Its been more than a month since I last wrote on this blog. Just wanted to update everyone on a few things going on here. We've had a challenging, but good month of raising support. Thank you to everyone who has given us names of people who you think might be interested in partnering with us. We've seen some people join our team as monthly financial supporters, others have increased their support. Thank you to everyone for praying for us during this important time.
Students in Wildwood are wrapping up their summers today. Tuesday, they finished their summer working at their ministry site. Tomorrow, they head back home and then shortly back to school. This is an important time to keep them in prayer as they face this good, but often difficult transition. One of our students wrote in his blog about his time at McDonalds building relationships with international students:
I'm gonna miss those guys like crazy! There are just so many nations represented...Slovakia, Russia, China, Mongolia, Jamaica, Macedonia...God is just amazing for bringing us all together! I've become sooo close with those guys too. Seriously, any group of people that allow me to survive a summer at McDonald's are just flatout awesome and are going to be missed big time! They're some of my closest friends and I really want to keep in contact with them as I go back to my home and they return to their native country. Tonight is the last International Cafe and honestly, I might cry. I love those guys that much. Only ten days are left of being here and I want to flatout make the best of them and enjoy what God has blessed me with.
So yes, there are times I hate just hearing the word "McDonald's" and yes I never want to work there ever again and I'm counting the days (five) until I'm done there forever, and yes it's often been miserable and always exhausting. But I'm lovin' it! I love the people, I love the memories, and I'm so glad God put me there this summer and grateful to have gone through what I have. This is a summer job I will never forget. Thank you McDonald's!
Thank you Dan, and the rest of the students at Wildwood for trusting God with your summer and allowing Him to use you to impact the world!
Monday, we head back into focusing on a new semester and year. I am entering my sixth year serving with Campus Crusade for Christ and the fall/return of students still excites me! We'll start planning for the fall launch next week. We'll be back in full swing in about two weeks. Here we go!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
What's Next?
It seems that there is constant transition being on staff with the Campus Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Its true! Its part of the great adventure!
Now that our summer assignment is over, we have until mid-August to continue to trust God to build our ministry team of prayer and financial supporters. We'll also be continuing to work through our new staff development curriculum, gaining lots of insight and training from the Word and those who have been on staff for many years. This is a great time to learn and allow God to continue to expand our heart for the campus and world.
Please continue to pray that God would put us in touch with new families and individuals who would want to be a part of campus movements in the Capital Region. Also, pray that we would continue to grow in our own relationships with the Lord...and as a family. Jen and I are really looking forward to this time when life slows down and we can spend a lot of time together.
We'll continue to update you on stories of how God provides throughout the rest of the summer.
Now that our summer assignment is over, we have until mid-August to continue to trust God to build our ministry team of prayer and financial supporters. We'll also be continuing to work through our new staff development curriculum, gaining lots of insight and training from the Word and those who have been on staff for many years. This is a great time to learn and allow God to continue to expand our heart for the campus and world.
Please continue to pray that God would put us in touch with new families and individuals who would want to be a part of campus movements in the Capital Region. Also, pray that we would continue to grow in our own relationships with the Lord...and as a family. Jen and I are really looking forward to this time when life slows down and we can spend a lot of time together.
We'll continue to update you on stories of how God provides throughout the rest of the summer.
Passing the Baton
We're home! We left Wildwood to head home to Albany on Saturday. Its great to be back...and at the same time, we miss our students!
Thursday night was a great celebration of the summer and looking forward. The project director gave a talk from 1 Thessalonians (the book the students will be studying the second half of the summer). The staff had the opportunity to stand up and encourage individual students in front of the whole group. Later on, the students had the opportunity to stand up and encourage the staff. It was humbling to watch two of the guys I invested in stand up and speak about how God had used me in their lives this summer. By the end of the evening, as we all stood in a circle (staff on the outside), my eyes were filled with tears as we all prayed together for the new student leaders and the rest of the summer. After a few of the staff prayed, we quietly left the circle and the building. When the students were done praying and opened their eyes, the staff were gone. The realization that they are on their own (no more staff) and their need to trust in the Lord (who continues to be with them) is suddenly placed before them. Please continue to pray for them over the next month as they continue to take steps of faith and trust God with their lives.
Its awesome to know that for a few, short six weeks, you get to be a part of life change....lives that are going to continue to change the campus and the world around them through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your prayers and support this summer. You are such an important part of this ministry!
Thursday night was a great celebration of the summer and looking forward. The project director gave a talk from 1 Thessalonians (the book the students will be studying the second half of the summer). The staff had the opportunity to stand up and encourage individual students in front of the whole group. Later on, the students had the opportunity to stand up and encourage the staff. It was humbling to watch two of the guys I invested in stand up and speak about how God had used me in their lives this summer. By the end of the evening, as we all stood in a circle (staff on the outside), my eyes were filled with tears as we all prayed together for the new student leaders and the rest of the summer. After a few of the staff prayed, we quietly left the circle and the building. When the students were done praying and opened their eyes, the staff were gone. The realization that they are on their own (no more staff) and their need to trust in the Lord (who continues to be with them) is suddenly placed before them. Please continue to pray for them over the next month as they continue to take steps of faith and trust God with their lives.
Its awesome to know that for a few, short six weeks, you get to be a part of life change....lives that are going to continue to change the campus and the world around them through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your prayers and support this summer. You are such an important part of this ministry!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Men's Night 3.0
This past Saturday, we had a time for the men of the project to come together and be men. We had a great time. Below is an entry from one of my student's blogs. He can explain it better than I ever could:
"Saturday night was our final Men's Night and it was amazing! To start, they ran us through calisthenics for about 15 minutes, we then went for a run (with one arm) and we got to a point where there was a small wooden fence like 10 or so feet long and there was a line about two and a half feet high there. Our mission...to grab plastic bags from a dock we had to swim to, fill 'em with sand from a pit 20 yards away from the fence and save our family from the ravaging flood that's about to overtake our house and kill our family. No talking was allowed and we had 45 minutes to do it. It got done, but by the end of it, we were all exhausted and it was a REALLY close finish but the task was done. Then after that, we formed lines of 6 and the person in front of the line had to lead the rest of the blindfolded group through the woods with good communication and the others had to trust him. The only one who could talk was the one in the front of the line, whom was not blindfolded. Then a staff member led the group, with all six of us blindfolded and we got to a point where we were back at the lake house. All this to teach us men were meant to lead and trust one another, no excuses. One of the biggest problems with Christian guys is that we're often too passive and we don't take a stand and often times we don't step in and lead when needed, and that's not the way God intended for us to be, God wants men to be spirit-infused, fearless, bold, and loving."
AWESOME! I'm gonna miss these guys! We leave Saturday to head back to Albany. Tonight is the project turnover to our student leaders. Please pray for this time. We'll update you again in the next few days.
"Saturday night was our final Men's Night and it was amazing! To start, they ran us through calisthenics for about 15 minutes, we then went for a run (with one arm) and we got to a point where there was a small wooden fence like 10 or so feet long and there was a line about two and a half feet high there. Our mission...to grab plastic bags from a dock we had to swim to, fill 'em with sand from a pit 20 yards away from the fence and save our family from the ravaging flood that's about to overtake our house and kill our family. No talking was allowed and we had 45 minutes to do it. It got done, but by the end of it, we were all exhausted and it was a REALLY close finish but the task was done. Then after that, we formed lines of 6 and the person in front of the line had to lead the rest of the blindfolded group through the woods with good communication and the others had to trust him. The only one who could talk was the one in the front of the line, whom was not blindfolded. Then a staff member led the group, with all six of us blindfolded and we got to a point where we were back at the lake house. All this to teach us men were meant to lead and trust one another, no excuses. One of the biggest problems with Christian guys is that we're often too passive and we don't take a stand and often times we don't step in and lead when needed, and that's not the way God intended for us to be, God wants men to be spirit-infused, fearless, bold, and loving."
AWESOME! I'm gonna miss these guys! We leave Saturday to head back to Albany. Tonight is the project turnover to our student leaders. Please pray for this time. We'll update you again in the next few days.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Free Food and More!
It all started last Thursday night (even though the planning started way before then). Groups of students went out into the neighborhoods surrounding the project house to begin inviting the Wildwood community to a free BBQ. Free BBQ? Why? Many were so dumbfounded when they were invited to this event. Why in the world would they be invited by someone they didn't know to a free BBQ? Because that is what Jesus would do.
Approximately 300 neighbors and vacationers came to this event. There was food, water balloons, limbo, karaoke, lots of conversation....and many open doors to share the Gospel. Two of our students shared their testimonies of how they began a relationship with Jesus. Many more of our students had conversations about the Gospel as a result of those stories being shared. We know that at least 4 people prayed to receive Christ. Who knows what else God did that night in people's hearts. I am sure more than we can imagine.
Its hard to believe we have less than 2 weeks left here. We are excited for all that is left during these weeks. There is a whole lot left to experience before we head back home.
Approximately 300 neighbors and vacationers came to this event. There was food, water balloons, limbo, karaoke, lots of conversation....and many open doors to share the Gospel. Two of our students shared their testimonies of how they began a relationship with Jesus. Many more of our students had conversations about the Gospel as a result of those stories being shared. We know that at least 4 people prayed to receive Christ. Who knows what else God did that night in people's hearts. I am sure more than we can imagine.
Its hard to believe we have less than 2 weeks left here. We are excited for all that is left during these weeks. There is a whole lot left to experience before we head back home.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Conversation on the Boardwalk
Its hard to believe that the students have been here for 2 1/2 weeks already! We've seen God move in so many ways, in such a short amount of time. We are all continuing to learn and live out what it truly means to treasure Jesus and make Him known!
About a week ago, I was on the boardwalk having spiritual conversations. A project student and I approached two women sitting on a bench. They were excited to talk with us. They love having spiritual conversations. Having just had one a few days before with another organization, they were ready for this one....or so they thought. God has been teaching me the art of asking questions, which helps people process themselves what they truly believe. At one point, one of the women said to me, "I believe in God. I lead my own life and do what I think is right. He is always there for me. God is in everyone. I have his wisdom in case I ever need it." My responsive question to that was, "so what you are telling me is that you are your own God and you think the real God is your sidekick?" From that point on, the women got very uncomfortable, because they realized what they truly believed...that they were their own God. As we walked back to the project house, the student and I prayed for them. Please join us in praying for them as well as others in Wildwood that God would continue to show people their need for Him and draw them into a loving relationship with Himself.
This morning, an international student stopped by the project house wondering if we rented out rooms. While we weren't able to do that, I was encouraged to walk onto the project porch an hour later and seeing a bunch of our men having brunch with this student. They made pancakes and were sitting on the porch loving this student from another country who had just arrived here. What an awesome testimony to the love of Christ...how Jesus has changed these project student's lives and how they are making Jesus known to others.
These are only a few of the many stories that have happened so far this summer. Thank you for praying for us.
About a week ago, I was on the boardwalk having spiritual conversations. A project student and I approached two women sitting on a bench. They were excited to talk with us. They love having spiritual conversations. Having just had one a few days before with another organization, they were ready for this one....or so they thought. God has been teaching me the art of asking questions, which helps people process themselves what they truly believe. At one point, one of the women said to me, "I believe in God. I lead my own life and do what I think is right. He is always there for me. God is in everyone. I have his wisdom in case I ever need it." My responsive question to that was, "so what you are telling me is that you are your own God and you think the real God is your sidekick?" From that point on, the women got very uncomfortable, because they realized what they truly believed...that they were their own God. As we walked back to the project house, the student and I prayed for them. Please join us in praying for them as well as others in Wildwood that God would continue to show people their need for Him and draw them into a loving relationship with Himself.
This morning, an international student stopped by the project house wondering if we rented out rooms. While we weren't able to do that, I was encouraged to walk onto the project porch an hour later and seeing a bunch of our men having brunch with this student. They made pancakes and were sitting on the porch loving this student from another country who had just arrived here. What an awesome testimony to the love of Christ...how Jesus has changed these project student's lives and how they are making Jesus known to others.
These are only a few of the many stories that have happened so far this summer. Thank you for praying for us.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
We are in Wildwood!
We are in Wildwood! Our family is settled in. After a week of staff orientation and preparation, we are excited for students to arrive on Tuesday, June 1st.
And with Memorial Day weekend...summer has arrived! Overnight, the Wildwood population goes from a few hundred to thousands. One day, the shops are all boarded up and the only people on the boardwalk are the few local runners getting their daily exercise. The next, the shops are open and their loud music and flashy t-shirts lure in vacationers. The funnel cakes and french fries can be smelt for miles. And then there are the seagulls....well I am sure they were there before everyone arrived, but now they are in full attack mode at the sight of anything slightly resembling food. (probably my best motivation to not eat food on the boardwalk! They freak me out!) The beach is overflowing with families, friends, college students, high school seniors (celebrating senior week) and lots of international students. It is quite the atmosphere!
Joe and I are really looking forward to getting to know our neighbors this summer. The neighbor to our right is a girl from Turkey. The neighbors to our right are a large group of girls who just graduated from high school. Please pray that God would give us many opportunities to build relationships with them.
Please pray:
Email us (Joe: joe.cassel@uscm.org or Jen: jen.cassel@gmail.com) and let us know how we can be praying for you.
-Jen
And with Memorial Day weekend...summer has arrived! Overnight, the Wildwood population goes from a few hundred to thousands. One day, the shops are all boarded up and the only people on the boardwalk are the few local runners getting their daily exercise. The next, the shops are open and their loud music and flashy t-shirts lure in vacationers. The funnel cakes and french fries can be smelt for miles. And then there are the seagulls....well I am sure they were there before everyone arrived, but now they are in full attack mode at the sight of anything slightly resembling food. (probably my best motivation to not eat food on the boardwalk! They freak me out!) The beach is overflowing with families, friends, college students, high school seniors (celebrating senior week) and lots of international students. It is quite the atmosphere!
Joe and I are really looking forward to getting to know our neighbors this summer. The neighbor to our right is a girl from Turkey. The neighbors to our right are a large group of girls who just graduated from high school. Please pray that God would give us many opportunities to build relationships with them.
Please pray:
- for our outreach tomorrow on the boardwalk from 1-2:30; that we would follow the Lord's leading to the people He would have us talk to.
- that we would start relationships with many store owners, workers and vacationers
- that many people would hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to respond to Jesus.
- that each person on our staff team would have their faith stretched and would really lean hard on Jesus this summer.
- for the students as they arrive that God would continue preparing their hearts for their time here this summer.
Email us (Joe: joe.cassel@uscm.org or Jen: jen.cassel@gmail.com) and let us know how we can be praying for you.
-Jen
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