Movie Night!

Last night we had a movie night for freshmen girls in my study and Megan's study. We watched Enchanted (pretty hillarious cheese-humor) and ate ice cream sundaes. I thought I'd just share some photos so you could see the girls! = )







Above is a picture of me and Megan, my wonderful friend.

Oh also, just thought I would let you all know that SPRING HAS BROKEN FORTH! Literally within a week everything has bloomed and turned green - even though we are forecasted for 10 days of rain and clouds (we're in our 3rd day currently...) the colors that I'm seeing help make things betters. Green acres of grass, tulips all over campus...full green trees and trees with white flowers and purple flowers....it's beautiful!!!



These are tulips in my front yard! They grew effortlessly. Just one day I saw them there - didn't even know we had them in our yard!



This was some greenery on a sidestreet by my house.

So so so beautiful.

When it Rains, it Pours

Here I sit, typing a blog to you all, as Katie sleeps.



Katie is my boss's 2 year old beautiful girl... here is a photo of Katie and me earlier today when we were outside...she is sleeping right now so I am wanting to update you all!



This past 3 weeks have been incredible. I have seen God blow open the doors and wind come rushing through - the girls I have been meeting with all year are changing and growing in Christ! I have been praying that God would give them desires for his Word and for HIM and it has been happening! And I have seen how certain horrible events have brought some girls to that place, and certain great events have brought other girls to that place. 3 girls in the past week have asked if they can start meeting with me to read the Bible - excuse me?! Girls actually pursuing ME to read THE BIBLE with them?! That's crazy talk. I have been pursuing these girls hard core all year, and now they turn to me and pursue me! God is answering months and months of prayers in our last 2 weeks of being together in State College.

Please continue to pray for all these girls throughout the summer as they all take off and return home or head off to different summer plans or internships. I know that this summer will be hard and most likely many of them will slip back into old patterns - but pray with me that they would return in August HUNGRY again for more.

Here's a couple photos for you.

Last Friday night after Nav Night we went and played broomball! It was a lot of fun. Here are some of the girls in my study...I love them so! I feel like I look pretty tough holding a stick...



Here is a photo of Nate and I...I maybe accidently hit him in the calf with my stick - a joke gone bad...the welt was kind of big...thankfully we're still dating. ha!



On Tuesday night of this week we had a Bible study hangout and our theme was "Black and White Affair" so all the girls wore black and white and we had a nice italian dinner and good discussion.





Last Saturday I drove to Philly with Meghan my roommate to visit some friends we have in West Chester. It was a fun drive there and back, and a great day visiting with friends and talking with them about our ministries here. I'm going to miss being roommates with Meghan next year - she's moving into a different house closer to campus...I'll get a new roommate, Lauren. I'll show you photos next semester of her.



And lastly, on Mondays we are now doing "Freshmen Training" - we have about 25 or so freshmen coming to learn how to share the Gospel, their testimonies, and engage with other students about their faith. 6 of my Bible study girls have been coming to this! Its kind of the precursor to students joining our leadership team in the coming years. It has been a lot of fun - I feel like lately I have hung out with students so much - and it is AMAZING. The conversations we have been having are so brought about by God...they want to ask tough questions and they are coming to places where they are questioning what it looks like to leave their pasts behind and follow Christ...I love it! Here's a photo of the freshmen training as well as dinner afterward in the dorms with my girls.





Oh! And last night we had an event for freshmen girls called "Boys and Chocolate" where we had 29 girls show up - we had candles, chocolate, and nice music. We talked with the girls about what it looks like to relate in Godly healthy ways with guys - it was such a great time, that afterward when I dropped 3 girls off at the dorms they had so many questions for me about the issues we brought up, that we talked for another TWO HOURS till 11pm and I dropped them off. 2 of those girls wanted to start reading the Bible - one of them said "I want Jesus to change me! I want to be different! How does that happen??" PRAISE GOD FOR HUNGRY HEARTS! May God continue to change this upcoming generation to be an army for Him.

Thank you for your prayers - I am up-close and personal here, and I see how they are being answered!

Summa Summa!

Summer is on the way! EVERYONE! It has been around 65 degrees the past two days! I know they're predicting we get back into the 40s with rain next week, but I am currently wearing a tank top and LOOOOVVVIINGGG it. I would even go as far to say I was sweating in my car yesterday (for those of you who don't know, my little HOT 92 Saturn's windows have quit operating, so any type of outdoor heat that filters into the car does not LEAVE, it only exponentially worsens...) BUT I will take heat right now because I have so missed that weather. AND there are leaves on some of the trees! I kid you not. I saw buds coming in on trees, and I saw some trees outside that had red leaves growing on them. God has brought me through the horrid DARK winter and cold wetness and now we are entering into spring and summer! A-WOO-HOOOOO!

Where Do I Begin?

A month has gone by since my last update - A MONTH! I have no idea how this time is flying by so fast.

It seriously feels like I just wrote that last update two days ago, and yet a month (and then some) has passed by. Spring Break trip to Orlando, FL happened, the Spring Formal happened, we are beginning Freshman Spring Training, I'm starting to meet with a couple more girls weekly, I saw Obama speak on our Old Main lawn, one of my best friends Jamie visited me for a wonderful week, we have begun studying the book of Ruth in Bible study and its been INCREDIBLE, God has answered multiple prayers dealing with some of the girls I meet with, life is happening right before my eyes! ...CHAOOSSS! And I'm already buying my tickets to fly back home for my 4 weeks in Colorado. My tickets have already been purchased for my trip to HOLLAND June 30 - July 30. I'll be in 3 weddings within the next 3 months, and I'll have a training for Navs out in Colorado for a week, fly back to PA for a wedding, and then fly back home for another 4 weeks where I'll have 2 more weddings, fly to Holland, fly back home for a week, then fly back to PA to continue my SECOND year here at Penn State.

Can someone tell me if I fell asleep and just recently woke up and didn't realize all this time passed me by? Wow.

I really don't know where to begin to blog about my time here with you all. Maybe I'll trying using short sentences to sum up some of the highlights.

Spring Break was incredible. I served a group called Pioneers (Christian organization that has a HQ that needed labor done outdoors) by raking dirt, painting a building, washing windows, and sweeping cobwebs off ceilings. I got to spend 4 hours a day serving side-by-side with one of the girls in my Bible study and another freshman girl. I loved those times - we talked a lot about relationships and God.


This is a picture of Sarah and I after we painted one side of this building!


Here is a photo of my work "van" - we rode to and from the worksite each day. Me and the boys. Ha! We look tough...its because we are. Especially me with those heavy work boots and large chain.

The Spring Formal is our traditional semi-formal dance that is held at Toftrees, a resort out here in State College. We all dressed up and had a nice dinner and danced the night away. There were a few girls from my Bible study there, and nothing bonds women quicker than lip-syncing to "Turn Around"....gotta love it.


Me and the Bible study girls at the dance!

Jamie's visit to State College was such a blessing. It was fun to have one of my best friends see what life is like out here! I recall her stating that "you are always around people!" And its true. We nonstop were surrounded by people - I didn't realize how much I am interacting with people day in and day out until she came and reminded me that this is not "normal" life...haha. What a fun treat it was to have her here though - I introduced her to the Bible study girls, brought her to Nav Night on Friday night, and walked her around campus - we even bought Penn State clothing. Now that's a true Penn State experience. We also got to take photos at the famous Lion Shrine - something I hadn't done until she came!


Jamie and I at the Lion! WE ARE Penn State!

Spring Freshman Training started yesterday and will occur each Monday in April. It is where we invite the freshman students to come and be "trained" for an hour each Monday. This is a good way to get them introduced to the heart of Navs, as well as connect them to other freshmen they have yet to meet in Navs. Yesterday we talked about the Gospel, next week will be about sharing your testimony, the 3rd week will be how to share the Gospel message through an illustration called the Bridge, and the 4th week I'm not sure. = ) 6 of my girls came though, and that was really exciting to see. We all went out to dinner and watched a movie afterwards. I have had so much fun hanging out with these girls - I am way more comfortable with them now then when I first moved here, and it is clearly a gift from God!

Holland! I don't know how to talk about this yet - and don't have time to write about it. But maybe I'll dedicate a whole blog to it because I am SO EXCITED! yayyy!

So, that's a quick update for you all. Sorry it has been forever since I wrote! I hope everyone is doing well... = ) Love you all. Thank you for your support and encouragement... all this is possible because of your partnership with me! ; )