Divine Appointments.

Every Thursday morning starts with a phone call at 9 a.m. with my support coach and every conversation begins with the same question, "How are things going Laura?" Most weeks have had a pretty similar response. "Well...okay. Not much has happened this week. Support is going pretty slowly." I usually have a few conversations I can tell him about and he'll be encouraging and say that I'm doing great. Inside though, I still feel like I'm falling short and have a difficult time seeing the highlights of the week. Well, this week was completely different. I was anxiously awaiting Phil's phone call and couldn't believe a week I was excited to talk with him, he would dare call me 10 minutes late! He called, I answered, let him ask his question, and then was so excited to share with him what happened this week...

Two weeks ago I went to a doctor's appointment and they told me I needed to do a follow-up appointment for some medicine I take, so I quickly scheduled an appointment for this past Tuesday before I leave town. I went to the appointment and of course the nurse asked me what I was doing next year. I responded with the same thing I say to everyone, "I'm interning with an organization called Campus Crusade for Christ." People usually say, "oh, great" and quickly change the conversation. This woman took me a little off-guard when she said she was familiar with CRU. We began talking and rather quickly realized we were both Christians. I shared my story with her and she shared a little bit of hers with me. Turns out her and her husband were previously on staff with another mission's organization and have gone through the process of raising support too. She could relate to what I am experiencing this summer. My test lasted an hour and fifteen minutes and we talked nearly the whole time. At the end she informed me that if I ever have the test done again, it usually doesn't take that long. She was just so engaged with the conversation that she was going slowly. She asked for a brochure and said that she wants to support me. She felt like the Lord brought us together. Okay...let me recap: A medicine I started taking four years ago brought me to a doctor's appointment two weeks ago where my doctor told me for the first time ever that I need to have a precautionary test done which brought me to a hospital for the first time in my life with a nurse that just happens to be a Christian who had experienced support raising and, without me asking, was moved by the Holy Spirit to join my team. I believe that is called a divine appointment arranged by the Lord. Even if something were to happen and she is not able to support me or if it was a five dollar bill that came in the mail, I still know God used that in my summer to encourage me. I was craving being in the presence of a Christian and someone who could relate to the experience I'm going through. God answered that prayer in such a unique and encouraging way.

After I told Phil that neat story, I surprised by self by still having a list of other things to tell him. I got two more supporters in the past week, one of which I was not expecting or even thinking to contact. I also got two really encouraging messages from friends willing to go above and beyond to help me. And to top it all off, I had a wonderful appointment where I was able to share about CRU and my story but also hear how God was working in this woman's life and moving her to want to share her faith with others too. When I asked her if she would like to partner with me, she said yes and that she had been praying about a way to get involved with sharing the gospel somehow. I was an answer to that prayer for her! Isn't it neat that God had gone ahead of me and prepared someone's heart to hear my story?

Phil graciously listened to my excitement and once again was very encouraging. We finished up our conversation, got off the phone, and I sat on the couch still overwhelmed by the way God worked this past way. I know there are a lot of different reasons to have a coach talk to me once a week but I think I realized how grateful I am that it forces me to look back and recall what God is doing. Obviously my appointment on tuesday was hard to not see the Lord's hand but when I put it all together, everything that happend this week was by His strength and doing--not my own. The second thing I noticed was that for the first time in weeks, I wasn't concerned about what percentage of my support has come in. I still have a loooooong ways to go but I'm just so in awe of God's working that I'm not as phased by it and I think that is how it should be. Not just in this time of support raising, but through all of life. What if I was just so constantly in awe of the Lord that all the things that get me down were of no importance? I think I understand a little more of what it means to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us,² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Summer memories.

The last 6 summers I have spent lifeguarding. I was a tiny 16 year-old when I first started working. I believe my first day of work my head guard told me to jump in the water if I ever heard gunshots. I never heard any but I witnessed plenty of fights, both physical and verbal. I was often thrown in the middle of fighting to break it up because they knew either two things would happen...the first, no one would hit a tiny white girl and they would leave the pool to fight or second, they would become distracted by a tiny girl even trying to break a fight up and bond over the ridiculousness of it. I can honestly say I think it was by the grace of God that I was ever able to control those situations. Let's face it, I have a soft voice that makes my heart race when I have to scream. Ask anyone who had me as a head guard my 5th summer and they will testify that I had them stand in silence as I built up the courage to yell at the top of my lungs. In a way I think it was more effective because they knew I was upset and had to anxiously anticipate what I was going to say. Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better... Regardless, looking back at my summers as a lifeguard, it was only by the strength of God that I was ever an effective guard.

The reason for all of this reminiscing is a visit I took this past week to visit a few friends at their pools. I may not talk to them frequently throughout the year, but when it comes time for summer, I feel like they are who I should be spending my time with everyday! It has been a lot stranger than I expected to not be guarding and being at the pools made me miss it. Which, if you guard, you'll recognize the irony of that statement. When you're working, you pray for rain every day so you can close the pool. And when a patron comes and complains that you won't let their child go in the deep end even though they are practically drowning in the shallow end, you want to ask them to do your job so you can just sit and enjoy the sun. Or how about having people say you are racist for asking them to pull their shorts up? That is just annoying. Outside of the patrons, the pool, the county rules, etc, there is something neat about being part of a group of 200 some lifeguards. The first few pictures are from lifeguard games which were held each summer. The different pools compete against each other in various events for some fun competition. Then there is a picture of water polo, held on Sunday nights for the pools to compete against each other again. And the last picture is my sweet friend, Coogan. This girl never fails to make me laugh and I've learned a lot from her about crew unity. She's got a special talent of making everyone feel part of a team. And since when I saw her, she already knew what I was up to from reading my blog, I thought I would give a little shout-out to her. (You're great Coogs!) So enjoy a very small peak into my past 6 summers. Just a little different from this one...

Beautiful Exchange

While singing at church this past weekend, I noticed the bottom of the page listed scriptural references for the song. After not hearing the song for at least a year, if not longer, I still knew the words from memory but I could not tell you what the scripture said just by seeing the reference. I don't think this is anything new. I've always known that songs are easy to remember and scripture is a little trickier. However, I have never tried to use songs to memorize scripture, although I know it has been suggested to me. (Sometimes I have to hear things a few times before I really get it...typical.) In Ephesians 6:10-18 it talks about the armor of God and we are commanded to "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God." The sword is the only offensive weapon that we are given to fight, the rest of the armor is defensive. Clearly, there is power in knowing God's word and I'm experiencing a whole new level of it even this summer. Raising support is definitely difficult and keeping God's truth running through my mind is the only way to keep my hope grounded in Christ and find the courage and strength I need to continue. So, this week I've started something new. I usually enjoy mixing the Bible, worship music, and some sort of coloring together. Rather than throwing the three together unintentionally, I'm trying to be more intentional with which songs I choose to listen to and what scripture I read and then writing a verse and coloring it. My hope is that it will help me memorize scripture better. For example, one of my favorite songs is Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong. I've heard this song many times and know that it shares the gospel. Well, now I know one simple, yet powerful verse to go along with it. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we may become the righteousness of God." Now that is a beautiful exchange and now when I hear the song, I'll have scripture to go through my mind too.

It's a long video, but everyone needs a little break. Take a few minutes and listen to the song. :)

Friends and a Wedding

Last weekend two friends from summer project in Colorado got married in Madison, WI. Being the only Wisconsin girl, besides the bride, meant I got to play host to some lovely friends! I thought it would seem a little out of place to have them all in my house, but instead it seemed completely normal. It was as if we were all still living in tiny Ute lodge in Bailey, CO and working as a team to make plans and get things done while being incredibly goofy too.

It was so great to have a break from finding ministry partners and to be surrounded by friends who are so encouraging. So after a refreshing break, it's back to work and waiting expectantly to see God work miraculously. Seriously, miraculously...it's the only way this is all coming together.

On Wisconsin

Please let me introduce you to my beautiful friend, Brooke. We met at the first Campus Crusade for Christ meeting this year. She is also from Wisconsin and transfered to Point Park University after completing a year at Madison. I think we both teared up a bit when we exchanged phone numbers and had the same area code. Being far from home has never been something that bothered me too much but having someone who also says "bubbler" for water fountain, correctly pronounces words like bag and tag, knows and like cheese curds, and also LOVES the Packers brings a little bit of comfort.

As much as I love the Wisconsin pride that Brooke and I can bond over, it's her heart constantly seeking to bring glory to God that really makes me cherish our relationship. For the past year, I've been able to meet with her and hear how she is learning more about God and being challenged to live her life for Him. She has such an intense curiosity to understand the gospel's depth and constantly challenges me with her questions and hunger for more. I'm in awe of how she understands Jesus' command in Matthew 22:37-40 that says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Despite being new to our CRU movement this year, Brooke jumped right in and reached out to everyone around her, friend or stranger, and loved them equally. She has an authentic love for people that I think reflects Jesus to every person she encounters.

Part of the journey I was blessed to walk out with Brooke this past year, was making a decision to attend a summer project with CRU. There were lots of ups and downs-- uncertainty about where to go, if she should go, and how it would all come together. I saw her question the world telling her getting money was the most important goal of a summer and then confidently decide that growing in her faith and serving God was going to be her goal. She took a step of faith and yesterday, I got to hear an incredible story of how God has been faithful to encourage and provide for her! I am so confident that she will grow to be a unstoppable leader this summer and return to be an encouragement to students on her campus so they too can place their trust in Jesus. And I am excited to be blessed enough to continue to work with her and see how God uses her! You can keep her in your prayers this summer and follow her blog here too.

A New Adventure.

When I came to college I thought the most significant growth I would experience would be intellectual knowledge. I started at Pitt with the intention of earning a degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and continuing on to graduate school for physical therapy. I had heard people give different statistics about how frequently students change their degree but I thought I was an exception having my life figured out. Well, God came, rocked my life, and turned it all around. I’m learning that’s a typical thing for His character. So instead of more book knowledge, it has been a journey in my faith that defined the past four years.

Freshman year I began getting involved with Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) and my faith began to grow slowly. I read my bible for the first time, got involved in a bible study, and began to experience Jesus in a personal way in my life. The stories I heard growing up were no longer about a man in the past but my Savior, comforter, encourager, leader, and best friend today—Jesus. This journey of faith then led me to taking a semester off of school and going to South Africa and Uganda for a five month Discipleship Training School where I experienced God’s faithfulness to His children in a whole new way. (That trip is how this blog originally began and what most of the previous entries are from). I heard stories of His provision for families caring for orphans in Uganda and the strength He gave a woman to share His love with prostitutes. I learned about God’s unchanging character and His ultimate goal to have a daily relationship with us.

When I returned from South Africa, my confidence in what I wanted to do with my life was changed. I knew I would be able to succeed in school and go on to be a physical therapist but it was no longer fulfilling. I experienced so much more of life from seeing God work in miraculous ways during my time in South Africa and Uganda that I was stirred to seek more. As I contemplated what scholarly path I should pursue, I became more involved with Cru too. The more involved I became, the more I began to see how God is working just as much on campus as I had seen in Africa. The more I leaned in to being part of what God was doing here, the more I realized where God was taking me next on my journey.

As graduation approached, I had to make the decision of what to do next year. After many different ideas, I had decided to return home and pursue a second degree in secondary math education. The more I thought and prayed about it though, I knew it was not using the gifts and passion God had given me fully. I become so excited about women’s ministry and can see how God is working through Pittsburgh Metro Cru. Movements are growing on campuses, more students are getting involved in discipleship and bible studies and spending their time serving God in unique ways. I knew the passion in serving was the calm and quiet leading of the Lord calling me to serve Him in full-time ministry.

So I have decided to spend the next year as an intern for Pittsburgh Metro Campus Crusade for Christ. I am excited to be right in the middle of God working by coaching student leaders, meeting one on one to mentor students in their faith, helping launch CRU movements on campuses, and helping plan retreats and other training sessions.

Before I start, I face the challenge of raising my financial support. Like many other mission organizations, Campus Crusade for Christ workers must raise all their salary and ministry expenses. My goal is to have all of my support by August 1st. I will be spending my summer building a team of people who desire to invest financially and through prayers to what God will be doing in Pittsburgh and around the world. My hope is that my ministry team would know the blessing of giving back to God what He has given us in order to expand His kingdom.

This is their story.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to be part of a club on campus called Keep It Real that tutors students who have resettled in the United States from all over the world and now attend Arsenal Middle School. Last year the club asked students to share their experiences and put the stories into a book. Since I was gone last semester, I had not seen the book until yesterday and I can't get the stories out of my mind, so I would like to share two with you. The first is from a girl named Asia whom I work with every week. The second story is from a young man named Daler whose story broke my heart. Both reminded me of the overwhelming need for God's peace and true love to be shown in this world.

"My name is Asia H. and now I live in America. But I didn't always. I was born in Somalia, but moved to America because Somalia was a scary place to live. In the middle of the night Somalis would come into people houses and steal their clothes, food, and even kill people. They would also kill people during the day if you didn't give them what they wanted. My uncles died because of this. We were sad, mad, angry, and scared. We needed to go some place safe. My family decided to walk to Kenya because it was safer, but it took ten days. On the way my brother got lost, but he made it to Kenya by himself. We built our own house and it was safer, but we still wanted to go to America. After about a year my families name was on the list to go to America! We were so happy and excited but we had to leave my grandma, my aunts, and my uncle behind. I was sad but excited to go to America. I have been in America many years and have lived in Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. But my grandma, aunt and uncle and cousins are still in Somalia, and I miss them very much."-- Asia

"I came to America because my people were killed, and we had to move to the refugee camps. We move from Myanmar to the camp in Thailand slowly, through the forest so we wouldn't get caught. The Buddhists and the Christians believe in peace but they still kill. This doesn't make sense to me." --Daler

I've realized in the last year that one of the most powerful things I can do is share other stories and see where people are led as a result. My prayer is that your eyes may be opened to the need in this world and compassion would flow from your life.