Thanks

Hopefully the void in web updates can be explained in part by the last post title "so much to do." We had a very productive fall semester that culminated with the 1200 attendees of Encounter 2011 praying in the new year in the Guilford Ballroom of the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel on New Year's Eve. It's always an amazing sight to see.

I'll do my best to not let January go by without a more detailed updated on our winter conference but for now check out this thank you video produced by Campus Crusade as a thank you to our partners and a few stats on what has happened this year in ministry.

Campus Crusade for Christ -- Christmas Thank You from Masterworks on Vimeo.

So much to do

We could not be more thankful for our financial givers and the many new partners who have enabled us to continue serving in ministry with Campus Crusade. It was so encouraging to make the transition from full time support raising back to serving on the operations team. We had our first team meeting on Wednesday and I'm excited to engage in helping put together a full fall schedule of events and programs in our region.

New Staff and Intern Filed Training • October 9-13

WSN (international) Summer Project Reunion • October 21-23

Fellowship Dinner (regional ministry fund raising) • November 10

Staff Coaches Training • November 17-18

MidSouth Staff Conference • November 17-20

Encounter • December 28- January 1

Summer Fun

After a roller coaster of a year we're back to our assignment on the regional operations team. The only difference is, we're married, have an adorable baby, and are set to close on our first house on the 15th.

Our first task was attending our bi-annual Campus Crusade Staff Conference out in Fort Collins, CO. With a 3 1/2 month old baby with us, there was never a dull moment. We did have a hard time experiencing all that the conference had to offer and taking care of Eleanor (who is not the best traveler). Maybe next time she'll be old enough to enjoy it (or at least have fun staying at grandma's house).

Social Net"working"

We need to be careful of the "if we build it, they will come" mindset especially in the role of operations. Social "buzz" surrounding an event is the most effective promotion and twitter and facebook are currently leading the way in creating it.

Several times a year, campus staff are planning and putting together special events and outreaches that will absolutely fall flat if we don't put our full effort into promotions. This year, Campus Crusade at NC State put together an event called the Great Debate. On March 30th, a theoretical physicist and a professor of philosophy debated the question "is there evidence for God?" I was keenly aware of the event as so many staff and students in the ministry changed their facebook photo and by other means mentioned the event and posted links to the event web page. This promotional effort mirrored the importance of gathering students to an event that would be a catalyst in starting intellectual and spiritual discussions between believers and non-believers about Christ.

When I started college in Fall of 1998, email was just starting to become a valid and trusted form of communication. College culture now revolves around social networking services like twitter and facebook and email and instant messenging is falling away in effectiveness. Now it seems, if it's not on Facebook, it doesn't exist. 

Milestones

There are many things that parents like to tell you when you're pregnant for the first time. Most memorable are their birth stories, especially the distressing ones. LIke laboring for more than 24 hours only to have an emergency Cesarean. As John and I sat in each of our birthing and parenting classes, we never imagined that I'd never get to experience labor with our first child. We'd practiced all the positions and breathing methods, downloaded Labor Mate from the Apple App Store, filled out our Birth Plan, wherein I'd hoped to hold our baby as soon as she was born, even saw the labor and delivery rooms at Cary Wake Med. But none of that was to be.  

I've had some previous experience grieving in my life. Getting over break ups, my grandmother dying, unexpected transitions in ministry, surviving a traumatic brain injury and the deficits it brings. It doesn't get easier. You think, "Okay. I know the Lord has a reason and a purpose in this." That never seems to be very comforting, especially when you have no clue what "it" is. The one thing I've discovered, rather, that the Lord has shown me, is that in any suffering He desires to give us a better gift. More of Himself. His love, His presence, His peace, His patience, His understanding, etc, etc. 

I wanted to labor, to experience the pain almost all mothers do before they bring new life into the world. To hold my wet gooey newborn on my chest. Instead, I started crying as soon as I heard her first cries, unable to see her and impatient to do so. John showed me photos of the nursing team weighing her and then she was held next to my head, swaddled and blowing bubbles. I had to wait four hours to hold her. Then, and for the rest of our hospital stay, it didn't feel like she was mine because her rapid breathing needed to be monitored in Special Care. It's been over two months and I guess I'm still not over the trauma of it all. 

With time though, I'm realizing how blessed I am. My daughter is healthy and beautiful. I'm married to my soulmate, my perfect match. As we've been raising our financial support for the past year, God has proven Himself faithful to provide over and over again, so much so that we're only a few new ministry partners away from finishing. 

I wish it wasn't so easy, so human, to feel displeasure toward things i want, but don't have or goals I haven't achieved. I guess that's where looking toward the Lord, depending on Him for all things, and resting in His presence and where He has me comes in. I pray that for you and for John and myself.