Last Full Month of School

And just like that, my first year in Denton has come to a close. It is a bit anti-climatic but I am so thankful for all God has been teaching me this year. I am so thankful for getting to be a part of what God is doing on these campuses. This year has been so refreshing and fun, despite the trials that this year has presented. It is not easy to come into a new place and try to be a leader but God has been really sweet about putting people in my life to make this transition easy. 

Quarantine has made ministry look different, but not impossible thankfully. Our staff has been extremely flexible and creative in this season. As you can see in the photo above, we did Pizza Theology via Twitch Streaming about Heaven Hell and Everything in Between. Normally we do 4 hours of Theology and 1 hour of pizza on a Sunday once a semester. But this year we met virtually for three Sunday's in a row and were able to really expound on these difficult topics. If you are interested, you can watch the videos at this link! It was really good to refocus on where our hope is in this trying season. 

I have really enjoyed getting to relish in God's creation this season. With phone calls and video chats, I have been able to go on walks and explore the place in which I live. Our topic for Winter Camp in January was the Psalms, and poetry and nature have been helping me connect with God in new ways. I am thankful for more time with God because of the slower pace and more time alone.  I think in this season God wants to draw us closer to him and show us that He is the only constant.  Trust is so crucial to any relationship and God has been pushing me to trust Him more. I have noticed this as well in the lives of the students I get to minister to.

One of my great joys in this season is seeing silly screenshots. Enjoy this ridiculous one someone sent me during staff meeting this last month. 

One of the girls from my core at UTD last year got married via Zoom! After the ceremony they pulled up our faces so we could "take photos" with the newly married couple! There's another Zoom wedding in April for one of the girls in my peer team that I am excited to celebrate.

This was my peer teams last official meeting of the semester. You betcha I cried. I have loved getting to know these ladies and getting to live life together with them. Near the beginning of quarantine we started a daily phone call to set up accountability and to build community. It was so special to get to really do day to day ministry together, share scripture and share our lives. It is really bittersweet with the school year closing but I am thankful for the time we have gotten to grow together! I really love these ladies. 

As we move into summer, I am excited for a bit of a slower pace. The summer is mostly spent fundraising and prepping for the upcoming year. I will get time to invest in students I don't normally get time with as well as building relationships with people transferring to the Denton campuses to hopefully make their transition as easy as mine was! I am excited to work on personal growth as well as my relationship with God. I think this is going to be the best summer yet. I don't have to move for once and that is exciting in itself. 

Another thing I wanted to update y'all on is some health issues I have been having. I have a swollen lymph node that has been swollen for several years now. It has started to really bother me about two months ago and after some testing and doctors consultations, we have decided to get it surgically removed. Even with all the testing and such, we aren't entirely sure what is going on. The best way to know what's going on is to remove it and test it. There is a chance that it is cancerous, but it would be a slow moving cancer because it hasn't spread anywhere, but there also is a chance that it is just a malfunctioning lymph node. Only God knows at this point and like I said before, I think God has been using this uncertainty to draw me close to him. My surgery is on the 28th of May and I would really love your prayers! I will have to stay in the hospital for at least 23 hours after the surgery for them to monitor me. I haven't ever had a surgery as extensive as this but I am thankful that I have health insurance and friends/family who are checking in on me.