DCC Live Stream Video

Davy and I are so excited to be at Denver Christmas Conference and we want to share it with you. Below is a link that will allow you to watch the main DCC sessions. You'll get to join us and 1,000+ college students as we worship God and dive deeper into our relationship with Him. Below is a schedule that lists the times of the sessions. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND WE ARE IN COLORADO AND THE TIMES LISTED BELOW ARE IN MOUNTAIN TIME. 

CLICK HERE FOR DCC LIVE STREAM

MONDAY 12/29

9:00 -10:30 AM - Paul Tripp
7:30 - 9:30 PM - Libby Swenson

TUESDAY 12/30

9:00 -10:30 AM - Paul Tripp
7:30 - 9:30 PM - Justin Stringer (our director at Missouri State!)

WEDNESDAY 12/31

9:00 -10:30 AM - Paul Tripp
10:00 PM - 12:30 AM - Nicole Lewis and New Year's Eve worship celebration

THURSDAY 1/1

10:00 AM -12:00 PM - Paul Tripp
7:30 - 9:30 PM - Rick James

For more information on the conference or the speakers please visit the DCC WEBSITE. We hope you enjoy experiencing a little bit of our job. We are thankful for your support and allowing us to invest in the lives of college students.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please pray for Davy. He is a main meeting producer and has a huge job making the meetings happen. He also got sick right before we came to Denver. Please pray for quick healing so he can focus solely on his job.
• Please pray for me. I will be giving a seminar for women only on Thursday at 1:30. It is about lies that women believe and how to fight them with truth from God's word. I'm really looking forward to this talk so please pray I am filled with the Spirit and that God works in the hearts and minds of the women that will be coming to my seminar.
• Finally, please pray for the MSU students that are here in Denver. There are 104 students here and our prayer is that God would rock every single one of their worlds. Please pray for them. 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas friends! We pray that you enjoy this holiday season. Let's remember to rejoice in our Savior's birth. 

Please pray with us as Denver Christmas Conference is just days away! We can't wait to see how God uses this conference in the lives of college students. 

November Prayer Letter

Can I get an Amen!?

The numbers you see in the picture above represent what happened just last year through the ministry of Cru on college campuses. 230,000 new believers will be rejoicing around the throne with us in Heaven. 23,000 of our students were trained in how to share their faith. If you ever have the temptation to believe that America is lost for good, please rejoice with us in the fruit evident in these numbers. Lives are being changed. Eternities are being changed. Your investment plays a significant role in seeing it happen. Join us in giving thanks for God’s goodness this past year and pray for more in 2015!  

“I was settling for a life that was too small.”

Every November juniors and seniors all across the country gather to answer the question, “What’s next?” and “Am I willing to go where God leads?” Fifteen students from Southwest, MO traveled to Kansas City for this annual conference with Cru, called Beyond. Beyond challenges these upperclassmen to understand they are 100% sent, which simply put- states they are missionaries whether they enter the work force or go into vocational ministry. 

Allie, one of the women Melissa has discipled the past few years, attended this conference and it shifted her whole perspective on ministry in the work place. She says, “While I was there, God spoke through the speakers and challenged me to think differently. One speaker said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t live an ordinary life.’ When he said that, I broke down crying because I realized that was what my plans were: ordinary. I knew that I was settling for a life that was too small. I am confident in going forward as a teacher, but now I am seeking opportunities to spread the Gospel in my school. More than anything, I am now willing and open to do anything God is calling me to do, wherever that may be!”

We are so excited that Allie and these fifteen students want to surrender control of their futures. Pray with us that God uses them to impact the world! 

Allie just finished her student teaching and it is so encouraging to hear her passion for education. She wants to impact students academically, but more than that she wants to impact students spiritually. She is already brainstorming ideas to start a Christian club at her school that will help students grow and equip them to share their faith with their peers. 

Missouri State students at Beyond

MISSIONS SPOTLIGHT  

While we were in Oregon we were invited to be the missionary spotlight with the youth at Melissa’s home church. It was such a blessing to have children pray over us. Also, Davy’s 8-year-old cousin just accepted Christ and was baptized. She wants to be a missionary someday!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  

We had the privilege of spending Thanksgiving in Oregon with Melissa’s family (pic: two brothers and a girlfriend). It was a refreshing time with family and lots and lots of great food.  We give thanks for you, our faithful support team, this November. 

Prayer Requests

• We are at 68% of our monthly financial support goal and have only 18 days left in our 100% in 100 days goal. Please pray the Lord provides in huge ways and that we get back to campus before the spring semester begins. 

• Denver Christmas Conference will take place Dec 28 - Jan 2. Davy is on the program team and Melissa will be giving a seminar talk for women.  Please pray for the planning and that God uses the conference to impact students.

HOW CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU? Please fill out the form to the right and tell us how. 

October Prayer Letter

Fall Retreat is a hit!

Imagine packing into a car with three of your best friends (or brand new friends if you’re a freshman!) and driving a couple hours to a camp in the woods for a weekend of peace and quiet after a hectic beginning of the semester. Imagine as well, standing with 175 other students (pictured above) from your campus worshipping God together during that weekend. That is exactly what Fall Getaway is- a retreat for students to connect with

God and each other away from the pressures and stresses of daily life. It also presents opportunities for deep conversation for students like Crawford, who opened up to other guys during Men’s Time about feeling condemnation for his past sexual sin. Through his tears, he was able to hear God’s love and forgiveness from the other men in the group who pointed him to Jesus’ grace poured out on the cross. Pray for Crawford and others! 

“Look what God has done”

“Remember when you sat me down and asked me to lead the men’s group? Look at how far God has brought me... I’m leading the high school ministry, facilitating the baseball team Bible study, serving the women of Cru, and pursuing community. Thanks for pushing me to face my fear and take steps of faith.”

CHANGED FOREVER

This is what Robert said to me (Davy) last week when we got together to catch up. Robert entered college with a desire to explore his freedom as an adult, but one of his good friends (a student leader with Cru) invited him to attend our first-of-the-year events. We got connected, I began discipling him, and eventually asked him to lead the manhood Bible study one night. He was so scared that first time, but courageously stepped up to lead. His growth since that point has been amazing and he is now one of our strongest student leaders in Springfield. Pray for him as he seeks to lead his peers into holiness! 

HOUSE PROJECTS 
In the two weeks we were home in Springfield, we finally got a chance to decorate and paint!This is a wall in our office.We want to keep our eyes focused on God’s heart for the world and pray for the believers everywhere. 

UPDATE ON JACOB 
Thank you for your prayers! Jacob’s broken neck is doing very well. He and Amanda got married and Jacob was even dancing at the reception. He is cleared to drive now and going back to classes. Praise God!  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Our annual Christmas conference is coming up! Students from all over the Midwest will come to Denver, CO from December 28th to January 2nd to worship God and grow in their faith

PRAYER REQUESTS

• We are at 63% of our monthly financial support goal and have 63 days left in our 100% in 100 days goal.
• We are now in Mtn View, MO living with Davy’s parents to raise support in his hometown. Pray for new contacts and a bulk of support to come from this trip.
• Our 1,000 student conference DCC is coming up in a couple months. Pray for students to sign up and for the team planning the conference. 

HOW CAN WE BE PRAYING FOR YOU? Fill out the form to the right and let us know. 

September Prayer Letter

Life Changing Small Groups

Tyler, a 6’9” sophomore basketball player at MSU leads the Bible study for the team. Nine of the 13 players showed up for the second study and continue to express interest. Andrew (a student from my Manhood Group last year) is hosting a small group for his fraternity and half of the members are showing up! Of the six main dormitories on campus, all have studies happening, and Freddy Hall has 40 students show up consistently, while Blair-Shannon has around 30 each week. Fourteen girls are attending Fall Getaway from the Freddy group! One Sorority passed around a sign-up sheet for interest in a house study and 55 girls signed their name! There is a study in all of the Sororities and eight of the Fraternities have guys leading groups weekly. Small groups were instrumental in our growth during college as well. Pray for them! 

“Davy! Have you heard about Cru this year!?”
It has been so encouraging to hear the freshman guys from my small group last year so excited about all that is happening with Cru. We had our largest meeting ever a couple weeks ago with 400+ students in attendance, our Fall Getaway retreat numbers are the largest they have ever been (30% more than last year!), and small groups have consistently maintained large numbers of students.

Students in the "Freddy" dorm Bible study hanging out after their weekly study. 

GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE

Momentum is exciting, pushes the staff to their fullest capacity, and ensures all the credit goes to God as it is obvious He is multiplying the harvest past our abilities as people. Pray with us as 85 of the registrants for our fall retreat are freshman. An amazing figure, but it also creates new challenges as we give them a significant discount (strains the budget), and organizing rides is difficult since many don’t have 
friends yet. 

Ways you can pray:

• We are at 51% of our monthly support.We have 90 days left in our 100% in 100 days goal.
• Pray for Fall Getaway.You will hear the stories in next month’s letter, but pray now for many students to encounter God in a fresh way.
• We are back in Springfield (had been in Oregon the past six weeks). Pray as we settle into our home amidst the transition.
• Pray God would raise up new contacts to join our monthly support team here in Springfield. 

HOW CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU? Fill out the form on the right side of this page and let us know. 

FOLLOWING UP
Caleb was your average freshman walking into college. However, he filled out a survey with Cru and during follow-up, placed his faith in Christ. He and our director met the next day, he then went to a Bible study, and this past Thursday he brought four friends to Cru! 

DAVY’S BROTHER: JACOB
My little brother broke his neck in three places playing rugby a couple weeks ago. He is ok and not paralyzed in any way. He had surgery and will be in a brace for six months. He got married Sept. 26th. Please pray for speedy recovery and his marriage. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
We're so excited to share stories from Fall Getaway in our next letter. The next conference we hold is called Denver Christmas Conference. This will take place December 28th through January 2nd. Please begin to pray for students to attend. This conference is so life changing!

The Easy Button

This conversation happens quite often:

Friend: "So you have to raise money in order to go back to campus and do your job?"

Me: "Yep!"

Friend: "Isn't that really hard?"

Me: "You know, sometimes it is, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Friend: "Seriously? Why?"

Those questions Davy and I get asked are totally valid. It's not normal. Most people in the United States get a job and get paid by their employer. But our story is a little different. We got jobs with Cru and set out to raise our financial support. And yes, sometimes that is really hard. But I really do mean it when I say that I wouldn't trade it for anything (this is a recent development, by the way. God has really been working in my heart). Since all of you that read this blog probably won't get to sit down with us and hear why, I thought I'd tell you right here.

Davy and I are reading a book right now called The God Ask by Steve Shadrach. It's amazing. If you are a missionary, read this book. If you know missionaries, buy this book for them. In the book, Shadrach talks about the easy button. You know, the one Staples advertises on TV? In the book he lays out a scenario. If an easy button existed for missionaries and they could press it and have all their funding raised just like that, would they?

Shadrach says he asks that question to thousands of Christian workers and about 95% say, yes, they would press the button. His hope in writing this book is that the mindset would change. He's come to the conclusion that he wouldn't do ministry any other way. He NEEDS his support team. Not just their finances, but their prayers, accountability, passion, and encouragement as well.

This process is full of ups and downs. Yes, it does get hard some days. But when we get to sit down and share with people about God has changed our lives and the lives of college students... wow! Words cannot describe how fun and joy-producing that is. Even when people are unable to give, we got to sit down for a little bit and brag on how amazing God is. That fact always outweighs the hard days. If this life is about bringing God glory, we can do that sharing the Gospel on a college campus or sitting in a person's home talking about our ministry and financial support. Both aspects of our job are equally as worshipful to our Savior.

In addition to that, we remember what Paul says in Philippians 4:17: "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit."

We wouldn't change this process because we would be robbing individuals of the abundant joy and blessing that comes from investing in God's kingdom. Not everyone is called to be in vocational ministry, but we are all called to give of the resources that God has entrusted to us. When we obey that call, God is pleased. We want others to experience the privilege of obeying God and fulfilling the Great Commission through giving.

Don't get me wrong, some days I don't want to pick up the phone to make calls or stare at my computer screen one minute longer sending out emails. As an introvert, it can get exhausting meeting new people. And inevitably talking about money can be awkward. This process is hard. Of course it is, or people wouldn't ask the questions I mentioned at the beginning of this post. Shadrach, found that many Christians consider vocational ministry, but are prevented due to finances. He says that Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Missions, estimates that as little as 1% of people who inquire about staff opportunities ever make it into a long-term ministry assignment. Shadrach believes this is, in part, because of the challenge of raising support. Luke 10:2 says "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." It breaks my heart that the workers might be even fewer because raising support is hard and scary at times. I'm definitely not saying that Davy and I have it all together. We struggle with it too, but we've decided to trust God. No matter what. Even if that means this process takes years. Even if it gets really hard. We're going to walk by faith because we believe in what God has called us to and we want to be a blessing to others whether they can give financially or not.

Sure, there are days the easy button looks really nice, but no one that I aspire to be like (Paul, Ruth, Esther, Jesus, the list goes on) ever pushed that button. I pray that we will not ever be tempted to push it. I pray that we continue to give people an opportunity to be blessed through giving or simply hearing how God is moving on the college campus. Please pray with us in this process. The enemy undoubtedly will attack and attempt to hinder the mission. He'll make the easy button look so appealing. Pray that we remember the process is from the Lord and that it is His good gift to us and to the people we have the privilege of talking with.

I explain these things because I want our eyes to be lifted to Jesus. I don't say all of this so you think Davy and I are great, because we're certainly not. This is something we're in the process of learning ourselves. We just want people to be aware the support raising is NOT a necessary evil. It is a privilege and joy. Please remember that as you pray for and interact with the missionaries in your life. Please join us in celebrating this process and worshiping Jesus and His provision in the midst of it. May God get all the glory as we share about our ministry with others and as He brings in the support little by little. 

August Prayer Letter

The First Six Weeks

6,000 freshman students walked onto campuses in Southwest MO the past two weeks. They were presented with opportunities to go whatever direction they desired, to attend a host of functions, clubs, or parties. 330 of those freshman and upperclassmen walked into our first Thursday night weekly meeting(pictured above). They heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in their first week at college. 

What these students will encounter in the coming weeks can rattle even the strongest foundations. Many professors will shake their faith with postmodern teaching. Studies show that in the first six weeks of their freshman year, students will align themselves with what will shape their entire college experiences, which in turn will set the trajectory for their entire life. Please pray for this critical window.

"Exactly what I needed"

Spencer was burned by the church. Condemned and cast out, he was resistant to Christians. However, he encountered a Cru staff member at MO State and heard the gospel during our initial outreach. He found the community and grace Jesus offers in the midst of our sin. Spencer was so thankful our team invited him with open arms to attend the meeting. Our hope for him is to restore a right outlook on the church. Pray with us.

Small Groups

Cru small groups started this week. The goal of these groups is for students to get involved in a smaller community where they can grow in their faith and reach out to their friends. We have small groups in all areas of campus: fraternity and sororities, athletic teams, international students, residence halls, off campus, and faculty. Here are a few stories from this past week. 

Are you familiar with the lifestyles of college athletes? Often busy, tired, and the source of the party life on campus--- ministry in this arena is tough. Which is why we are so excited 60 of MSU’s athletes showed up for our kick-off BBQ last week! The entire men’s and women’s basketball teams attended and several of the guys even said, “we’ll come back next week for the preaching too.” Imagine if these campus social leaders (as athletes often are) began pointing their peers to Christ. The whole culture would change! 

Residence hall Bible studies are often a place where students, especially freshman, make lasting friendships and experience life change. This past week one of the halls "Freddy" had 50 students attend (pictured above). Another hall "Hammons" had almost 30. This is the most we've seen in the years we've been involved at Missouri State. Jordan, the small group leader in Freddy said."My heart was so happy tonight to find over 50 kids in Freddy come to our CRU 'small' group. I am so stoked to get to be a part of leading so such eager students. Watch out, God is doing big things at Mo State!"

This is Brandon. Last spring Brandon led Sebastian to the Lord. Sebastian went on a summer mission trip, is now an RA in one of the dorms, brought 10 of his students to the weekly meeting, and is beginning to disciple a freshman guy- Tucker. Praise God for students coming to the Lord and taking it to the world. 

Most international students will never step foot in an American home. This is our first group meeting of the year and the students had a ton of fun making friends and playing games!

What's Next?

Fall Getaway is coming up September 26-28. This retreat is a great time for students to develop friendships, get away from the demands of school, and really focus on the Lord. Pray many students sign up and bring their friends.

Prayer Requests

• We are at 45% of our monthly financial support goal. Join in praying we reach 100% in 100 days. 

• Pray God would raise up student leaders among the athletic teams to lead Bible studies and be a light to their teammates; especially for Christian freshman.

• Pray for our staff team. They are tired from a busy start of the year and meeting many new students.

• We just celebrated three months of marriage! We have slept in 13 beds since being married. It’s been great and a lot of fun, but continue to pray we love each other well in the transitions.

HOW CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU? CLICK THE EMAIL ICON TO THE RIGHT UNDER "CONNECT WITH US" AND LET US KNOW HOW. 

Please pray with us

Here is a calendar with some ways that you can be praying for the staff and students of Cru in Southwest Missouri. We would be honored if you would pray with us this next month or so. We realize that nothing good happens on campus unless the Spirit moves which is why prayer is so important. We are excited to see how God moves these next few weeks on campus. 

This calendar is by no means an exhaustive list of things to be praying for, but it does serve as a guide. And we know that we even when we fail to pray for what we should Romans 8:26 is true: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR US

If you'd like to download the calendar so you can print it out please click the email icon under the "connect with us" section to the right and request a PDF. I'd love to hear from you.

for the display of His splendor

For those of you who frequent this blog, you'll notice things look a little different. If you're new here, welcome! I figured since this blog isn't just about me now it could use an update. New life stage, new look. But really things haven't changed too much. I'll still post life updates, pictures, and ministry updates. Hopefully you are encouraged and blessed by God's grace in our lives and the lives of others.

As I was changing this blog around I stared at that old banner at the top of the blog. An artist's rendition of a crooked tree and the title of this blog: "for the display of His splendor." A few of you may have read the post explaining why I named this blog that way back in July of 2012 (I re-posted it below if you care to take a look). Many of you have not. I look back to that post and realize how God has fleshed out this idea of being a display of His splendor the past 2 years. The concept is based on Isaiah 61:1-3 which says:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

In the beginning what resonated with me was the idea that the Lord had called me. I was sent. I was anointed. That thought was exciting to me. And of course that is still true today. But what I've realized these past two years is that I was also the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the prisoner, the mourner, the despairing. I know Christ, but I am still a sinner and I am just as broken as the people I have been sent to. I as a Christian need Jesus just as much as a lost person. That is what makes this so beautiful. I often picture those oaks of righteousness in verse 3 as the tree in my former header and the tree in my new header: falling down, crooked, and a messy. It's easy to believe that when we come to Christ, we should get it all together. We shouldn't be needy or messy. We should grow straight and tall, no bumps or ugly places. But we know better than that,don't we? My life certainly doesn't look like a mighty, tall, and straight oak tree and I'd guess yours doesn't either. We may not look like mighty oaks, but we are beautiful. We may not look strong and powerful, but our God is. To the world we may look broken, but to those who see as God sees we are displays of His splendor. We are all beautiful messes. The reason those broken falling down oak trees display the Lord's splendor is because they are a picture of the Gospel. We are messed up, broken people and in the midst of that Jesus loves us more than we could ever imagine.

I'm thankful for these past few years. I have learned to see beauty in the brokenness. It gives God all the more glory. Davy and I are broken, needy people leading other broken, needy people to the feet of Jesus. It's that simple. While the look of the blog has changed, the title remains the same because we, together, are all about the display of God's splendor. Until the whole world knows.

Isaiah 61:1-3

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Some of you are realizing now that this is where the name of my blog has come from! This is a passage I have fallen in love with. God has been teaching me this one very important thing lately: my life and my actions should be to glorify him. That is all that matters! My hope is that at the end of my life when I stand face to face with my savior he will say to me: "Well done good and faithful servant! You were an oak of righteousness, a planting for me that displayed my splendor." 

I think Psalm 115:1 sums it up nicely: "Not to us O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness."

May God get ALL the glory as I embark on this adventure in ministry. Much, much more to come in the near future.

With love,
Melissa

July Newsletter

MARRIAGE IS GREAT

We have been married for over two months now and the time has gone so fast. We are enjoying the married life and look forward to the years to come! Thanks for your prayers. We spent the majority of our first two months together in Orlando, Florida with 180 young men and women being trained as new missionaries with Cru.

The history of the organization, seminary courses, and vision for the future comprised our six weeks of training and we are now headed into a season of full-time prayer and financial partner development. Thank you for your support over the years. We look forward to now connecting with you as husband and wife rather than just individuals! 

If you'd like to see more photos of our wedding click here: WEDDING PHOTOS

AN UNLIKELY CONVERT

”I guess I had to travel around the world to find Jesus.”

This summer three MSU athletes who lead Bible studies in Cru traveled to Uganda for a two week mission trip serving orphans and widows and sharing the good news of the Gospel.

Karly, an MSU basketball player, took her dad with her on the trip. Karly and Melissa have spent the last year praying for her dad during their weekly discipleship meetings. Karly was so excited that God was working on her dad’s heart by sending him to Uganda.

One Sunday, the group attended a local church service. At the end of the sermon the pastor invited people to enter into a personal relationship with Christ. Karly’s dad realized he had never made that commitment himself. He came forward that day and surrendered his life to Christ. He traveled halfway across the world to discover his need for Jesus.

We are so thankful for students like Karly, who have understood the vision of reaching the world: both near and far. This is our hope for all our students involved with Cru in Southwest MO. 

Tyler, Karly, and Kinsey in Uganda

NEW STAFF TRAINING CLASS
Cru hosts four trainings throughout the year for new field staff.This summer’s group was one of the largest they’ve had. Praise God for more laborers!

SUMMER IN THE IVORY COAST
We were sad we couldn’t be with the mission team in West Africa this summer, but were encouraged to hear 80 Ivorian students accepted Christ in six weeks!!

PRAYER REQUESTS

We are embarking on a journey to find partners who will join with us financially over the next several months. Pray the funds come quickly so we can return to campus soon!

Married Life Update

Hi friends!

Well, we've been married for 3 weeks. It's been a fun ride so far. Literally. We've driven over 1,300 miles since getting married. Good thing we're used to spending a lot of travel time together. This summer pales in comparison to last summer's travel adventures. Last summer. we drove from Springfield to Houston then flew to Africa then flew to Turkey then flew back to Houston then drove to Tulsa where I flew home for a few weeks. Apparently that wasn't enough because we then proceeded to take a 3,000 mile road trip from Oregon back to Springfield with my best friend Lizzy, stopping at all the sites along the way (Redwood forest, San Francisco, Vegas, Grand Canyon, etc). Needless to say, we're used to traveling together.

And the reason we drove 1,300 miles in our first 3 weeks of marriage is because we are in Florida! We got to spend our honeymoon in beautiful Sarasota, Florida (rated the USA's #1 beach). We enjoyed relaxing, salt water, sand between our toes, and gorgeous sunsets. And if all that isn't great enough we saw a manatee when we were in the ocean. He swam close enough touch. Unfortunately, I'm a baby. I got scared and jumped behind Davy. In my defense, a large black figure coming toward you in the water is a little bit intimidating... I don't care who you are.

The good news: we don't have to leave sunny Florida just yet. After leaving Sarasota, we headed to Orlando for Cru training. This is sometimes very confusing to explain to people, but I will try my best. Three years ago, Davy joined staff with Cru. He has been working in full-time ministry at Missouri State ever since. Two years ago I decided to do a one year internship with Cru. I also worked in full-time ministry at Missouri State (you've probably put two and two together and realized that is where we met). After my one year internship was up, I decided to do another. I loved my job! And just like that my second internship year was up. Sometime in that second year, I started dating Davy, got engaged, and married him which leads us to right now. Over the last two years, I felt God calling me to join staff with Cru full-time. My job won't be that different than my internship. I'll still share the Gospel with college students, lead Bible studies, disciple girls, and attempt to launch movements where none exist. The main difference is the time commitment. Rather than a year to year commitment with an internship, I'm committing at least the next 3-5 years to working for Cru. It may be longer, but will see what God does.

So, this summer I get to attend a 4 week training in Orlando. This will prepare me to raise support and better equip me to lead students. I will be taking 2 seminary courses in addition to learning more about Cru. Since Davy already joined staff 3 years ago he doesn't have to redo the training. However, he's here with me taking a higher level seminary course and helping run the New Staff Training conference. We're really excited for what the summer holds and wanted to keep everyone updated. We'll attempt to keep updating you on our experiences this summer.

Here are some pictures from the last 3 weeks:

A sneak peek of our wedding photos. We can't wait to see the rest of them!

Here we are on our road trip. On our way through Georgia we found this fun cow statue at a gas station. Random, so we decided to take a picture in front of it. 

In case you're not sure what you're looking at, this is our tent from our stop halfway to Florida.  We did not read the directions and therefore did not "verify package content." Which means we ended up with only one tent pole. We improvised. Thankfully, that campground had tall posts to mark each campsite. Also, it was dark when we set up camps. Oh, and there was a hole in the tent (fails all around). Davy found a frog in the tent when we were packing up to leave. Good thing we're pretty chill.
 

We set up our tent in the dark, but woke up to this beautiful sight. Totally worth it. 

After our camping debacle we finally made it to Sarasota. The beaches there are GORGEOUS. Here's a sunset we enjoyed.

Enjoying a walk on the beach.

May Newsletter

My last newsletter as an unmarried woman! From now on you'll get to hear from me and my soon to be husband, Davy.

Fresh Bread

Recently I read the book of Esther. I love the drama of that story and the faithfulness of God in the midst of persecution and evil. What struck me the most, however, was how personal our God is, how he can change the course of history through one person. He can   alter the course of our life so drastically for His glory and our good. As you know Esther was chosen to be the new queen and her identity as a Jew was kept a secret. All the seemingly random and strange events that took place were part of a bigger plan.

As I read in my study Bible I learned that when Haman wanted to destroy the Jews, it would have been every single Jew that remained in exile under King Xerxes. At first I didn’t  realize the magnitude of that fact. But as I read my notes I realized that had the Jews been destroyed so would the lineage that led to the birth of Jesus. Queen Esther had no idea that her brave actions would someday bring salvation to the world. I think back to last summer when I read the book of Ruth. She too, could have no idea that her actions would be directly linked to bringing Jesus to earth. In the midst of her suffering, God reached down and intervened. He met her personally and used her life for good.

The stories of Esther and Ruth are not isolated accounts. I see evidence of God’s hand all over the Bible and all over my life. When I think about the “random” events that led me where I am today I’m in awe that God would see me. Of all the billions of people in the world, he knows me by name. Isaiah 43:1 brings such peace to my heart: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” I pray that we experience the overwhelming peace and security that comes from knowing that God is personal; knowing that he sees me and knows me and loves me deeply. 

 

We can't wait to get married! It's only a week away.

From Campus

Our semester is coming to a close and summer is fast approaching. The reason I love summer is because students get time off of school and many of our Cru students choose to go all over the world to serve God. They could do anything with their summers and they choose to bring the gospel to the nations and comfort to the hurting. Please pray for the girls I disciple this summer as they serve God.

• Kiley is heading to Juneau, Alaska for her second summer project. She will be on student leadership,   helping fellow students grow in their faith and teaching them how to communicate the gospel to their co-workers.


• Jess will be in Seattle, Washington working for a ministry that serves disturbed youth through outdoor therapy. She will be leading them in Bible studies and taking them on hikes, rafting trips, and other outdoor adventures


• Alaina and Olivia are traveling to Vail, Colorado on summer project. They will be sharing their faith daily and learning what it means to live on mission in their workplace.


• Karly and Kinsey are going to Uganda to serve orphans and widows. They will share the love of Christ with the hopeless and encourage local communities to care for the less fortunate.


• Ruth is heading to South Africa to work in a children’s hospital. She is looking forward to providing comfort to hurting children and taking opportunities to share the gospel with the girls that are on the trip with her.

Be encouraged! College students have had their lives changed by Jesus and are taking the message of grace to places at home and all around the world. 

 

 

Ways You Can Pray

• Please pray that God will provide support for Davy and I as we head off to New Staff training in June. The training will cost $5,500.


• I’m still on the hunt for an affordable computer. Please pray God provides for that need.


• Please pray for our wedding. We want Christ to be honored and the gospel to be preached. Please pray that unbelievers are impacted by our ceremony.