July Update: The Latest News

This month has been a roller coaster, to say the least. Support raising has continued to be both challenging and encouraging, but the Lord has been faithful to provide and to encourage. I've continued work this summer in Norman at the Center for Children and Families where I have worked for the last year, and so in addition to support raising and the intern study program, have been working full-time for the last six weeks in our CCFI Summer Program with low-income elementary and middle school students. This has been wonderful work but has been exhausting as well. I have learned so much from my work with CCFI and am thankful for that experience and for all the knowledge I gained and the relationships that developed between me and my students.

Support raising has continued in full swing in Dallas, Fort Worth, Tulsa and Oklahoma City this month, and I continue to be encouraged by the time I have been able to spend talking about the ministry of RUF with those I've been able to meet with. Right now I have about 75% of the total support that I need for this year, and still need about $3500 in order to move and about $8500 to be fully funded for the year. This total includes both monthly pledges and one-time gifts. I have been so thankful for the support that I have received and am so excited to be able to "get the green light" and move to campus. My goal move date is September 9th, but I need to have my 85% by September 4th in order to be employed by RUF. Thank for your prayers and encouragement throughout this process, they have meant more to me than I can express!

I would love to talk to your Bible study or community group if any of you are involved in a group who would be willing to allow me to come and share about RUF and my work with them. This would be true for anyone in the Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman or Dallas/Fort Worth areas. If you know any alumni of the University of Washington, I would love to talk to them about this ministry! Please continue to pray that my support would come in, that I would be able to move to campus, and also, that I would be able to find a place to live! I am looking for roommates and an affordable residence close to campus and would love to hear about any possibilities you might know of.

This last week was spent in Atlanta for RUF staff training, which included all of the campus ministers as well as the first, second, and third year interns and staff. It was an incredibly encouraging week and I was reminded of the Gospel in so many ways as we talked about the RUF Philosophy of Ministry, evangelism, and the importance of Scripture, Justification, and Sanctification as the pillars of our ministry. I am so honored to be able to work for a ministry that keeps the Gospel at the center of everything they do, and was encouraged to spend more time with my intern class and to grow those relationships that will become such an essential part of my spiritual and emotional support base once I move to campus.

Thank you for your support and your prayers, and if you're on my mailing list, be looking for a postcard from me for your refrigerator to come in the mail this week!