New Land, New Home

I often laugh at the idea of putting my job description on a resume. Today I created registration sheets for students to volunteer in ministry opportunities, worked on preparation for an outreach event called "The Maze" (we are preparing for 1000 students to show up), purchased a root beer keg, cooked food for a picnic, hosted a picnic for returning UK students, painted sandwich boards to advertise our events, and am now preparing to head to the airport to pick up a student arriving from China to study at UK. When I wake up in the morning, I will head to UK's campus to help the stream of 5,500 wide-eyed freshmen and their terrified parents move into the dorms on campus.

At the end of the day, I will meet a graduate student from China at Starbucks in the Student Center to discuss his thoughts on the Bible and Jesus. I met Matthew last Sunday at a picnic for international students and he kept repeating that my name "Abigail", is a biblical name. I was astonished at his recognition and asked if he had read the Bible. He responded yes, that he is not a Christian, but he likes Jesus and talking about the Bible. Before leaving my car for his apartment he made me put my number in his phone so we can talk. I found him on campus later this week and he immediately asked when we were going meet. Please be praying for us at 3:30. I am bringing Mark, a student in our ministry who is caring for internationals, to meet him as well.

If writing a resume for the week, I would say international liaison (we have picked up students from China, Austria, Finland, England, and Germany this week), organizational planning, hosted table at resource fair for Resident Assistants (42 signed up to have us host a program on their floor this year!), Video Designer, life coach, and a number of other things. Sometimes it is hard to know how to describe what I do.

This is just the beginning! As classes kick in, so do we. And this year there are more freshmen then ever moving onto campus who need to hear of the love of Jesus and His purpose for their lives. Please keep my team and I in your prayers. Below are some of the upcoming events.

Friday August 20: Freshmen Move on Campus. Sorority Bid
Saturday August 21: Leadership Breakfast and Campus Ruckas (a pep rally for students and an opportunity for us to hold a booth, pass out blue and white beads, and hopefully fill out surveys with 500 freshmen
Sunday August 22: Calling Parties to get in touch with freshmen we met at Ruckas and invite them to dinner, church, or just to hang out
Monday August 23: FUSION, a service project hosted by the university. Usually 600 or so freshmen and greeks participate. Our staff team and students are partnering with the university to host groups. In the evening we will take students to a place called Champs where they will get all the pizza, laser tag, skating and arcade games they can handle. The first 50 freshmen get in free
Tuesday August 24: Following up freshmen. Freshmen Bible studies begin, and we host the Great American Country Dance outside on campus. We hope for several hundred students to attend.
Wednesday August 25: "Freshmen Stop Here" tables on campus. We are passing out 800 free tshirts in exchange for freshmen to fill out a 30 sec survey asking them if they are interested in talking to someone about a relationship with God and if they are interested in a Bible discussion group. That night we are having our second set of Freshmen Bible studies Begin on North Campus
Thursday August 26: Following up surveys. First Main meeting begins. Root Beer Float "keg" party to follow.
Friday August 27: Staff regroup, evaluate and plan. Follow up more freshmen
Saturday August 28: Ultimate Frisbee tournaments
Sunday August 29: Student Leadership Meeting in the evening

Then the week begins again. We have many more large events coming up this semester. Please pray for stamina to keep up with students. Pray for sensitivity to the Spirit and His leading as we point them to Christ. It is our Prayer that 400 students will have an opportunity to hear the gospel and respond sometime during this semester and much of that will happen in the first few weeks of school. Below are some more prayer requests.

1. Energy - I am entering the semester more tired then usual
2. Favor from UK for the events and activities we are planning
3. For young men and women whose hearts are ready for the gospel
4. For Student leaders who join us in ministry
5. My computer crashed last week. I am handicapped in planning things until it returns. This message is from my roommates laptop.
6. TMJ - my jaw has had ongoing problems this summer. I am currently waiting to see a specialist because I am limited in being able to eat. It has caused quite a bit of pain and many headaches.
7. Connecting with ministry partners. I am in need of more people to partner with me in financially. I am currently meeting with people to share, but it will be hard with our busy schedule. My last 2 pay checks have been short because I need more funds.
8. Finding community for me in Lexington. More of my friends have moved and I am praying that the Lord will provide people where I can be refreshed and pointed to Him.

Thank you so much! I couldn't do this without you. :)

"but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31