This month has been a challenging one in some ways. The transition of two of our staff (one intern) moving on has been a bummer emotionally-especially for our single staff woman. Our numbers have been down and the Lord has challenged me to persevere even when momentum has been lower in some areas. Evangelism was down too. Lots of good sowing & beginning gospel conversations but not much "complete gospel" presentations. I found out that I needed to take a two-day getaway with the Lord so I did this week. Best thing I've ever done in ministry. I feel refreshed, renewed and ready to hit the last six weeks of school. Even though it was a hard month, right now I feel more connected to God than ever, and I feel like I'm enjoying and delighting in Him more than I have in a year. Staff need to get away with the Lord like I did at least two times a semester.
--PHIL G., Campus, Michigan State University
I went down to the Women's Big Ten Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis to do some chapels. I was able to do two for Wisconsin and gave each coach and the athletic trainer the Passion and Power DVD along with a Starbucks card. I also was able to do a chapel for Penn State 's team which is always a great experience. I also gave that team some DVD's. While I was in Indy, I connected for dinner with a woman that I met two years ago at the tourney. We had a two and half hour conversation about faith and her lifestyle. It was amazing to share truth with her and she was really open to it. I praise God for all the divine appointments I had in the few days I was in Indianapolis.
--JOY S., Campus, University of Wisconsin
Upon seeing in September that UK would be hosting SEC Championships in Swimming and Diving, Indoor Track and Field, and Women's Tennis during the second semester, we began to pray and look for opportunities to make chapels a reality for all three. We coordinated, took care of the logistics, and partnered with former UK swimmer and staff member Russ Throckmorton to lead a chapel for the SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, Tim Ellis and Tim Coleman from AIA Track and Field and a University of Georgia coach to do the SEC Track & Field Championship chapel. We are in the midst of confirming we'll be able to do the same for the SEC Women's Tennis Championship in April. These opportunities are a perfect and practical way to serve athletes, coaches, officials, and others who are involved at these events. Feedback from both was very good and we are able to pass on what works and what does not work to fellow staff hosting chapels for the same events in future years. It was phenomenal to partner with other staff and to see how God provided people, places, and opportunities (all in His time) to allow these events to happen.
--BRET N., Campus, University of Kentucky
We had our "Night with the Vols" Dinner and God brought 150 people out and raised $9000 for our campus budget. The students and the coach who spoke did a great job. It was an awesome night!
--DAVE T., Campus, University of Tennessee
We prayed for a swimmer or diver to emerge as a Christian leader on his team. That same day a diver named Billy showed up at our weekly meeting. He is on fire for God. Wow! That was his first time to FCA or AIA. He could be a key leader in the future. He is a leader in his church but has a heart to reach his team. God is at work in power! I could tell a lot more of those kinds of stories this last year. It is awesome to see the Holy Spirit at work on campus. I feel as if he is moving into position for something "HUGE." Please pray for Arizona State University-that the Holy Spirit would drop down fire on this place.
--AARON H., Campus, Arizona State University
I had an opportunity this month to take a student athlete to speak at a college group from a local church. This student athlete had mentioned to me he had never before spoken publicly about his faith. He did an awesome job of testifying how God is at work in his life and mentioned to me how much fun it was for him. He later mentioned to me how he couldn't wait until the next opportunity for him to speak again.
--KEVIN J., Campus, UCLA
Traditionally the men's soccer team is the hardest team to reach at Wilmington College, partly because they always have at least four Swedes on the team. (Sweden has been said to be the hardest country to reach.) God has been stirring things up, though! The captain of the team, Aaron, happens to be a very stereotypical party guy and jock. But for some reason he has hung around our AIA movement the last year and a half. In some ways he was more of a distraction for most of our students but about a month ago God did something. He went to a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee alcohol awareness conference and God broke him while there. Since then we have had some great discussion and he seems as if he is a breath away from asking Christ into his life. He has begun to make healthier decisions with his social life and ultimately he has seen that only God can truly change his life! To think two that months ago we were praying for him and wondering how we were going to deal with him and now he is but a step away from TRUE LIFE CHANGE!
--ZACH H., Campus, Wilmington College, Central State & Wilberforce Universities
Seeing the Lord work in the life of Adam Haluska, star basketball player, has been very exciting. We have given out approximately 15,000 of his testimony cards around the state. He also spoke about his faith on Iowa 's Senior Day (last home game of the season) to the 15,000 fans in attendance and God blessed him by winning the scoring title in the Big Ten. He is also a first-team MVP academic NCAA selection. God has really blessed and used Adam here. One person really can make a difference!
--JIM G., Campus, University of Iowa
Ever since I found out the Super Bowl would be in Miami I have been praying for the people I'd invite to the Super Bowl Breakfast. I purposefully went down with a few tickets that I hadn't given away, praying that I could invite my former soccer coach or at least someone God put on my heart when I went down. So two days prior I went and visited my coach and when I asked her to go she shocked me by being SO excited to go. She asked for more tickets and brought some friends that were HUGE Chicago Bears fans. They were enthralled by the big names up on the stage and with Lovie Smith being on the screen, writing down the name of every famous person who spoke! My experience with my coach had been very difficult; she really never seemed open to spiritual things at all and on that day she was excited to hear what Tony Dungy and others had to say because the event was so well-done. She also asked if I would do a chapel for her team when they come to play Virginia in the fall, which is a huge blessing that God would allow me to minister to a school I still love dearly. Thanks to all who make the Super Bowl Breakfast happen!
--ASHLEY W., Campus, University of Virginia