Thankful

Hello again everyone!

As a part of the university world, our calendar follows that of quarters and semesters, and June marks both the beginning of the summer and the end of a year of ministry. Campuses stand mostly vacant, students having been sent back to any number of places: summer internships, a job back home, or missions experiences around the world. Though much of our "staff summers" are dedicated to preparation for next year, saying good-bye to another class of students provides context for reflection on the work of God over the last year. So here's a short "thankful for" list at the end of this year!

I'm so grateful for how Catalyst (the leadership conference I wrote about last time) went. Not only was it a great week of training for student leaders from across the region, but it was a very meaningful time for me on a personal level. I'm so grateful to report that God moved in a powerful way during our Thursday night session that I asked you to pray for in my last entry. I spoke on the heart of a father, and how dads love to give good gifts to their kids. After I sat down, prayer ministry broke out across the room, and dozens of students mentioned that night as the highlight of their week at Catalyst. Thank you so much for praying; God is faithful!

I'm so thankful for the work of God at Drake this last year. Four years ago, the chapter basically imploded and only a handful of students remained. Since then, the chapter has grown to include close to 100 students, and we've decided to follow God's call to plant a new chapter specifically for international students on campus. There is such momentum and vibrancy in the community; I can't wait to see what happens next year.

At Catalyst, we got to witness a video testimony of the "Emails from God" story I wrote about back in the fall. (If you haven't read that entry yet (November 5), please do so...it's really unbelievable). Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I saw the faces of "Li" and "Amber" testify to the God who is alive and actively pursuing his children. It still leaves me speechless to think about the God of the universe caring so deeply for a girl from SE Asia that he would hijack the Internet to find her.

I'm so thankful for a group of 18 students and staff who are set to leave for Ethiopia in just over three weeks. While they are there, they'll work with AIDS orphans and minister to street children alongside Christian Ethiopian college students just like them. I am pumped to have our students not only be a blessing, but be blessed by the faith and love of brothers and sisters from the other side of the globe.

I'm so thankful for the 24 students who decided to follow Jesus for the first time as a result of our witness on campus this year, and the more than 60 who decided that "just being a Christian" wasn't enough; they wanted to actually follow Jesus on his mission to the world.

I find myself so grateful for the people who surround my life. Steph, our kids, our families, our staff team, the students we minister to, our friends, and the hundreds of people scattered across the country who stand with us in the glorious ministry of the Gospel.

Thank you for your partnership, to God be the glory!

Jon

PS...As of this writing, I'm projected to fall about $1,000 short of my needed budget for this year (which ends on June 30th), so if you'd like to make a gift to help erase the deficit, you can do so at www.intervarsity.org/donate or by mailing a check to: IVCF-Donations, PO Box 7895, Madison, WI, 53707 and including a note that has my name on it.