Praise the LORD Oh my Soul!

Dear Friends!

So much has happened this semester. It is impossible to share all of the news, but hopefully I can give you a glimpse of what God is doing.

First, because of your generosity the Lord provided above and beyond my short term financial needs. I am so blessed by you. I hope to begin having time to work on more long-term goals sometime this spring.

Changed lives. Students are accepting Christ and many of them are hearing the gospel through OTHER STUDENTS. We have been praying for our believing students to catch the vision for how God is at work and it is happening.

Kim - Is a freshmen. She met another freshmen, Cari, last semester through living in the same dorm. Although her past has been difficult, she began searching for meaning and purpose and a deeper understanding of God. Cari and her began meeting. This semester brought a lot of confusion as an "Atheist Club" sprung up in her dorm through Cari's roommate, an RA and another student. Cari asked me to pray. On a Saturday night in January I received a text message asking me to pray for Cari at 10:30pm. She invited the atheist RA and Kim to come together and talk about their varying viewpoints on God. The LORD showed up! Not only did the RA withhold her typical animosity, but after spending most of her time talking about God the atheist RA told Kim, "Why don't you try being a Christian." Cari and Kim were shocked. Kim began reading her Bible late that night, attended church with Cari the next day, and on the following Wednesday I received a text message from Cari saying:

"Praise the LORD! We have a new sister in Christ! I can't believe it. Kim gave her life to Jesus today. :)"

Kim is now attending our weekly meetings with Cari. I meet with Cari weekly for discipleship. She is then meeting with Kim to help her begin to learn about her new relationship with Christ.

Since then we have seen Stewart (another freshmen), Keiran (an exchange student from Scotland), Ashley and Erica (2 freshmen girls and roommates), and Jose (an exchange student from Venezuela) accept Christ.

I traveled to Dallas for a week in January to begin planning a summer mission trip to Senegal, West Africa. The trip will be 6 weeks and I plan via skype with my co-leader who is in NC every week. I have also done hall programs with RA's, am meeting with 8 girls regularly for discipleship, lead a freshmen girls Bible study, and am preparing for a women's retreat this weekend, spring break mission trip in Florida, and a Fund raising dinner in April. Life is full! But God is blessing.

In other news I am enjoying getting to know people in my connect group from church, continuing ballroom dancing when I can go, have seen the Lord provide with small and big health concerns, and just today welcomed a puppy into my home (well, I won't get to pick her up until next weekend, but she is officially mine. :)

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I can't thank you enough for joining with me in ministry.

Please be in prayer for these upcoming events:
Essie - a student I have met with for 4 years is now on the verge of accepting Christ. Her freshmen year she didn't even believe God exists!

Ashley and Erica - 2 Freshmen new believers I am meeting with to talk about what their new faith means

Freshmen Bible study - it has been hard to see consistent attendance. Please pray for me to meet new girls and for the ones I have met to value coming

Planning for Senegal Mission trip - we are still wading through application and choosing our team. Please pray for wisdom. To learn more about Senegal and how to pray go to: http://www.operationworld.org/sene

Chick-Challenge - Our women's retreat is this Friday, February 18 and 19. We are calling it "Unplugged" and will be discussing the ways we as women find our significance in things other then Christ and how only HE can truly fulfill our deepest longings.

Thank you! Sorry for overloading you. I will try to be better about updating.

Abigail