Pioneering with the TWU Dallas Pioneers

Hi friends!

Wowzas. I am in a little shock as I write this – one month ago, I began this journey not really knowing what to expect, but excited for what God is going to teach me and how he will use me. Thank you so much for supporting me in this year, whether with prayer or financially, and investing in me, and this ministry. I am so excited to share with you some of the specific awesomeness I got to witness in just this month alone.

Housewarming Party for TWU-Dallas/Callier Dallas girls at our new home!

Welcome Week

With a new school year comes new students who are excited to get involved and make friends. We get to step in and participate in shaping what that experience can look like during Welcome Week. Welcome week consists of many different activities and events put on throughout the week, some by the university and others by FOCUS.I personally got to participate in two different ones!

 Whataburger after a Welcome Week board game event!

At UTD, our plans kept getting rained out, and required some impromptu rearranging and creativity. One student planned a simple board game night, but took it to another level by suggesting we meet up in the largest residence hall where a good portion of freshmen live. That allowed for us to meet so many freshmen in their home and invite them to hangout out with us. It was super neat to see how intentional all of the students were with reaching out and inviting one another to events.

It is a slightly different scene at TWU-Dallas, however. The campus is a small building dedicated specifically to the programs of Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. The student population there can generally be described as students who are committed to their studies, compassionate, and busy. I think this just naturally goes hand in hand with students who would apply to and get into nursing school! So with that said, there really isn’t a welcome week there. We got to host a couple of events, and we were invited to participate in Welcome Back Bingo Bash where we got to set up a table and talk to students. My favorite event was actually at our new house! We enjoyed a potluck dinner while getting to know each other and build friendships. It was a great way to start the year and I am excited to do ministry with these girls.

Old Testament Class

I'M OFFICIAL!

As I mentioned in the previous blog, the apprentices will be spending a good amount of time each week devoted to the Old Testament Foundations class. I’ve been challenged and encouraged in many ways with this class. In particular, God has been revealing himself more and more to me through the Old Testament. I used to have a hard time grasping how the God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament – but through reading through and studying it, I’ve begun to see how much grace God really does have and understand the sovereignty of our Lord. Over and over, his people keep turning away and rejecting their creator, but over and over again, our creator keeps seeking for us to repent of our ways and go to him for redemption so that he can have mercy on us. We are so undeserving and unworthy of his love but he desires for us to be in a relationship with him. What an amazing God.

Final Thoughts

Really, I cannot thank you guys enough for your love and support. I want to ask for continued prayers for the ministry, the students on campus, and myself. Please specifically be in prayer for ministry that is being planted at TWU Dallas and Callier Dallas (we have our first core at TWU-Dallas coming up this week) – Pray that God will direct our movements and give the students a desire to join him in his kingdom work. Please let me know if there is any way I can be in specific prayer for you as well. I love you guys so much!

The 2016-2017 Dallas Staff!