Wednesday, November 2, 2016

85° and Joyfully Waiting for Fall...

Hey guys!  



Our Monday core at TWU-D
Halloween is over, and November is here which means it is officially okay in my book to start decorating for Christmas! :) It’s crazy that we already have 3 months down in this school year and I am so thankful for what God has done in that short time, but I am really excited for the upcoming holidays and the chance to see my family. First, I want to share with y’all some of the exciting things that have happened over the past month (and I say “some” because this has been a fun, crazy, busy month full of activities and events).  

20 Year Celebration 
So at the beginning of this month, students, alumni, family, and supporters gathered together to reflect on and celebrate the work God has done through our community over the past 20 years, and look forward with excitement for what He is continuing to do. I loved getting to hear how FOCUS started from some of the people who were involved in that process and seeing how God has worked through this community so far. The celebration served as a wonderful reminder to myself to give praise to God for all of the work He has done and is continuing to do in my life and others'. It was also humbling that He is allowing me to take part in His work in this ministry! Thank you all for being an integral part of this experience and for providing continuous encouragement to me. I love y’all! 

Amber, Maria, Clare, and Tirzah at outreach at TWU-D
Status: #Official
This is big, guys – after some time, FOCUS is finally an official organization at TWU-Dallas! This is really exciting for many reasons, such as having more of a presence on campus. This also allows us to do outreach more effectively. By becoming an organization on campus, we now have more opportunities to meet more students and invite them to core, to get to know the campus better, and to be able to really serve the students. I am so excited that God opened this door, and I just pray that He continues to present more opportunities to invite others into a community and a relationship with Him.  

Leadership conference 
Worshiping God as a community
The Leadership Conference is a big annual event we do with all of the FOCUS communities across the different campuses, as well as three of our family churches. I love this event so much just because I get to see friends that I don't have the chance to see often as well as have the opportunity to meet new friends. This year, our theme was the inner-life of a Christian, and we spent a lot of time discussing quiet time, technology and entertainment, and the impact culture has on us as well as our interactions with the world and God. One of my biggest takeaways is the idea of embracing spiritual maturity and thinking deeply about things. I know, for me, this can often be difficult particularly when I get so focused on what I think is best for me and what I think I deserve. However, this idea of spiritual maturity and a deeper level of thinking really encourages me to step outside of this mindset focused on me and ask God questions as well as seek His perspective on things. I’d love to share more with you about other things I learned about and discuss these ideas with you! 

Tirzah, Amber, Ashley, Maria, myself (from L->R)
Please be praying for us! These ladies are our FOCUS leaders at TWU-Dallas and Callier Dallas.

Thank you! 
God is so good and faithful to us all the time. Thank you for being a constant and sweet reminder of this to me. I am so grateful that you chose to support me through this apprenticeship and I hope you know how much it has impacted me thus far. I really couldn't have done this without your love and support, so thank you for investing in this ministry and me. Please let me know how I can be praying for you and what I can do to bless you. I love y’all!

So Many Events Equals More Pictures to Share - Enjoy!
Questions on Display - an outreach event at UTD
Amber and I got the chance to talk with an international student about her experience in America and how she has come to know Jesus through her family's move here. It was such a cool story to hear and I loved getting to play with adorable daughter too!
Some cool people at 20 Year Celebration
TWU-D and Callier Dallas girls at the Halloween party this past weekend
The Lighthouse is where 3 TWU-D students, Amber (a TWU alumni), and myself call home. We hosted a fun after-FNF event one week and loved getting to use our home to serve others and have fun!

1 comment:

  1. Hey Kristin! Congrats on being official at TWU-D. What a blessing! Thanks for sharing this encouraging post and so many cute pictures. Keep up with the hard work. Love you!

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