November

 Hello Friends!

Let's begin with a praise! Look around you! See the beautiful things the Lord made and placed around us! What a gift to see and smell and think and be grateful!

Below is a photo of the sky on November 1st. It was a reminder to me of these things, that God is a good maker and He loves to share the things He made with me and you!

    It is getting cold outside here in North Texas! The desire to stay home under the covers or by a fire is growing stronger by the day! While Winter is a cozy season in many ways, I have also found that it can be a lonely one for many. The weather pushes people indoors and for a college student living on their own this can be pretty isolating. I remember being a freshman and experiencing this loneliness. What made the difference for me was a community that continued to meet up, inviting me into their lives and asking to be apart of mine. Even though it was a difficult time, I look back with gratitude because the Holy Spirit certainly did some major re-construction on my heart during that first winter in college and my hope is that the same might be true for these students at Collin College. 

    With this fresh on the mind I have been considering the students I meet up with regularly. How can I invite them into my life? How can we build a safe and inviting community that draws them into the arms of the Father where they will never be alone? Your prayers would be so meaningful as we pursue this aim. Prayer that we would "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as we see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

Here are some ways that we have gotten to encourage community!

 

    Pizza Theology- a 4 hour talk about a biblical topic, taught at a collegiate level (with a pizza break halfway through). This year's talk was about the book of Revelation and it was such a cool experience! We learned about the genre and literary tools used, the historical background and the hopeful message it gives to those who love Jesus. It was special to see my core girls really engage with the topic, moving from a place of fear to a place of curiosity and hope!

   

    My Core held multiple little "Friendsgivings" and laughed and shared things we were grateful for.  The photo below is of one of these gatherings. Each one of us is from a different country and we got to share about our families and culture! I see the nations being reached on college campuses through interactions like these. 

Then Wilson and I got to host some of our international student friends at our family's Thanksgiving. This was such a touching experience as we all gathered and got to share our life stories and some very good food!

         These moments that I got to share with students have all been possible because of your partnership with me. Thank you for your prayer and your generosity. I hope your Thanksgiving holidays were sweet and that your finish out November with thankfulness on your heart and lips!

With much love and affection, Katherine