Whats it like to teach your professor?

That was the question I asked one of our students last night at our City-Wide meeting at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). I don't spend much time at this school, so it was good to talk to some students and hear how God is moving in their lives and campus. One student was sharing about his fraternity and how his academic advisor for the fraternity is also a science teacher at the school. Prompted by seeing that this student is a chaplain for the house and involved with Campus Crusade at RPI, the professor approached the student. He shared about how even though he teaches evolution, there are parts that just don't make sense. The professor expressed interest in meeting with this student and talking more about God. So, for the past few weeks, they have been meeting together once a week and discussing creation and the creator. When asked what it was like to teach his professor, he said it was really weird, but really cool. God does weird, but cool things...things that sometimes just can't be explained. Please pray for the student and professor at RPI as God continues to use this student to show the professor the truth.

Untying the Rope

While walking through the campus center with one of the students involved in the movement at UAlbany, we noticed Chad sitting by himself. We were looking for people to engage in spiritual conversations, so we stopped and asked if he would want to take a picture spiritual interest questionnaire (also called Soularium). We sat down and went through the first few questions, which helped to get to know him better. He shared that he was in a place in life where he just felt confused and that there were a ton of things on his mind. He then shared how he just wanted to be at peace, but wasn't sure how that could happen. When we asked him about who he thought God was, he picked a picture of a sunset. He shared that even when it seems dark, God shines through. The student with me asked him if he was in a dark place and he shared that he was. So, we asked him to pick a picture that best described his spiritual journey so far. He picked a picture of a rope tied up in a sailor's knot. He shared that at times it can be straight (like the end of the knot), but mostly its tied up and confusing. He talked about how there are so many religions and everyone is trying to do their own thing. I asked, "do you think that is because people are separated from God and making up their own way?" He answered yes. This led into a great conversation about the Gospel. At the end, we asked Chad if He wanted God to "take the knot and make it straight" by beginning a relationship with Jesus. He said yes. So, together we prayed and Chad invited Jesus to be Lord and Savior of his life. We continued to talk and invite him to the small group that meets on Tuesday nights. Please pray for him as he begins this new life with Jesus!

The Blog World

It seems like the blog world is becoming more and more popular these days. Between being a "blog follower" and Google reader, there are plenty of ways to keep track of all those posts that come in from multiple blogs. So, in order to take one more e-mail out of your inbox and one less e-mail I have to send, I am no longer going to send e-mails that tell you when our blog has been updated. So, please become a follower of the blog, bookmark it, add it to your favorites or add it to your google reader. If you are confused by these terms, let me know and I will share what limited technological knowledge I have with you. Thanks for continuing to read and partner with us in ministry!

Remembering Kim!

Some of you were on my ministry team before the days of being married to Jen, back in Syracuse, while an intern with Campus Crusade for Christ. It seems like ages ago! I want to give you an update on one of the students we invested in at Cazenovia College. You might remember Kim. She was huge in starting a movement at that small school in the small town of Cazenovia, NY. She poured a lot of energy into giving students an opportunity to know Jesus. During her summers, she spent her days on inner-city summer projects in Seattle, WA. God continued to grow her heart for the inner-city. She took a huge step of faith and committed her life to serving the Lord through Here's Life (which is the inner-city ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ). Here is a little bit about the ministry she is involved with (taken from her last newsletter):

Now that school is in full swing both of the after school programs that I work with
have started up as well. The first program I work with is CryOut!, a teen drop-in
center, that allows the teens to hang out, play video games, get some help with
homework and build relationships with Christians who truly care about them. This
program is actually working to be more involved with these lives of these young
adults and will soon begin offering workshops for them to learn skills such as web
development and give them jobs and responsibility at the program such as
running the snack stand.

The second site I work at is an after school program for K-6th grade students
located in White Center which is a section of Seattle. I have worked with this
program on my various trips out here over the past 3 years and I absolutely
love the children and staff that work at the program. The children come from
4-6 and have time to play, eat a snack, work on their homework, and learn
about how Jesus loves them through a memory verse, stories, skits, and
interacting with the staff and volunteers. I mainly work with the 2nd grade
girls and they are a fantastic group.

By God's grace, lives are being changed in Seattle, WA because Kim learned to follow God's will for her life in college. Thanks for continuing to partner in ministry, so that students like Kim can not only impact their campus, but the world!