God is On the Move! (GYU 11)

It's already been a month in Missouri! Crazy, but true! It's been one of the most wonderful months of my life already though. God's so clearly blessed and orchestrated our time being here. I hardly even know where to start in updating you all. That's honestly why this update has been so long in coming. I felt so inadequate to put down everything I wanted to write to you! But I guess the best thing to do is just to start somewhere, so that's what I'll do. (Thank you all for your patience) :)

First of all, I can explain a little more of what we do here. It's entirely different from our time in Montana. While God used that time, more or less cooped up together as a team, to really grow and train us in team dynamics and conflict and everything, this semester in Missouri, He's jumped us all right into the incredible ministry opportunities as a now strong and willing team. Monday through Thursday my team is on 3 different college campuses here: OTC, Missouri State, and Drury where Cru has movements going. We get to campus around 11 am, and jump right into full on ministry, literally meaning we spread out through the cafeterias and students hang out areas, and just approach students to start spiritual conversations. That's one of the (many!!!) things that's been incredible in working with Cru for me. The way Cru does ministry has literally encouraged me so much, and changed the way I look at evangelism as a whole. I used to be terrified of it, and I was pretty sure while maybe God called some people do that, it definitely wasn't for me. But as I've gotten to be a part of the amazing Cru staff team here in Missouri, and study scripture, pray, and learn ministry from them, I've discovered more of God's real heart for ministry than I'd known before...and wonder of wonders...I found that He'd put that heart in me too! I'm now soo excited to get to share! To approach random strangers and get to share with them the hope that I've found. Get to tell them about how incredible my Jesus is, and the gift that He's offering us all. So, things I've learned during just the first week of working with Cru on campus:

1) It's all about the next step. In conversations we have with students, we're not about "seeing how many people we can hit up with the gospel so we can tally up some new 'converts". No. We're all about being surrendered to the Lord's leading that the tiny space of time our lives intersect theirs, we can be a witness and a light and just move them one step further along in their spiritual journey. Say a number 10 is like a super strong Christian. Then there's also 5s and 6s, 1s (new believers), and then the negative numbers who aren't there yet, whether they're a -10 and super antagonistic to Christianity, or a -2, and really seeking -wanting to find the Truth in the gospel. While of course, it's the most incredible experience to get to be the one to take a person from -1 to 1 (the step from unbelief into believing faith) each of the other steps is just as important. And each conversation we have with students does affect them. Even if it's such a tiny affect that neither of us realize it until years down the road. Every time your life crosses someone else's, and you're intentional to have those conversations, even just to get them thinking, the trajectory of their life is changed. And they may not even realize it. Every conversation matters. Every interaction counts. We just have to trust our almighty God Who is really the One doing the calling and pursuing of each heart. Which leads into point number... 2) It's all about dependence on God. When your work is literally ministry, you have to learn this really well. It's not about us. It's not us who are going to change the campuses. It's God. It's His Spirit in us. It's the conversations where I was completely worn out, where I told Him He'd have to take over, that the most incredible things happened. It's all about Him. This is His work. He's just inviting us to be a part of it. So, when we're on campus, sometimes we spend just as much time engaging with students, as we do walking around and praying. The power of prayer is something I've learned to a greater extent that I ever had before. Seeing the way the staff team here seeks the Lord, relying on His strength, and praying specifically to see Him act in certain ways on their behalf, has inspired my own prayer life more than anything else yet in my life. He hears us. He answers. He works through us. We just need to rely on Him, which also goes with point number... 3) Rest. I learned to rest here. Which is weird, because we work hard, we train hard, we give our all. We're here to reach as many people as we can. And yet....we're also here as children dependent on our Father. We rest as an act of worship to Him. We're finite. We need rest. And being intentional in taking that and engaging with Him in that is an act of worship by reminding ourselves that it's never in our own strength. We rely on Him. I've worked harder here than before, but I've also rested harder too. And really learned how to rest. Often, we don't realize that the ways we think we are "resting" aren't really resting us. Well, here, I've had to figure it out! Otherwise, I'll be burnt out and yet need to jump back into the hard and exhausting work of ministry full time the next day! It's not the time I spend in bed, or watching a movie that I've found really rests me personally. It's been the time I spend on my knees in my prayer closet. The time I spend just listening to Him. The time I spend in worship. I'm finally learning how to rest. :) I'm ever so glad. I've needed this. Lol 4) I've learned soo much about what Cru's real mission is here. It's all about creating multiplying disciples. All about that. So when we have conversations with people. When we get to share with them about Jesus, literally the next thing we do, is start discipling them to be able to grow their own faith by sharing what they've found in Jesus to others around them. By Cru's definition, a multiplying disciple is someone who is sharing their faith at least once a week, and is discipling 2 other people in how to share their faith. We want to reach students, but we also want to see students reach students. The other week I was at the church I'm going to here. It's a great church that a bunch of students from the campuses I work on attend as well, so a good spot for me. :) But anyways, that Sunday was baptism Sunday, tears sprung to my eyes, as I watched a guy, Alec, (from one of the Missouri State frat houses who'd recently come to Christ himself) climb into the tub to baptize two other guys from his house that he'd shared with and discipled to know and love this Jesus too. That's what we're after. We can't necessarily get into all the Greek houses. All the clubs. All the different places on campus. But if we can train up students and equip them to reach their classmates and roommates with the gospel, we can reach whole campuses with the good news. So, half of the days we're on campus we devote entirely to finding multiplying disciples through our "KV Challenge" (Key Volunteer Challenge) On Wednesdays and Thursdays we actually spend the whole day asking students one by one if they love Jesus and want to reach their campus with the gospel. Most people say no, (of course), but then, you'll find someone! Someone really passionate about God, and wanting to share their faith, but not fully realizing how. That's when you praise God, sit down with them, and map out their vision, and how to help them see that happen. We'll do follow ups with them. Really get to know them, and train them in all the awesome tools Cru has! Just the same way my team learned 4 weeks ago, we'll teach them by "M.A.W.L.ing". (Model, Assist, Watch, Leave) First we have them watch us use Cru gospel tools to have a spiritual conversation with a student. Next, we'll have them help with part of the conversation. Then we watch them do it, and then they're all set to do it on their own, taking their own friends and passing on the vision. :) That's been the most satisfying part for me, I think. Getting to encourage Christian students who aren't confident, that they can share the gospel, and then seeing their face when they actually do it, and are like, woah! you were right! I did it! It's so amazing! On that note, the girl I'm getting to disciple right now is named Alex. She's so sweet, and ready to step out in faith and learn to share and reach her campus. She's a little scared to approach classmates with the gospel, but she's never tried yet. I got to meet with her and train her a little in one of the tools I love to use called Perspectives, but we didn't get to go sharing that time. Tomorrow I get to get coffee with her, just talk, explain to her Cru's vision, and grow together in how we can take steps towards that. I'm excited. So she's definitely a prayer request. Never really done this before, so needing to trust in God's power through me and let go of my need to have things all figured out and organized in advance. That's the step of faith I need to be taking in this. Thank you! Another prayer request would be for the Leaders' Get Away training overnight we're planning for the end of next month. This will be where we get together all the students we've been discipling or have any contact with who are wanting to reach their campus. We'll get to encourage them, grow them, share vision with them, and equip them together. It will be an incredible step forward in our ministry if God provides us with students to come! So, pray He brings people, pray people are willing and eager to join in His work here, and pray for all the logistics we need to work out for that to happen as well. :) Sorry this update was so long in coming. There's still heaps I wanted to tell you all about, but I'm out of time for this evening. If you ever just want to ask me anything or hear about anything more in specific, just email me or message me on the blog, and I'd love to give more details. I am SO thankful for you all. God is incredible, and I've already grown SO, SO much and seen Him do so much around me here. Isn't He wonderful??! Blessings! ~Etsi --