September Apprenticeship Update

September Ministry Update!

Hi again, everyone!

Welcome back to the space where you will get updates on how ministry is going, how's my heart, and what God is doing in FOCUS. 

I'm deeply grateful for your partnership and commitment to these 10 months of my life. Without you, I wouldn't be able to be a pastoral apprentice with FOCUS. Thank you, thank you, thank you... 

Also, if any of you want to hop on the phone and catch up, I would love to. Reach out to me anytime, and I will be quick to respond. 

Where do I even begin... 

Discipling Ministry 

I want to start with a scripture I've been holding on to tightly this month as I've begun ministering to different students. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." As I've begun reading scripture with students, I've kept this truth in my mind, ready to repeat this out loud. I'm learning more and more that my job isn't to be the "fixer," but to be a truth-teller and messenger of this hope Jesus offers. That there is One who you can take refuge in and find rest for your soul in. I've met with students struggling with grief and loss, anxiety, and depression, and it's my great privilege to remind each of these students that Jesus is their healer. 

Core (small group)

Each week on Fridays at 7 p.m., I get to lead a small group with a student from the ministry. Karolina and I've been able to pray, read scripture, and get to know each girl individually. We hope to facilitate a space where they fall deeper in love with Jesus. We've led topics like "spiritual friendship," "what's the kingdom of God?" and "Jesus, the way, truth, and life." My week consists of meeting with each girl and building a Christ-centered friendship with them through studying Focus On Jesus (our ministries bible study).  Here is a picture of our core :)

Ava, Karolina, Molly, Jayla, and Sophie. (I know I'm

smiling really hard, but it's because it just warms my

heart to see people excited to know Jesus more).

Sweet, sweet Ava :)

How have I seen God working in my life? 

    The summer before my senior year, I had lost my papa, who I was super close to. He was the one who led me to Jesus, so he holds such a special place in my heart. It was really hard to get through my senior year of college because I was grieving. As the semester went on, I felt God calling me to what I'm doing now! Once I got hired, I felt a mixture of emotions as I walked away from the “most successful looking path” by putting a pause on what I was good at. I’ve spent a lot of time wrestling with God because of the timing in which all of this happened.

         Fast forward to now, I have had 2 students open up to me about how they’ve just recently lost someone close to them. They’ve both asked me questions like what grief is, how do I handle these emotions, God is with me in this? I got to share with them my experience with grieving with God, and I just thought that was so neat. God is redefining what success looks like in the kingdom, and 2) that my pain isn’t meaningless but an avenue to share the goodness, comfort, and hope we have in Him. Psalm 18: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

Picture from our monthly sabbath dinners. The apprentices come together once a month to eat dinner and check in with one another :)

Student Testimony 

I love you all so very much.