November 2023 - Deep Roots and Harvests of Fruit!

-


Hey friends and family!

Thank you guys for supporting me on this journey thus far! It has been quite the adventure! 

Each day brings new opportunities for learning and growth; in a vocation as relationally-based as this, it is nearly impossible to be complacent or stagnant. So many moments across the table with a student has led me to recognize my own insufficiency and need to turn to God. They ask questions that feel unanswerable and present situations that are not so black-and-white. I am grateful for their hunger for truth and dissatisfaction with easy answers; so many students are seeking God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. I am regularly encouraged and challenged by their earnest pursuits.

I currently have the privilege of facilitating a one-on-one Bible study with 9 girls as well as two small group studies. Though each student's story is different, many have chosen to establish roots in God's love. I am so grateful to be walking with them as they explore what it looks like to build a life on this type of foundation.
"Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." - Colossians 2:7

The fruit of being rooted in God's love? Loving others. And man, the way these students love one another in tangible, whole-hearted ways is the sweetest thing. The embody the "no man left behind" mentality.

Thank you guys for continuously showing God's love to me week to week, month to month as I am growing into this role as a campus minister. Words do not suffice in expressing my gratitude!

Enjoy the photos from this past month down belong! Love you guys!

Veronica


Some of our students at a volunteering event for the organization "Feed My Starving Children"

Family night! We invited those who our students consider family to experience one of our Wednesday night services. It special to see all those who have invested in our students years before we ever crossed paths with them on campus.

Richland College Friendsgiving! The living room was bursting at the seams as more and more people streamed in (the photo was taken before several arrived!)


Our students at a semi-annual event called "Pizza Theology" - we enjoyed pizza and had several hours of lecture on a certain theological topic. This year, the topic was the biblical perspective on what it means to be a human being.

Some photos of me and my family from Thanksgiving break! On the left, I am with my parents and sibling for some hikes and on the right, with Kazayet!

Freyesus (on the right) brought Quincy and I some Eritrean fried dough for our Bible study! I have loved learning more about her experience growing up in Eritrea and getting a taste of her culture! :)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

August 2023 - New Beginnings!

-
Image
Hello friends and family! First of all, I wanted to express the deepest THANK YOU for your support as I am entering into so many new beginnings. I certainly could not be here as a pastoral apprentice with FOCUS ("Fellowship of Christian University Students") without your prayers, encouragement, and financial partnership. The past month has been full of new beginnings. In July, Kazayet and I got married! We loved celebrating with friends and family from all over the States and from Nigeria. The day represented our relationship as a whole - the coming together of two cultures, only possible by the sustaining love and power of God.  August marked the official start of the pastoral apprenticeship with FOCUS!  Since I was part of this ministry throughout all four years of college, it has been incredibly special to get to see the "behind the scenes" as a new staff member. The entire FOCUS staff went on a staff retreat  to recenter on our mission (building and maturing di
Read more

October 2023 - Making Memories

-
Image
  Hey guys!  I hope you this update meets you well!  Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting me in countless ways and enabling me to be on the college campus ministering to these students. It has been such a joy-filled experience so far! The nature of college ministry lends itself to being such a fun, vibrant, and exciting atmosphere. As college ministers, we have the privilege of being part of shaping the college experience of the students. Many of these students were expecting to simply "make it through" their time at community college (just doing what it takes to get to class and pass their exams), but we have been able to offer them another path to consider: to have memorable, meaningful college years through forming life-long, Jesus-centered friendships and exploring their faith in deeper ways.  With this, our staff team has thought creatively about how to be purposeful with the time we have with students. In addition to our ongoing Bible studies and Wednesday ni
Read more

September 2023 - Surprises and Humble Gratitude

-
Image
Hey everyone! I am beaming with joy as I write of all the things God has done in this past month on campus! Again, I want to thank each of you for partnering with me prayerfully and financially - I would not be able to be on campus, meeting with students full-time if it were not for you! This first month of ministry on the campus has left astonished and awestruck. We were praying for students to have open hearts as we invite them into our ministry to learn more about Jesus and, man oh man, has God been faithful!  Last night I was sitting in the audience of our worship night looking around at all the students God has brought into our ministry and I welled up with gratitude, humbled by the work He has done. There was such a wide range of life experiences and backgrounds present, including international students who never heard about God in their home country, students who have chosen to abandon their faith in the past, atheists and earnest seekers, and fresh-out-of-high-school Christia
Read more