“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)
I can’t believe August is already here! This summer has gone by quite quickly and it’s been quite full of movement and wandering. During the course of the past 2 months, I’ve been in 8 different cities and slept in 8 different beds. But through it all, God has been faithful in leading me and guiding me through every step, constantly reminding me that He is with me every day.
Some snapshots of where I’ve been:
Dominican Republic Missions Trip 2010
Many of you received my update for my Dominican Republic missions trip during May 31st-June 13th, but in the 2 weeks that we were there, the Lord did a pruning work in me, as He helped me realize the many insecurities I still struggle with as a leader. The 9 students on the trip also experienced a God who loves the poor, who works in unexpected ways, and continually calls them to give their whole lives in surrender to Him. Many of them were convicted of the idols that keep them from fully embracing His call on their lives and experienced healing and transformation during our time. Gloria a Dios!
Summer Seminary Class: The Cross in the New Testament
After my time in the Dominican Republic, In late June, I got to take a summer intensive at Fuller called “The Cross in the New Testament” with Professor Daniel Kirk. The class was a great follow-up to the various New Testament classes I took in the past year and continued to challenge me in how I both think about the significance of the cross and articulate it to those in my ministry. I hope to continue applying the things I learned and use the material to write a few talks on the meaning of the cross.
Hanging out with Michael in Los Angeles
The latter half of my summer was spent in Los Angeles, living in Westwood (near UCLA) for about a month. I got to spend time with my boyfriend of 2+ years (Michael Eubanks, InterVarsity staff at UCLA), as we led worship at the Los Angeles Urban Project together and discussed where God might be leading us as we move forward in our relationship. Our time was full of a lot of joyful memories and cherished time together, and we are excited for what God will continue to reveal to us as we trust Him with our future.
A Preview of Where I’m headed: In the next month, I will be…
-Joining around 15 other staff from our area for our annual August Area Time. We will be spending time sharing about our summers, looking towards the new school year, and praying for New Student Outreach.
-Leading over 90 student leaders in our annual Fall Vision Retreat. We will be studying Jeremiah 29 and talking about what it means to have a “missionary mentality” rather than a “exile mentality” as we view our time in college and on campus. We also hope to prepare and plan to welcome hundreds of new students to the
-Helping our fellowship welcome hundreds of new students through our annual New Student Outreach. In the span of one week, we will help with dorm move-in, host a dessert mixer, organize game nights, hold a late-night sports extravaganza and conduct our annual New Student Reception.
-Celebrating my big sister as she gets married Labor Day Weekend in Sonoma, CA. I will be a bridesmaid as I watch my older sister get married!
Please continue to pray for me and for the Lord to move powerfully both in my life and on the UC Berkeley campus during this busy and strategic time of ministry! I am thankful for you.