesus. Please pray for the other students on campus. Pray that their hearts and minds would be open and seeking Jesus and that they would be excited about being a part of transformative Christian community!

I cannot express how grateful I am that YOU are a part of my ministry team. Your prayers and support make it possible for us to be on campus this year and for God to be with us through your powerful prayers! Thank you and God bless you!