Support Update! (and brief summer review)

Hello Everyone!

So today is the last day of July 2013? How does this always happen? This (as I say every year) has been one of the fastest summers of my life. But at the same time, I have had so many wonderful things come to pass in these two months. I was able to spend a month at home, catching up with friends/family/supporters, which was super revitalizing and encouraging. Never underestimate the healing power of being around people who love you. I was also able to spend time in College Station--filled with days on campus promoting RUF, days making support calls and sending emails, nights hanging out with students, a day on the Guadalupe river (so awesome), a couple days in Dallas celebrating America, Summer RUF gatherings with worship and time in the Word, days hanging out with students at the pool, one night of learning how to crotchet (thanks Megan!), and many more days and nights filled with sweet time around students and friends.

I just returned from RUF Staff training in Atlanta, one of the highlights of my job, and this time was no exception. Spending time around people who love Jesus, love the Gospel, love RUF and love students...that is just good for my soul. We had so many good seminars and training sessions, so much that I need to go back through all the material to process it and soak it up. I am so thankful for the other interns, the staff, the campus ministers ad just the overall organization. RUF has such a special place in my heart.

As far as a budget update goes...

Through your generous giving, I have raised around:

$17,000

To be able to stay through May 2014, I still need:

$11,500

 This means I am at: 

60%

To move back to College Station, I need (in one time gifts**),

$5,000

**pledges are still needed to get me through the rest of the year...But I do need money in the bank to carry me for at least 5 months. 


Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!!
Thank you for praying for me and for your sacrificial giving. I absolutely could not be a part of this ministry without your help! I am so eager to get back to A&M and meet new freshmen, plan fun "welcome back" events, see current RUF students and worship with my church family at Westminster!

Praise be to the God who is constant, perfect, sovereign and abounding in love.
James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Grace and Peace,
Anna

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Howdy to ya!

As a follow-up post to my most recent support update, I decided to spotlight a unique part of the support raising process: monthly donors. I plan on speaking to one-time givers in my next post but I thought it would be kind of cool to let y'all know why I find monthly donors to be such an encouragement. 

So often we look at our gifts, talents, possessions and skills and feel inadequate. Or if we feel confident, we only feel this way while our resources last--stuck always at the mercy of the potential absence of the thing that gives us our sense of ability and competency. 

Of course for His children, the Lord is redeeming both of these approaches. Both of which are completely man centered and not resting in the One who is able and willing and gives meaning to our being. 

As I aim for competency in my job as an intern, I fall short. Every time. But the Lord takes my weakness and displays His complete and perfect power. Not only that, but He works in the small. He works in the places where I wouldn't choose to brag. The places I'd describe as irrelevant and insignificant. 

It always blows my mind when people offer to help me in this ministry financially. And for some of you with words like, "it isn't much," you pass on a gift that you have received from the Lord and handed it to me. For my monthly donors, I watch you repeatedly hand me this gift, month after month, acknowledging that the Lord has blessed you so that you can bless others. I cannot tell you how many times I look at my donor report and see "So And So...$10" and think to myself, "They're with me, even still." I am so encouraged by your continued giving, month by month. You remind me that the body of Christ is a harmony of moving parts, all working together day by day to accomplish His will. 

And the truth of the matter is, you are all with me. In your prayers, in your gifts, even in your interest, you are with me. And better than that, He is with us, giving all of these things significance. 

As of right now I have $685 a month coming in. My goal is to have $2000 in monthly donations to cover my monthly costs (salary, benefits and administration). 

Would you consider becoming a member of my monthly donor team? All you have to do to set up a recurring gift is visit www.ruf.org/donate --enter your monthly amount and click the box that says "This is a recurring gift." You can also choose when you would like it to come out of your debit/credit account (1st of the month or 15th). 

Thank you to all who are a part of this great opportunity to share the love of Christ to college students!

-Anna

Support Update!

Hello all!

It is hard to believe it is already July! I have been in Texas for the past three weeks and I have never been more sure that it is summertime. Mississippi is hot, but Texas of course, is in a league of its own. I have one more week in College Station until I return to Mississippi for a week to work on support. Then I will travel to the ATL for training! SO excited. I will say that I am sad to leave Texas but I am even more excited to return in the fall. Whenever I am here and I get to spend time with students or even go on campus, it is so hard for me to believe that all this is really happening. I love my job. Let me say it again, I love my job. The Lord has been so gracious and merciful to put me in a place as welcoming as A&M and in a ministry that I truly, down to my core, believe in. I believe in this ministry because the hand of God is so tangible in it. As the Word is proclaimed and hearts are softened, there is only one answer for it all: God is at work.

As I continue to raise support, I ask that you consider supporting me financially in this next year. By the grace of God, I have raised about 43% of next years budget.

When you donate, you are investing in much more than my personal ministry. You are giving to a means by which the Lord is drawing His children to Himself. You are giving to a means by which the Lord is equipping His saints to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. You are giving to a means by which the Lord chooses the helpless, the hopeless and the wayward to carry His name and to carry out His plan of redemption. You are giving to a ministry that has impacted me personally in ways that I couldn't even begin to put into words. You are giving to a ministry that seeks to give students a safe place, for the convinced and the unconvinced, to ask questions...even the really hard ones.

I know He is at work because I have watched it day by day, the impossible happens.

If you feel compelled to give please visit www.ruf.org/donate and choose my name from the drop down menu. If you would rather mail a check, you can click on the support tab and find more information on how to do that.

Above all, I ask for you to pray. Where the Lord is at work, Satan is too. I feel the fiery darts; the whispers of fear and temptation. Please pray that I wold rest in Jesus...truly rest. Please pray against the Evil One. Pray for students to find peace at the foot of the cross.

Grace and Peace,
Anna

"He cannot He will not say 'Go'
But surely will take out thy stain."- Poor Sinner Dejected With Fear

Support Raising Round Deux

Hello Friends!

So here we are, in the second half of the internship and I can hardly believe that the first half is over. Summer Conference was AMAZING. Sadly, I did not get around to filming it as I had hoped but hey--that's a project for next year's SuCo! This SuCo was a lot different for me seeing as I was "working." But that did not stop the fun or the excitement of being with my students and soaking in great teaching.

I am back in Mississippi for two more weeks working on support--then I'll go to Texas for about a month to work with Summer Aggie RUF, orientation for upcoming freshmen at A&M, as well as more long distance support raising. I will also be working on writing my Bible study for the fall which I am super excited about. Then I will return to MS for a week, then go to Atlanta for training (WHOOP), then return to MS for a few days then head out west for the final exodus.

Are you dizzy yet? What a schedule. But I could not be more excited to see how it all unfolds and comes together trough God's provision and guidance.

Speaking of God's faithfulness, I would like to thank all of you for being a part of my team last year. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to know I have people praying for this ministry. I am also constantly amazed that by your giving, I can minister to these students and have a presence in their lives. The Lord constantly went before me and behind me in this ministry. Left to my own efforts and my own strength--nothing would have been accomplished. All the glory and all the praise is to Him alone.

I would ask for you to prayerfully consider helping financially again this year. I am looking for more monthly donors to help cover my monthly costs of about $2,000 a month. I will still need one time gifts (absolutely) so if that fits you better please consider that as well. The great thing about monthly gifts is: it all adds up! You may think, "Hey, I can only give $15 right now..." but in 10 months, that's $150!! And that is huge!

Here's what I'm looking at to meet my monthly costs:
(the first number represents the amount of people and the other number being the amount given each month)

10x10	in one month 100
10x15	150
10x25	250
15x30	450
20x50	1000

                        =$2,000 a month

So if 10 people gave 10 a month I would have 100 each month and 1,000 in 10 months!

"Every Drop Counts" is a saying that floats around my friend group and it is no exception here. Please consider being a part of my team in this upcoming year. I cannot do it without you!

If you need info on how to give--go to the "Support RUF" tab.You can also visit www.ruf.org/donate to set something up online! If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. 

You are impacting students for Christ through your prayers and your gifts. I am so thankful to partner with you!

Grace and Peace,

Anna

This has been on my heart and mind as I begin this round of support raising. I felt the need to share it with you!

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee;
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.

Land me safe on Canaan's side
Bid my anxious fears, bid my anxious fears
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Bid my anxious fears, bid my anxious fears, goodbye

After the long pause...

SO I realize it has been a while since I last updated this dear ole blog. But this does not mean that we haven't been having a great semester! Just this past weekend, we had our annual Aggie RUF crawfish boil. We had about 30-40 students come out to eat, visit and maybe dance a little bit (my favorite). I also had my last "Girl Talk" Bible study last week where we took a look at some material on love and lust from Tim Keller. The previous week we watched a documentary about sexuality and relationships which was extremely thought provoking and incredibly relevant to the college years. I have learned so much from this study and I hope the girls felt a sense of security and love as we tried to approach "taboo" topics as well as areas where discussion seems to be absent.

We are also gearing up for Summer Conference in Panama City, Florida, which is always a time of fun and growth as we explore the truth claims of Christianity in seminars, worship and small groups. We are taking a group of about 45 students this year and we are so excited. It looks like, for our week, there will be close to 1,000 students from all over the country. How encouraging! There are three weeks of SuCo (as we affectionately call it) so about 2,500+ students will be able to experience this great ministry. Please be in prayer for our trip and this conference!

I hope to post throughout the week with a few videos so that should be fun :)

Here is our tank for SuCo. We're kind of proud of these (They're even university approved!) :

Also, just in case you didn't see these on Facebook, here are a few highlights from this semester:

Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Anna

Back in Action

Howdy Blog Buddies!

What a month I have had back in College Station! 
To give you a quick rundown:

Events- From the very get-go we had a "Welcome Back" pancake brunch (affectionately called the Pancake Crunch Brunchfest) on the first weekend after school started. This was such a great time for fellowship and just good ol' eatin. We also threw a Super Bowl party, hosted by one of the families in our church (Westminster Presbyterian). We grilled hot dogs, jumped on the trampoline, ate snacks and ultimately watched Beyonce at halftime...Or at least that was my agenda. We have weekly Zumba after my Bible study which is always a real hoot. I made a promo video for it here. We also have weekly lunch meetings for different groups as well as a walking group and Angleball group! Later this month we will have our annual Freshmen/Sophomore Retreat so we are all looking forward to that.

Zumba at my house

My design for our series this semester.

Weekly Ministry- This semester our large group series "What's Up with the Old Testament?" focuses on the connection between the cross and the Old Testament which is the ultimate unfolding of God's redemptive plan. It has been so cool to see how God is working all things together from the very beginning to the very end. I am co-leading a Bible study on girl's struggles with my co-intern, Lauren. This has been a really refreshing time for us to come together and be honest with one another about the issues we face as women. We see that Christ meets us in all things and speaks truth into the darkness that we are sold by the world, ourselves, and the enemy. Jeremy, my other co-intern is leading a similar study on defeating sin, specifically catering to guys. This, I have heard, has been a real time of encouragement and good application of God's ultimate reign over sin. We have Freshmen Bible Study again this semester and it has been so good to go through the foundations of our faith. We have multiple other student led small groups as well as our outreach to the lower income kids of Bryan, the city adjacent to College Station.

To say the least, I am very encouraged this semester. It is amazing how getting one semester under your belt really helps you feel a little more at home! (No more using the GPS to go to the grocery store.) I am challenged in different ways this semester, though. Just to name a few: I am leading a study for the first time in the internship, I am getting more comfortable (so I am more tempted to lean on my own ability), I am sometimes given new jobs that I am unfamiliar with (running the powerpoint can be very sanctifying), as well as my own personal struggles and walk with the Lord. 

Here are ways you can pray:
-Please pray for my personal ministry, that students would see Christ high and lifted up-that HE alone can heal
-Please pray for our staff: Ben, Beth, Lauren, Jeremy, and myself
-Please pray for new students to come to RUF and RUF functions 
-Pray for the Spirit's presence in our ministry and in the hearts of students
-Lastly, I still need just shy of $900 to make it until June 1 without going into deficit. So if you would be in prayer for that last bit of support. Visit www.ruf.org/donate and choose my name from the drop down menu under field staff if you would like to give online! Otherwise, visit my Support tab to get more info!

I am so so grateful for YOU!

"But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:
his mercies never come to an end;

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

'therefore I will hope in him.'" Lamentations 3:21-22

Grace and Peace,

Anna