Harvesters

Collin Focus at Fall Camp!

Welcome to fall, friends! It's only just begun to cool down in Texas, but we still have days that reach into the 90's. The heat couldn't stop us from having a great Fall Camp this month!! Our theme this year was community. We wanted to take advantage of our time experiencing community to also share why it's so valuable. One of my favorite points from the weekend was that community is not about me or us being good - it's about God being good. We are all broken people serving each other - pastors, students, apprentices, corefas (student leaders), everybody.

Here are students playing a survivor game at fall camp! Cody and I planned games for the day and he has super creative ideas. It was fun to laugh with our students as they instructed blindfolded pairs to find puzzle pieces and put them together.

I've been to Fall Camp four times before, but only as a student. Being an apprentice this year opened my eyes to all of the behind-the-scenes work that went on in years past. Somebody always showed up a few hours early to get everything in order. Somebody cleaned the chapel after every activity or session. Somebody set up all of the worship activities for our worship nights. The list goes on! I'm thankful for this experience to see what others have done because they wanted me and other students to enjoy camp and meet other students. I appreciate the entire team I'm on for each of their individual contributions as every single one was necessary.

Here are the girls from my core who went to camp! Left to right: Daniela, Alex, Jada, Bessy, Alexis and Kortny. Kortny is my cofa (co-facilitator). Picture credit to Kortny!

A highlight of my weekend was when our core (small group) had some discussion time. Only a few short questions were given for us to talk about so it wasn't long before we were done with the topic. Instead of leaving the conversation for free time once we were technically finished, they all stayed and asked thoughtful questions about scripture and asked for prayer in tough areas of their lives. I was really encouraged by their intentionality with our time when they could've been outside playing games with other students.

Here are two Preston Ridge girls on a walk-and-talk at camp! A camp favorite activity to strike up conversation with new people. (Another picture from Kortny!)

Our student leaders have been working hard to follow through with students they've met so far and dive into friendships through one-on-one Bible studies. One of our favorite axioms is "one-on-one is how it's done." Jesus valued personal relationship in his ministry, so we try our best to model that. I recently started studying the Bible with a few different girls in my core and I'm blown away by how vulnerable each of them have been with me. My prayer is that they would see God's loyalty and compassion through our friendships and our core, that they would see he is a rock for them to stand on, a firmer foundation than any of the worldly things we're so often tempted to rely on. I long for them to see the Lord as the most reliable constant there is to offer.

Here is our core this last Tuesday! A typical core night for us consists of laughter, witty comments, scripture, discussion, a few tears, prayer, and some more laughs. These girls are super sweet to know and I love learning from them.

Our first Preston Ridge Thursday Night Fellowship!

Preston Ridge is a Collin College campus about 30 minutes away from the Spring Creek Campus. This creates a few obstacles for students who want to attend our Thursday Night Fellowship (TNF) times, but don't have the means to get there. Since the Preston Ridge FOCUS community is growing, we're trying out once a month Preston Ridge TNF's this semester! Pedro and I took the night to cast a vision to the students - a vision of bringing God's kingdom to the campus, a vision that strives for mission and allows community to be a result of that. We're excited to see what comes this next month when we discuss the Parable of the Great Banquet from Luke 14!

I keep mentioning my cofa, Kortny, for all of her pictures. So here she is! I love planning and facilitating core with her and can't wait to see how God continues to use her this year.

September has been a great month. I can't believe I'm two months into the apprenticeship...it feels like we just started, but it also feels like God has already done so much! In fact, he has. But there is always more to be done. Always! Thankfully, the Lord intended for us to rest. This is his work and we are simply laborers in his garden. I'm thankful for what I've gotten to be part of already and look forward to what's coming.

Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."

 Prayer Requests

• Please pray for Pedro and I as we lead the Preston Ridge campus. Ask for guidance and wisdom as well as willingness to slow down, turn back, move ahead, or whatever it may be.
• Pray for all of our students and staff who are both leading and learning in one-on-one Bible studies - that they would seek to point others to the Lord rather than themselves or own preferences.
• Pray for our students as they start to feel the weight of the semester to strive to be good students.
• Pray for our entire staff team to discern the needs of our campuses.

I love what I get to take part in as an apprentice and it wouldn't be possible without your support. I think about how thankful I am, daily, because of you.

With love,

Here is a student testimony from a F.O.C.U.S. student at UTD!