September Update!

    Another month has absolutely flown by, y'all! It feels as though I wrote my August blog just last week, but you know what they say, "Time flies when you're having fun." This last month was so chaotic in the best of ways. Thank you again so much for your love, support, and prayers. I am so grateful for your generosity, and I'm excited to share all that God did here at UTA this past month!

    Outreach!

    Starting at the beginning of the month, outreach was still very prominent. UTA had an organization fair for the students to get to see all the opportunities they have during their college experience. Because the weather was so blistering hot, my team and I bought one of those bright orange tents to provide shade for anyone who stopped by to learn more about our ministry. The picture below was taken once we had just finished setting up our booth, so students weren't really around at then, but it was such a successful event. We had some pictures set up on the table of students in our ministry having fun with one another, and that was one of the best conversation starters we had. Tons of students wanted to know why we were so passionate about ministry, and our student leaders had some incredible answers. One friend of mine, Breanna, shared how Focus has impacted her all throughout her college years. She shared with these students how she was in a rough place spiritually her freshman year, and that's around the time she met people in Focus. These people came along side her and showed Jesus to her through their interactions, conversations, and friendship. A lot of people signed up to join a core, and now some of those girls attend my core! 

                        

One of my jobs is to head up our outreach events with my friend and fellow apprentice, Sophie Willis. Sophie and I decided to use the theme we have for this year (Life to the Full) and ask people what a full life means to them. They got to write their answers on a whiteboard, and we had some really cool conversations come out of it. I met one girl named Lisa who told me that she isn't really spiritual, but she's interested in seeing what Focus is all about because we have a really friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Another guy talked a lot about how happiness is the peak of a full life, but when I asked further questions, he admitted that he wasn't very happy with his life. I got the chance to share how I used to relate to him until I found a full life in Jesus and having a personal relationship with him.

Outreach has been such an effective way to be a presence on campus, meet new people, and ultimately be bold in the way we love the Lord and want others to know and love him just as much. 

Fall Camp!

    

    Fall Camp is a 24 hour trip we took to a camp called Mount Lebanon. Most all of the girls in my core got to go, and it was so exciting because that was most of their first time ever going to a camp at all! I have a few gals in my core who come from military families, so moving around a lot prevented them from experiencing what going to camp can be like. 

    

    At camp, we split into teams to play relay races. I was on the green team, and it's incredible that we came in 4th place! Granted, there were only four teams, but I don't usually add in that factor. We had so much fun though! There was a 4-way tug-a-war, an Oreo face challenge, and a fun game where one person puts pantyhose on their head with a tennis ball in it to knock over 10 cups. There's a really goofy photo to give an image of what this looked like; it was as funny as it sounds. This is one of our student leaders, Nathan, and he was very enthusiastic to play this game. 

    We also had an epic worship night later that evening. The campus director and my friend, Sarah, had set up many worship stations, and we did this for about an hour and then shared what we learned. One of my favorite worship stations was watching a video of Yosemite National Park time-lapse and reflecting on Psalms that David wrote. I was reminded of the deep beauty of creation, and one passage that stood out to me came from Job. It's speaking about how all of creation knows who it's maker is, and Job 12:10 says, "Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" I kept thinking about the absolute serenity of our God and how good He is to us. 

Goofy and Fun Memories!

    Since it's September, everyone is already thinking about Halloween. I personally think it's too far away, but one night my roommate Bailey came home with presents for the rest of us. She had found 90 cent goody bags filled with goofy holiday props. Things like cheap circle glasses, fake teeth, and fidget toys. Of course, being the children that we are, my roommates and I were thoroughly entertained with this kind gesture. 

    I also got the opportunity to go to the Van Gogh exhibit with my dear friends, Micah and Ben. For those of you who don't know, I graduated with a degree in Painting and Drawing with a minor in Art History. Impressionism is my favorite style of art, and that's exactly how Van Gogh painted. To say this was an experience of a lifetime is an understatement. 

Classes!

    Last but not least, I want to share with you all what I've been learning in my classes. In my leadership Class with Brandon, we are reading The Vulnerable Pastor. We're only 3 chapter in, but I want everyone to read this book. I think the author actually looked into my life, saw all my fears and difficulties, and wrote this book. Of course, I'm kidding, but this book is so relatable to a lot of things I've been thinking and working through. I've had this mentality for most all of my life of almost fighting my way to peoples hearts and proving to them that Jesus is Savior of all. While there can be good intentions here, I've always encountered defiance, walls built, and unwillingness to listen to whoever I'm talking to. This has been an area I've wanted to grow in, but I never knew how until joining Focus, and I never considered that there may be a heart issue at play. In college, I got to experience another approach and see the goodness that comes from it. This book has put into words what I learned and am still learning. Here is just a short excerpt from the book that really left me thinking.

"The more I have tried to share good news by convincing people, arguing my points, creating thoroughly consistent systems, the mort deflated I've felt. Instead of the interest I hoped to spark in people's faces, I've seen defensiveness, annoyance, and boredom. On the other hand, the more we work at telling stories of lived theology and invite people to watch firsthand our experience of and reliance of God, the more they come to see His power. But to let His power to be shown through our reliance on Him, we may end up sharing the Gospel through our own need, which rarely feels good. So we question it's rightness." -Mandy Smith, The Vulnerable Pastor

     This is a humbling thought for me to process, but I am so thankful to be growing in it. With this concept, there's a level of accepting that we can't determine what God is going to do in these peoples lives, so it's almost as if we have to rely on God to do that heavy work. Shocker, I know. I've had many opportunities to try this out, and the results have been so positive! I feel like a more effective leader, and girls who I'm meeting up with and mentoring are getting a change to encounter Jesus as I'm their biggest fan. Getting to share the heart and ministry of Jesus is so much more life giving than I realized it could. I'm laughing at myself as I type this because it seems so obvious!

    This is something that is taking a lot of time and conversations for me to think through, so if it's a new concept for you too, I encourage you to read this book. The author gives insight like I've never thought of before, and it's definitely challenging me to rethink evangelism and living life with people as I live out the gospel.

Thank you for reading this, and I thank you again for investing and partnering with me! I can't wait to share what all God does here in campus ministry next month! 

With Joy and Peace,

Emily

Each month, I'll be posting a student testimony! Here is Kailey's!