November 2024 - Thankful!

Hey friends & family - Happy Thanksgiving!!

In this season of reflection and expressing gratitude, I wanted to take a moment to thank you guys for all of your support. I am unbelievably humbled and grateful for your generosity, faithfulness, and prayers. What have I done to deserve all this?! Thank you guys for showing me the love of God and spurring me on to love others in the same way.

Some good news from this month: 

During one of our Wednesday Night Fellowships this month, we hosted a "Freedom Night." We had guest speakers (Chris & Jennifer Goers) come and give their story. They talked about their own journey with sexual addiction, temptation, and sin, opening the door up for students to come into the light with their own struggles and find freedom & healing in Christ. 

Chris & Jennifer have internalized the love and grace of God so much that they are able to speak with tremendous freedom about a typically taboo topic. They met the students with compassion, prayed for them individually, and directed them to resources for accountability and help. 

In the weeks since Chris & Jennifer came, I have had several ongoing conversations with the girls in my small group and one-on-one studies as they are coming into the light with their own sin. In confession, they are getting to experience first-hand the remarkable, seemingly "too-good-to-be-true" (except IT IS TRUE!) love of God. 

They are learning the Gospel not just in a head-knowledge type of way, but in an experiential way - that God would pursue a sinner like them. THAT is the Good News! That God would love & continue to love a wretched, broken sinner like me! His love is unfathomably good.

Here's a few more moments from this month!   

Two of our students - Jazzy & Caitlyn - initiated a Bible reading challenge. I love it when students take initiative to lead their peers into knowing God more.

When Kazayet & I first moved to Irving, none of our friends or loved ones lived within a 20 minute radius of us. This was hard for us at first, especially because we believe fellowship with community (and geographic proximity to community!) is vital to our lives as disciples. Since moving here, so many people in our community have moved too! One of Kazayet's closest friends who he goes to Bible study with weekly, my sibling Max, 3 families from our church, and now, 2 students from my ministry (shown above in the photo) have moved to Irving too! God is unbelievably faithful in providing for our needs.   

Some of our Richland students & I tried out a new way of serving the campus this month - we set up a table for people to come and share things that have been weighing heavy on them and receive prayer/encouragement. So many students entrusted us with burdens they have been carrying.

We had our Dallas/Fort Worth-wide event called "Pizza Theology" where we dove deep into studying the books of 1 & 2 Samuel and ate some pizza with one another! It was a great turnout this year!

On a personal note - Kazayet & I got to spend some time with my parents this past weekend! We did a walk through the "Prairie Lights" light show in Grand Prairie!