Sweet, Sweet Summertime

Our TWU leaders celebrating the end of the year with some good breakfast!

TWU's 2017 Nursing Pinning Ceremony

With the beginning of June marks the official end of my apprenticeship. It's crazy how fast these ten months flew by, and I'm still working on processing through it! In my first blog this past August, I shared a couple of expectations I had for the apprenticeship. Now, I want to reflect on some of those with y'all. I hope you are encouraged by what God has done in my life and what He is continuing to do in upcoming apprentices' lives through this special experience.

Expectations for the coming year

• That FOCUS will become an organization at TWU-Dallas, God will equip our students to be bold on their campus, and students will have open hearts ready to seek to know the Lord more and more.

• That God will challenge me in areas that do not reflect Him, and continuously provide opportunities for me to grow.
• That I will get to dig deeper in scripture, learn more about God, and pursue Him relentlessly.

To say that God has fulfilled these small expectations of mine is a huge understatement - He taught me so much more than I could of expected or imagined!

• FOCUS is an organization at TWU-Dallas and God graciously allowed us two cores on campus to be able to meet with students in various programs, and specifically, nursing students in various points of their two years in school. Our small group of leaders had begun and finished multiple one-on-one bible studies, led core each week in the midst of their busy schedules, and we got to send one student to SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry) in Bellingham, Washington this past May! I've been incredibly blessed by spending time with this group of girls on this small campus. Getting to know these girls personally, learn about their field of study, and walk through struggles and celebrations together has been such a neat experience. I am so sad I won't be at TWU-Dallas in the next few years, but I am so excited to continue these friendships. I'm even more so excited to watch how God grows the community at TWU-D and see how He uses it to minister to others in the school setting, and beyond, in their work setting with coworkers and patients.
• God has challenged me in tremendous ways and revealed to me areas that I can grow in to better serve Him. What I didn't like, is that He didn't fix all my 'flaws' instantaneously and make the process as smooth as possible for me. Instead, He is choosing to grow me by helping me work through my weaknesses, and using them to do His work. It would be so much easier if He waved a magic wand, but it is so much cooler to see how God truly can be glorified through our weaknesses if we let Him. He works in wonderful and awesome ways!
• This year, I got to read the Bible cover to cover, which I have never done before. On top of that, I was challenged to spend more time in the Word and I got to take some cool classes that really helped me grow in my thinking about the Bible. The scripture played an important role in my year this year for so many reasons. I got to see how God chooses to use the Bible and the history in it to reveal Himself to us. I began to see how powerful of a tool it is when people ministered to me with it and when I got to minister to others with His word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 gained a clearer understanding for me this year as I began to learn this lesson. The Bible is a gift from God, and it is so cool to witness personally how He uses it as His living and breathing word. 

I got to go on a weekend trip with these three ladies to Galveston this past month. This was such a blessing to me to spend time with Leah, Amy, and Hannah getting to know them more, celebrating what God has done through this year, and thinking through some of what I've learned!

I got to preach a short sermon this past week over some of my biggest takeaways from this year, some of which hits on what I just shared with you. I would love to send you a recording if you would like to listen to it- just let me know!

A fun end-of-the-year celebration at our house with some of TWU-D girls!

None of this would of been possible for me to take the time to do and learn if it wasn't for my generous and loving supporters. I am so thankful for each one of you guys! The way you showed me God's love and provision this year is astounding, and I really am so appreciative of you. 

I'm excited to spend this summer continuing to work with FOCUS, so this will not be the last blog you will be getting from me because I will have more to share with you! I love you guys a lot!