Keep FOCUS Growing
November marks our annual fundraiser we do, specifically with the prayer for more opportunities to reach out to new campuses in DFW. We want to raise funds to be ready for anything God might bring into our path. Every year, we are blown away by how generous our network of students, families, and friends can be.
This year, our goal is to raise a total of $120,000. Our staff has contributed $8,000 and we have asked our students to put in $8,000 to match us. On Giving Tuesday, we will be working to raise $52,000! If we reach that goal, our matching donors will double that amount! We're really excited for this chance to see God provide in some cool ways. Many of you already support me so generously but if you are looking for an opportunity to give more this season, please consider supporting this initiative.
This semester has been such a good and hard month! We've gotten to do so many cool things like fall camp but this is also the time of year where people's hard life things start coming to the light. As the new students in our ministry build friendships and trust within our community, they've been able to share the difficult things in their lives. I'll be honest, those are not an easy thing for me to hear. I want to fix and help and take away the things that hurt people. Again and again I've had to go back to God and give him those situations, as well as how I feel about them. Here are some of my reflections in this time.
There is so much pain in the world. I've heard that a lot but in the last year, I've felt and experienced more of it through other people. As I take these situations to God and tell him about my anger and sadness and helplessness, He has consistently pointed me to trust Him and let him lead me in my response to those things.
When I have a girl whose story absolutely breaks my heart, who has suffered abuse and emotional manipulation and been told straight up lies, I mourn the ways she's been broken (like God does). And I get to tell her the truth and point her to the God who knows her and can heal her. I get to be a part of instilling self-worth in her again and I get to be someone who doesn't hurt her like that.
When there are students with broken relationships in their families, I get to support them as they figure out what it means to choose to love their parents and siblings. I get to help them figure out what healthy open conversations can look like. And I get to pray for their hearts and their family's hearts to be softened.
Doing ministry has taught me so much about myself, especially my weaknesses. I am not often a patient person when it comes to waiting for things to change. I want to see people's situations and heart change quickly, please and thank you. I want to see my own heart and character look like Jesus, now. When things don't happen how I want, I will often exhaust myself trying to get people to where I want them to be. Or at least, in my sin, I go around in my head trying to figure out the formula to get people to understand God.
In response to this, God has been talking to me about relationship/relating. He's been reminding me that He is Love. He relates and engages with us first, before fixing us. He meets us in our brokenness and sin, and then begins to help us learn how to live differently. How sweet and life changing is that? He doesn't make us projects and He doesn't shame us for the things we mess up.
A lot of these reflections and, really, answered prayers have come in the midst of doing really life-giving things!
We started off October with a fun peer team hangout! Breakfast and crafts, and we got to try bleach dyeing for the first time!
Overall, it's been a really good and fruitful season. I'm learning over and over again to trust God - with everything. And He is showing up!
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