Africa Update

Now that I am finally past my jet lag (I think)... it's time for an update. I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend 10 days in Cote d'Ivoire. For those of you that don't know Cote d'Ivoire is MSU Cru's overseas partnership. I mentioned this in my last post but I'll say it again here because it speaks a lot to what I'm about to tell you in this update. I love our partnership for many reasons but one of my favorites is how strategic it is. Islam is making a huge push from Northern Africa down into the South (The 10/40 window is not far away from Cote d'Ivoire). But at the same time the country is so open to the gospel! Students are willing and excited to hear about Jesus and many are placing their faith in him. Many countries are closed to Christian missionaries, but we can come into Cote d’Ivoire without restrictions. Another reason is that the country is rebuilding from a civil war a few years back. The country’s future leaders are on college campuses right now and they have a huge opportunity to change their country for Christ. Finally, Abidijan is the third largest French speaking city in the world! What an amazing way to reach beyond Africa and into other French speaking countries. Beyond strategy I LOVE the people in West Africa. I got a pretty good picture of the people two summers ago when I went to Mali so it brought me so much joy to come back and experience their kindness and love all over again. A day by day account may be too much, but for those that are interested read on (if you're not, at least check out the photos).

Day 1 - We leave Kansas City VERY early in the morning. A long layover in Chicago and even longer overseas flights make for one very tired girl.

This was a common site in the airplane. God has blessed
me with the ability to sleep anywhere.

Again: blessed to be able to sleep anywhere.
I'm the one with the pink shoes poking out.

Day 2 - 5 hour layover in Brussels, Belgium. We had enough time to wander in the city a bit so we left the airport and ventured into downtown. I enjoyed an authentic Belgian waffle! The freezing cold (I was going to Africa and didn't bring a coat) and overpriced train ticket were totally worth it because that waffle was AMAZING. Next: Brussels to Abidijan. That evening (or is it morning in my mind? Time change is a funny thing) we arrived in Cote d'Ivoire. We were greeted by Craig (American Cru staff member ministering in Abidijan with his wife, Bryn, and their three kids), the Kouadios (Ivorian staff couple), and a few Cru students. Finally we get to sleep in a bed!

Beautiful architecture in the city!

Train station in Brussels.

Day 3 - This was a Sunday so we went to Craig's church. They speak in French in Cote d'Ivoire and I can say a total of three words in French: bonjour, oui, and merci beaucoup. Needless to say, I didn't know what was going on most of the service, but it was really fun to worship the Lord anyway. A theme I've noticed in West Africans is the passion in which they worship the Lord. It's contagious and even I didn't know the songs they were singing my heart couldn't help but praise God. That afternoon we got to meet students involved in the local Cru movement. We sang praise songs, mingled with students, played soccer, and heard Stephen's (one of the student leaders) testimony.

Loved spending time with these ladies. L to R: My roommates Kelsey,
Chrissy, Me, Lizzy, and our friend from K-State Chrissy.

Day 4 - Our first day on campus! We went to Abidijan's largest campus called Cocody. There are 60,000 students that attend Cocody University. There was definitely a buzz around campus because a bunch of Americans where there. We spent the afternoon near the English department sharing with students and doing follow-up lessons with new believers. I mentioned before how open students were to hearing the gospel. We could literally walk up to someone, ask if they wanted to talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus, and they would agree! That would never happen on even the most open campus in the United States. The first day I got to share the gospel with 2 Ivorians in the English department. I found out that they were Christians, but had a limited understanding of the gospel. They still lived in a performance mindset. I got to show them in God's word that grace is a free and undeserved gift. If they have surrendered their lives to Christ they are free from the guilt and shame that sin brings. It was a great day and the best part is they wanted to meet the next day to start follow-up lessons. After meeting with students we went to their Cru meeting. It was outside in this beautiful wooded area on campus (I wish Missouri weather was nice all year so we could meet outside). It was so fun to see all the students there, much like they would be at Missouri State. Although we are worlds away, we serve the same God! It was a huge blessing to be a part of that.

Davy sharing the gospel.

My roommate, Kelsey, sharing the gospel. These girls were precious!

Worshiping at the Cru meeting. 

 Day 5 - Back to Cocody! I spend the morning doing follow up lessons with the students from yesterday. The first follow-up lesson deals with confidence. New believers can have confidence that their eternity is secure in Christ. It was so fun to see their eyes light up and for them to understand that salvation isn't the result of good works and neither is God's love as Christians. In the afternoon we went to Bingerville where a local Cru movement has started in a all boys school. We attended their Cru meeting. We got to dance with them while they worshiped and encourage them to keep pursuing the Lord. After that we went to the Kouadio's (Ivorian staff couple) house. I'm incredibly encouraged by their faith. They raise support just like me and I can't imagine how much harder it is in Cote d'Ivoire. They are committed to college students hearing the gospel and even though they have little, they are so incredibly joyful in their service of the Lord.

Doing follow-up with new believers. 

Dancing with the Ivorians.

I love the way they worship!

Learning song with Colette. She is on staff with Cru in Abidjan. Such a
joyful woman! It was a pleasure to get to know her. 

Day 6 - Today I got to talk for a long time with two Muslim students studying English. Anna and Kadi were beautiful girls with tons of questions about American music, fashion, and culture. It was really fun to talk with them and they answered plenty of my own questions about their religion. Their major hang ups with Christianity are they don't believe Jesus is God and they believe good works will get you to heaven. The conversation was good, but hard at the same time. I want these girls to understand the gospel so badly and it was hard to walk away from them still holding onto false beliefs. However, I know that I serve a good God and he loves Anna and Kadi more than I ever could. I know our discussion didn't fall on deaf ears and I pray God will continue to bring to mind all that we talked about. I'm thankful that these girls, although they are Muslim, are incredibly open to talking about spiritual things. It is extremely rare to be able to have those types of conversations with Muslims.

Sharing with Anna and Kadi.

Me, Kadi, Anna, and Chrissy.

Day 7 - Off to Bouake! We drove 6 hours north so we could share with college students in Bouake. I don't think I can adequately describe the adventure of driving in Africa. Pot holes in America can't compare to pot holes in Africa. I think I saw my life flash before my eyes a few times, but fortunately we made it to Bouake safe and sound.

This is Alloco: fried plantains and fish. We ate this A LOT!

Day 8 - Today might have been my favorite day because I got to see an old friend. When I went to Mali a few summers ago I had the privilege of meeting Barnabas who was one of our translators. When he found out we were coming to Cote d'Ivoire he made the trip from Mali to see me. His mother lives in Bouake so it was perfect! I was thankful the Lord orchestrated the opportunity for me to see him again. We shared the gospel on campus and he very kindly translated for me. We also happened to meet a Christian on campus and got to take him through the first follow-up lesson. Later that afternoon: more soccer (of course). This will forever stick out in my mind as one of the best days of my life!

My good friend, Barnabas. He is very musical!

They had a jam session. 

Day 9 - Headed back to Abidjan, but we stopped in the capitol city of Yamoussoukro to see the world's tallest Basilica. It is absolutely breathtaking to behold. Words don't really do it justice so I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Didn't look too big as we walked up. Boy was I wrong. 

View from a balcony inside.

View from and outdoor balcony. This is the courtyard.

Beautiful stained glass everywhere!

Day 10 - Back to Craig and Bryn's church! It's funny to end a trip the same way you started, but again worshiping the Lord with believers from across the world is something I will cherish the rest of my life. For me it's a little picture of what heaven will be like and I can't wait for that day! Today was incredibly bittersweet because it was our last day in Cote d'Ivoire. I will miss the people I met in these short 10 days, but I rejoice knowing I will get to come back this summer. More on that later.

Blessed by these women.

Pray for this incredible family! They are doing
amazing things for the kingdom.

Overall here's what I want you to know about my trip:

• God is working in Cote d'Ivoire. It's absolutely crazy how open they are to the gospel. I think we take it for granted in the U.S. that we can openly talk about our faith. That certainly is not the case most places around the world. Thankfully it is true in Cote d'Ivoire right now. The harvest is very plentiful and I think these students are going to make an impact that goes beyond their country. 
• Ministry success is not a result of me... or my team or any human for that matter. God is the one at work and he is working in Cote d'Ivoire and in Springfield, MO and in a million other places in the world. I got to see a lot of fruit on this trip (people coming to Christ, believers growing, students stepping up into leadership) but even when I don't (I think of Anna and Kadi) I can trust that God is moving. I pray for those precious girls and I ask that you would too. 
• Obviously our ministry isn't about numbers. You can't measure success in ministry like you measure success in business or sports, BUT numbers represent real people. Real people that God cares deeply about. So I'm going to share the stats from the week with you. Not for a pat on the back for our team, but for the praise of the Lord Almighty. Because these stats are truly amazing and ALL glory belongs to the Lord. As a team we presented the gospel 135 times. We saw 15 people trust Christ and 2 of those people were Muslims! The best part is that these new believers are going to get discipled! We got all of their contact info and they will be followed up with. I'm so excited for them to grow in their understanding of the gospel. Finally 45 believers were taken through follow-up material. It was truly an amazing week. 

Thank you for your prayers and support. You are a part of reaching Cote d'Ivoire for Christ and I'm thankful for your partnership. 

More exciting news: I get to go back at the end of May for a 6 week summer project (short term mission trips). I will be helping to lead a team from the Great Plains Region. Last summer we had a team in Cote d'Ivoire and the Lord showed up in big ways (no surprise there). I am so excited for this summer and I look forward to seeing the people I grew to love on this trip. Can you please start praying now for this trip? Students are taking a huge step of faith and giving up part of their summer to serve the Lord. They will be raising support (as will I) to go on this trip so please pray that the Lord provides every single cent of their support before they board that plane in May. I can't wait to share with you how the Lord moves this summer. If it's anything like those 10 days, it's going to be amazing. 

February Newsletter

Fresh Bread

In two days I have the amazing opportunity to go on a vision trip to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) which is in West Africa. I will in Abidijan (economic hub of the country) from February 8-17. Why Cote    d’Ivoire you ask? Great question! Every campus has an overseas partnership. I love Cru’s heart for the   nations because it reflects our Fathers desire that every nation, tribe, people, and language know him. MSU’s overseas partnership is in Cote d’Ivoire. We have a full time staff couple there right now with their three kids. They lead the Cru movement on college campuses in Abidijan. 

We love our partnership for many reasons but one of my favorites is how strategic it is. Islam is making a huge push from Northern Africa down into the South. But at the same time the country is so open to the gospel! Students are willing and excited to hear about Jesus and many are placing their faith in him. Many countries are closed to Christian missionaries, but we can come into Cote d’Ivoire without restrictions. Another reason is that the country is rebuilding from a civil war a few years back. The country’s future leaders are on college campuses right now and they have a huge opportunity to change their country for Christ. Finally, Abidijan is the third largest French speaking city in the world! What an amazing way to reach beyond Africa and into other French speaking countries.

As you can tell I am so excited about this trip. Two summers ago I went on a missions trip to Mali which is just north of Cote d’Ivoire. I absolutely fell in love with the West African people and their culture. Since I left I have longed to go back. While we are there we will be joining the staff doing college   ministry. We will be sharing our faith on campus, catching a   vision for what ministry is like over there, and encouraging the local staff team. Each summer we send students on a short term missions trip called a Summer Project. I’m so excited to be able to encourage students to go, knowing the needs and realities of the ministry in Abidijan. I can’t wait to tell you all about my trip. Please pray for safety for our team and that college students in Cote d’Ivoire will be ready to receive the gospel as we share with them.

From Campus

The semester has just started and God is already moving! Just last week I heard these stories:

• My roommate Tina took one of the girls she disciples to do evangelism in the student union. They picked a random person to approach and give them a spiritual interest survey. It just so happened it was a volleyball player and she was incredibly receptive to the gospel. She didn’t place her trust in Christ just yet, but said she wanted to learn more about what it meant to be a Christian. When Tina told me about it later that evening I texted the volleyball player. This is what she had to say about the experience: “It was really random but what makes it interesting is she came at the right time, I was needing some of those words today.” I’m excited to continue talking to her about Jesus! Praise God that he is working in the volleyball player’s lives.

• Olivia is a sophomore in our Cru movement. She went to DCC and had a great time of growth, but the coolest part happened when she got home. A big part of DCC is the outreaches. Olivia participated in an online outreach using Facebook. The point of the outreach was to get into   spiritual conversations using social networking. The Lord used Olivia in a big way. Here’s what she had to say about it: “At DCC, I sent my high school friend Emma the online survey. Instead of submitting her answers we just agreed to meet up at Starbucks and talk about the survey together in person. When we met up back in St. Louis at Starbucks other people were there so the conversation didn't really go towards the topic of God. We did talk a little bit about the survey though because I sent it to a few other people who were there. It didn't go very deep, so Emma said she would like to talk about it another time. She said that the idea of God is hard to understand for her, and she would like to just hear from different people their experience with God and how He has worked in their life. We decided to meet another time, just her and I, and I shared the gospel with her (my very first time doing that) and she accepted Christ right there in Starbucks! It was unbelievable! Not  only did I come away having another sister, but I personally grew in my faith because I was truly able to see how God works through you if you just let Him. “

We Were Made for Relationship

This is the talk I gave at the athletes' Bible study last week. Hope you enjoy!

This semester we’re doing a study called “backstory.” At Cru we believe it’s really important that we know the Bible. I know some of you guys are familiar with Bible stories. We know of Noah building the ark, David killing the giant Goliath, Moses parting the Red Sea, Jesus doing miracles and eventually dying on the cross and rising from the dead. All these stories seem to be unrelated right? Sometimes the Bible seems like the random compilation of stories, but this semester we’re going to see that all these stories connect to the same common thread: Jesus. We’ll see that the Bible isn’t just a random assembling of stories but it’s actually one cohesive story that allows us to better understand God. We’re going to be talking about different common themes that we see throughout God’s word over this semester. They are intimacy, betrayal, anticipation, pursuit, sacrifice, invitation, and reunion.

Tonight's topic is intimacy. Now I bet some of you are like, “what? We’re talking about what? I thought Christians didn’t talk about sex.” Well some Christians do. In fact our director Justin will be talking about sexuality in an upcoming Thursday night Cru talk. But sexuality is not what I’m talking about tonight. In our culture the word intimacy has taken on sexual connotations. But it is much, much more than that. It includes all the different dimensions of our lives. Yes, the physical, but also the social, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects as well. Intimacy really means total life sharing. Some synonyms are closeness, inseparability, familiarity, and nearness. If you look throughout the entire Bible you’ll see that God’s desire for you and me is that we would have intimacy with him.

I know guys and girls think differently about these things but I also know that ALL of us at one time or another desire to be close with another person. We long to be understood, loved, and accepted. We seek out meaningful friendships with people who share our interests, with people who are loyal, with people that genuinely care about us. We long for our families to have healthy relationships. We want dating relationships that are deep. We are relational beings. Because that is the way that God designed us to be. Turn with me to Genesis 2:18-25.

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

So you guys know the story. God spends five days forming the world and everything in it. On the sixth day God creates all the animals and living creatures that are on earth. And then he creates man: his masterpiece; the absolute best that he had. Nothing else in all creation was created in God’s image. As beautiful as mountains are, as amazing as some of the animals in the world are, as powerful as the ocean is… none of them quite measure up to us. Why? Because we created in God’s image. We were designed to reflect the beauty of our creator. So God looks at his masterpiece and says, “this is good. But what isn’t good is that man would be alone.”  Why is that? I bet a lot of you guys are wondering the same thing. You’re thinking, “God you gave us women and they have been nothing but trouble!” But seriously, why?  Why wasn’t it good that man should be alone? I think there are a couple reasons:

• First, because we only reflect the image of our creator one single person could not have all the attributes that God has. I get to see the character of God through numerous people with their different personalities and spiritual giftings. We don’t have it all. We’ve got a piece and other people have pieces. And combined we get to see a fuller picture of our creator. 
• Second, the God we serve is relational. I can’t adequately explain the doctrine of the trinity in the time we have tonight, but we serve one God existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you look back in Genesis 1:26 it says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” From the beginning of time God is relational so it makes sense that we, created in his image, would also be relational. 
• And third, it brings God glory. When we love and serve each other God is glorified. And God uses people in our lives to bring us joy and to bring us closer to him. 

So for those three reasons and probably many, many more God decided it was not good for man to be alone. God in his goodness decides Adam needs a helper that is fit for him. So Adam is watching all the animals go by naming them, “Aardvark, Arachnid, Armadillo…” He gets all the way through and none of them were worthy of an intimate relationship. So God puts Adam into a deep sleep and creates Eve. A helper that was worthy.

But here’s what we do. We take created things and put them above the creator. We take relationships and intimacy with people and look to that to satisfy what only God can. Tim Keller is a pastor in New York. He wrote a book called Counterfeit Gods. It’s about exactly that: how we take good gifts the Lord gives us and places them above God. We take the incomplete joys of this world and build our entire lives on them. Yes, we were created for relationship; first and foremost with God and secondly with people. We were created for intimacy. The God of the universe wants to know you. He wants to be known by you. He has called you by name and desires a deep, intimate relationship with you.

Some of you here maybe don’t have a relationship with God. That’s ok. We are so glad you are here. This is one of those things you have decide: “do I want this? Do I want a personal relationship with God?” If you do we’d love to talk with more about what that looks like. There is a card under your seat and if you fill out the info we will get in contact with you so we can talk about what it means to have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. 

Some of you might be struggling with your relationship with God. You say, “I get that I was made for intimacy with God and I want that, but I just haven’t been feeling it. I don’t know how to make it better.” I want to give you my favorite quote from Tim Keller’s book. It says, “The only way to free ourselves from the destructive influence of counterfeit gods is to turn back to the True One.” I encourage you to examine your relationship with him. You might be struggling because you’re looking to some outside source to give you what only God can. He desires intimacy with you and the solution isn’t try harder or sin less or be a better Christian. The solution is to run to Jesus. Talk to him. Tell him that you’re struggling. Ask him to turn your heart away from counterfeit gods and help you develop you intimacy with him.

Some of you may be doing fine with God but are struggling in your relationships with people. You know you were made to be in relationship with others, but that’s not always easy. Its not always easy to let people in. It’s not easy to deal with peoples’ sin. Or your own sin for that matter. Relationships are never easy. They’re messy and hard. But God created us to be relational beings so they must be worth it. If you’re struggling with some of your relationships whether that be with your family, friends, teammates, coaches, boyfriends, girlfriends let me encourage you to change the way you think about them. Many times the tension I experience in relationships comes because I view them as a means to benefit me. How can you make me happy? How can you serve me? How can you make my life better? Rather than thinking of relationships as a means to benefit myself I should look for ways to serve and love others. Relationships with others are hard. That’s a fact but it’s harder when we put unfair expectations on people and try to get from them things only God can give us.  Yes, they are difficult, but they’re worth fighting for.

Chances are that you are struggling in either your relationship with God or a relationship with another person. My challenge for you tonight is to not be okay with that. I know a lot of times it’s easier to just let those things go. It’s easier to watch a movie or take a nap or play XBOX than it is to take time out of your day to read the Bible and pray. Intimacy is not one-sided. God knows you fully but you’ll never experience intimacy with him unless you spend time getting to know who he is. I can’t expect to know Kiley if I never talk to her or see her or listen to what she has to say. The same is true with God. If we want to know him we must take the time to learn about who he is and learn how to listen to him. We were created to have intimacy with God and when we don’t you are seriously missing out. On the flip side I know it’s easier to not work on hard relationships or deal with difficult people. But it is not good for man to be alone. You were created to be in relationship with others. And God has placed certain people in your life for a reason. Don’t miss out on God’s good gifts because you want to take the easy road.

I can think of two eternal things in this world: our relationship with God and our relationship with others. The only thing that’s going to matter after we’re dead is if we had a relationship with Jesus and what we did on earth with our relationships with people. Did we love them well? Did we serve them? Did we point them to Jesus? Maybe that’s why in Mark when Jesus is asked by a teacher of the law what the greatest commandment is he says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” You were created for intimacy. From Genesis to Revelation we see that God’s design is intimacy.

January Newsletter

Fresh Bread

Sometimes when I spend time in God’s word I forget the purpose: to spend quality time with the one who loves me. Sounds silly right? But how often do we Christians do that? We search for  application points or read because “that’s what Christians are supposed to do.” And sadly, we miss Jesus in the midst of our “quiet time.”  As I opened my Bible yesterday I heard the Lord say, “Melissa, just rest here.” And by His grace, I did. This was the best time I’ve had in the Word in a very long time. Psalm 16:2 says, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” How easy it is to forget that apart from Him good does not exist… even when I’m doing all the “right things.” My prayer is that we can rest in the presence of the Lord, for apart from him we have no good thing.

Me and Lauren (one of the girls I disciple) at DCC.

From Campus

It’s hard to believe Denver Christmas Conference (DCC) has already come and gone. God always does incredible things in the lives of our students at DCC and this year was no exception. The theme of DCC this year was “Uncommon.” Speakers challenged students to live an uncommon life, just like Jesus did. At the end of the conference we had a some time together as a campus where students got to share about their DCC experience. Here are a few of the stories from this year’s conference:

The whole group from Southwest Missouri.

**Because this link gets posted on Facebook I have changed the names of the students to respect their online privacy.**

• Alexa, a Sigma Kappa at MSU, rededicated life to Christ because she realized she was trying to fill the gap in her life with relationships and school when really that gap was meant to be filled by Jesus alone. She described her time at DCC with words from a famous worship song: "sweetly broken, wholly surrendered." 

• Jake, a junior at MSU, said he has always been terrified to share his faith, but now he is ready to be challenged and take steps of faith in the area of evangelism.

• Phil, an international student from China, walked away with solid community. He expressed joy in  being able to connect with fellow Christians and feels very blessed to have American friends who love Jesus.

• Bailey, a junior Bible study leader, said, “The Lord revealed to me the judgments and prejudices I have. The Lord broke my heart for people that I have looked down upon. He’s teaching me how to truly show love to His people.”

• Lexi is a student at one of our distance campuses, Missouri Southern in Joplin, MO. Over the summer she walked away from her relationship with God, but DCC helped her fall in love with Jesus again.

• Daniel said, “God renewed the joy of my salvation.”

• For years Andrew was a hardened atheist, however, the Lord had been working in his life because he made friends with a few  of the guys in Cru. He decided to go to DCC and surrendered his life to Jesus while he was there. Praise the Lord that we now have a new brother in Christ!

• Bryan, a junior transfer student, said,  “For the first time, I’ve allowed people in. Secrets I thought I’d die with are now being shared. The shame and guilt I feel is slowly melting.”

• Junior Bible study leader, David, said, “DCC helped me expose my idol of success and recognize God will love me no matter how much I fail.”

• Emily, a junior, said,  “I have been running away from making a career choice. I was scared of what God was calling me to do, but I finally surrendered.”

• Kelly is a nursing major at a local nursing college. She said, “God has taught me that I’m not too messed up to be used by Him.”

From the ladies I disciple:

• Carly (junior, helps lead the athletes’ Bible study): “DCC was a great time of thanking and praising God for everything he has done in my life.”

• Madison (junior): “Growing up my Dad was highly addicted to drugs and left my family. I have not been able to forgive him, but this week God has been working in my heart. I am now ready to take steps and start working on forgiving him.”

• Jenna (junior on the soccer team): “God taught me that what He desires most is my relationship with him to grow and not the work I do.”

• Brittany (sophomore, helps lead dorm Bible study): “I’ve discovered my spiritual gift: leadership.”

• Katie (sophomore, helps lead athletes’ Bible study): God has shown me that I try to hold onto control over my life and that I need to have Him be the center of my decisions. And despite my feelings of inadequacy, He loves me truly and completely For the first time I wholeheartedly believe that.”

First day of DCC. So excited!

 Ways you can pray

• Please pray for the students that went to DCC. Ask God that DCC would not just be a spiritual high, but rather a jumping off point for a deeper relationship with Him.
• We are beginning a new semester! Please pray that God would continue to move in Southwest Missouri and that students would meet Jesus for the first time.
• Please pray that a member from every team on campus would be involved in the athletes’ Bible study.

Worship was AMAZING!

One of our speakers: Pastor, Eric Russ. 

Watch DCC Live!

Thank you for praying this week for Denver Christmas Conference. God is already working in the hearts of our students at MSU. If you'd like to see what DCC is all about visit www.godcc.com. If you scroll down on the right you'll see a link for live streaming. We are broadcasting the main sessions. Here is the schedule

Sunday December 30
9:00-11:00 AM
7:00-9:00 PM

Monday December 31
9:00-11:00 AM
10:00 PM-12:00 AM

Tuesday January 1
10:00-11:30 AM
7:00-9:00 PM

Remember we are in Denver so keep in mind there might be a time difference. Keep checking back for updates on DCC and please continue to pray for:

• Students would have ears that hear from the Lord and hearts that are ready to surrender to his will.
• Community and deep friendships would be built.
• Students who don't know Jesus yet would understand the Gospel this week and ask Christ to be King of their life. 
• Health and safety.

The End of the World

If you hadn't heard, the world was supposed to end yesterday. And yet here we are: me typing this and you reading it. 

Yesterday afternoon my family and I went and saw the Hobbit. I was completely floored on how many of the movie previews had to do with end of the world scenarios. I don't know what our fascination with the apocalypse and post-apocalyptic living are, but it's a trend I don't see dying out anytime soon (pun intended). And it got me thinking about the mindset of our culture when it comes to the end. 

What is this fixation on the end of the world? It seems silly, but I guess it's a valid infatuation. I mean death really is THE big unknown. It's the only thing someone can't come back from and tell you about; let you know what to expect. You can ask someone what it's like to go through college, or have surgery, or raise a child. We can read books on surviving war and break-ups and cancer and natural disasters but the one thing that no one really knows about is death and what comes next. There is not one living person who can tell you what to expect. I suppose it's reasonable to fixate on this big unknown... to make movies about surviving the apocalypse because for many fighting off zombies and eating MRE's in solitude for 20 years would be a better reality than facing the big question mark of death. So we speculate and wonder and entertain ourselves with all the possibilities. And since New Years is coming and I tend to get very reflective when seasons of life end and new ones begin, I shall offer my own take on the end of the world. I'm not really sure who reads my blog. I'm sure a lot of you have faith in Jesus Christ and some of you maybe not. Either way these thoughts are for all. They're not brilliant or incredibly original; they're just my thoughts.

1. The end of the world isn't going to come when we expect it. I don't mean Y2K or Mayan calendars. I don't even mean Matthew 24:36,42 which says "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." I don't mean a literal end of the world. I mean the end of your world. Of my world. Of our friends' worlds. Peoples' "worlds" end unexpectedly all the time. Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Hochsprung, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, and Allison Wyatt all had their world end in an act of evil last week. 20 sweet, innocent babies went to school on a Friday in December and never came home. 6 educators went to work in Connecticut and didn't clock out. We wait for the end of the world and we forget that our world is incredibly fragile. We're not guaranteed tomorrow and no amount of preparation can change that. We can't buy enough canned goods and we can't build concrete walls underground that would be thick enough to ensure that life will go on. Instead of preparing for an apocalypse, why don't we prepare for eternity? Because we get one shot here on earth. That might be 100 years or might be 7 years, but what we decide here determines our forever. I take comfort in the fact that I serve a Sovereign God and I fully believe that those dear children are in heaven being held by Jesus with no more pain or fear of evil. As for the rest of us, I hope we grasp how fragile life really is. I hope we don't take the years for granted. And above all else I hope we can answer the most important question there is to answer: what do I believe about God?
2. Inevitably we do have to face this reality of death. Whether it's because of the apocalypse or by the hands of evil men or of natural causes. And if there is no escaping it, that one question remains: what do I believe about God? Not all of you are standing in the same boat here. I'm not naive enough to think that every single one of you believe there is a God. So, for each school of thought I have some thoughts to offer up:

• For those of you who don't claim any faith: I assume this decision is based on many hours of careful thought and reasoning. In any case, I ask that you would consider the consequences of your decision. What if you're wrong about this conclusion you've come to? I know you could ask me the same question. So here's my answer: If I'm wrong, if there really is no God, no life after death so what? Yes, that is my answer: so what? And here's why. If I'm wrong I've spent my life with hope. I've spent my life giving to others. And I've spent my life feeling completely fulfilled and joyful. I live a great life, die, and that's it. Sure, maybe I spent my life believing a lie, but I'll be dead and I doubt I'll care. But what if I'm right and you're wrong? There is a God (who, by the way, loves you more than you could ever know... even though you deny his existence). There is heaven and there is hell. If I'm right, the consequences for you after you die are much more serious than simply believing a lie and ceasing to exist. Now this decision is not one to be made based on fear. But I do hope that question at least gets your mind moving. I just have to ask when you consider the complexity of our world, can you really say that science answers every single one your questions about nature, mankind, the origin of the world, morality, etc.? Aren't there  just a few things out there that you can't explain? I'm not asking you make a decision right this second that there is a God. What I am asking is that you would at least revisit the topic of the existence of God. Because like I said before, what we decide about who he is will determine our eternity. And maybe you don't believe that's true, BUT if it is... on the slight chance that it is... the consequences are weighty. It wouldn't hurt to dig a little deeper, decide where you stand on this, and yes... maybe even pray. Just to see if God shows up. If you do all that and still arrive at your same conclusion, then I'll be satisfied. 

• For those of you I know that have "religion:" please hear me because you are near and dear to me (I think specifically of a few of my friends and family that I pray are reading this). Why is religion in quotes? What do I mean by religion? Why would religion be a dangerous place to rely? I do all the right things. I go to church and I pray sometimes. I'm a pretty good person. Or I believe all that stuff I'm just going wait until I settle down before I start practicing it. I don't want to miss out. Here's what I mean: religion can't save you. Going to church and praying isn't going to get you to heaven. You could be the best person in world and not be good enough. Because really, how good is good enough? How can you be certain that you've done enough good deeds or made into that church building enough times to guarantee your spot in heaven? Where's the cutoff? May I submit to you God's word: Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death." Ephesians 2:1-3: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." Romans 3:10: "As it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one.'" Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?" 1 John 1:10: "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." We're NOT good. We're not worthy. I deserve hell. I don't deserve heaven. No one does, except one: Jesus. And here lies the difference between religion and relationship. I'm not bashing the church or good deeds or anything like that. I believe in all those things. They are good things. But what I don't believe (and I think the Bible is pretty clear) is that those things grant you any merit before God. Here is the rest of that Ephesians passage, 2:4-10: ^"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH—AND THIS IS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD— NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." You see that is where being "religious" and having a relationship with Jesus are different. I'm a religious person in the sense that I go to church and I try to do good things, but ultimately I know that those things could never save me. The only thing that makes me worthy of getting into heaven is that I have put my faith and trust in Jesus and his blood covers my sin. Grace: an undeserved good gift. I deserve hell and I'm given heaven instead. And it is FREE. I don't have to do anything to deserve or earn it. What a relief! Belief in that is where rubber meets the road. Religion says, "change first before God will accept you." Religion says, "be a good person and God will be happy with you." False. The Bible doesn't say that. A relationship with Jesus means that you are fully accepted by God and as a result he will mold you into the kind of person he desires. Jesus first, actions follow. Not the other way around. I had a conversation with some friends recently where they expressed discontentment with their religious experience. They went to church occasionally but always felt guilty because they knew they were just going to walk out those doors and "mess up again." What I pray they understand more than anything is that Romans 8:1-2 is true: "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." If that had a relationship with Jesus they would know that not only are they free from guilt, but they are also free from repeating the same screw-ups over and over again. Sadly many people I know would rather put checks in boxes on their "good person list" than really follow Jesus because they're afraid of what that might mean. What he'll ask them to do. What he'll ask them to give up. These are the "I'll really follow it later" folks. I already talked about the fragility of life so I won't go there again other than to say there might not be a later, do you really want to take that chance? What I really want you to know is from personal experience I can promise you that God is completely good and completely trustworthy. I can honestly say that following God's commands is a joyful and fulfilling life. He isn't withholding good things from me. Because he is good, he has set out boundaries and guidelines for my benefit and protection. So if you're afraid of missing out I would ask you to consider what you're missing by not surrendering control of your life to him. From personal experience (I had a few wild years in there) I can honestly say that I've never been happier than I am right now. And trust me my life is far from perfect. But I know that a loving, all powerful God calls me by name and has a wonderful plan for my life. I know that the things he wants to give me are for my benefit and my good. And I know that when I die, I will spend eternity in heaven with him. Can religion offer you all that?   

• For those of you are sons and daughters of Jesus: I rejoice with you because although this world will burn and our bodies get laid to rest,I take joy knowing that we will be in heaven together for eternity. I don't have long thoughts for us in this category, only this: let's not waste our lives. We have been given a precious gift and it's meant to be shared. If I make it to an old age I don't want to look back at my life and think, "I wish I would have..." Whatever it is, fill in the blank. I pray that after my world ends, when I stand before my Savior he says to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" I pray that we live each day with an eternal perspective.

If you have questions, comments, or objections to anything I said here please let me know! I love to talk about these things and would be interested in knowing where you stand.

Pray for the families of those who lost their lives in New Town.

December Newsletter

Fresh Bread

1 John 3:1

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

It’s distressing that I often forget how much God loves me. He doesn’t love me like I “love that song” or “love Chipotle burritos.” Sadly, I’ve cheapened that word to describe my feelings for music and food among many other things. Lately, God has been reminding me of his love for me; his fierce, unfailing,   unchanging love. I’ve been blessed to realize at least a small fraction of the magnitude of his love these past few months. 1 John 3:1 tells us that “he calls us his children.” I don’t even understand how much my parents love me and my heavenly Father loves me EVEN MORE! I pray that as we celebrate Christmas we rejoice that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus Christ to earth. I pray that we “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19). What a wonderful,  loving God we serve!

I had the wonderful opportunity to surprise my parents for Thanksgiving. They had no clue. It was SO FUN.

Roommate dinner!

From Campus

Because of your support this fall:

• Each member of the volleyball team heard from God’s word every week this season.
• Shelby and Kiley shared their faith for the very first time.
• Lauren F., a freshman in the dorm I minister to, surrendered her life to Christ.
• At the beginning of the year Lauren P. said on a scale from 1 to 10 she wanted to know God at a 10, but thought  that he only would want to know her at a 1. She now understands that God  loves her more than she could ever imagine and wants a personal relationship with her.
• We’ve had at least 30 athletes attend every Bible study this year. 9 of the 14 sports have at least one of their athletes attending.
• 7 girls I disciple are discipling girls younger than them: showing them what a passionate, intimate relationship with Jesus looks like.
• Lauren W., Ruth, Kiley, Ashley, and Shelby stepped into leadership roles for the very first time. They are using their individual gifts to serve in Cru.
• Strong friendships have been built in my dorm Bible study. Students are making friends that build them up and point them to Jesus.
• 135 students put the story of how Jesus changed their life on YouTube and then on their Facebook. They boldly proclaimed to follow Christ and opened the door to have spiritual conversations with their friends and families.

“Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name;  make his praise glorious” (Psalm 66:1-2). Thank you for your support which makes all of this  possible. Let’s praise the Lord together for working in the lives of students at MSU. “To HIM be the glory forever” (Romans 11:36).

Please pray for Denver Christmas Conference!

It is taking place December 28th through January 3rd. We have over 90 students attending this year. DCC is always a time of intense growth for students. Please pray for students to travel safely to Denver, surrender their hearts to Christ, and build strong community with other students. For more information on this conference check out: www.godcc.com