Ministry Update
The Well...
We wrapped our discipleship program, the Well, at the end of March. This semester I had the opportunity to mentor Hailley
(pictured to the right). She is a very busy girl, she works full time and is about to get married, but we were able to meet up a couple times and through our meetings it was vey clear this girl is on fire for the Lord. She studies the word vigorously and loves sharing what she learns with others. I'm excited to see what the Lord does through her and her upcoming marriage!
Below is all of the students who went through the well this semester along with their mentors.
Baptisms!!!
We love when people come to know Christ and take the next step in faith and are baptized! This past Sunday we had 14 people take that next step and get baptized. Here is the testimony of one of our students who was baptized this past Sunday.
"I asked Jesus into my heart when I was in third grade. That’s when my journey in faith began. Shortly after I started reading God’s word, curious about what it had to say. Solomon’s story really hit me. Here was a man that could have asked God for anything he wanted, but instead he asked for wisdom, to lead Israel with truth and clear sight of right and wrong. I saw in the scriptures how everything the world had to offer was meaningless, and I wanted none of it. I admitted this to God, and prayed an earnest prayer, asking only for wisdom. A year later, my trial began. Chains were bound tightly around my chest, and words were no longer easily spoken. Social anxiety had begun its reign in my life, and isolation that came along with it. Unable to speak to all but my closest of friends and family, I was practically mute. I was the kid in the back of the class who never spoke a word. I had much to say, yet I could not speak. Now God didn’t cause the storm, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to use it. Watching the world from a distance, I was able to see things plainly for what they were. He spared me from following others down the wide road of the simple, the road that deceives many who we know, and leads nowhere but destruction. Isolation hurt, depression and sin thrived there, yet in that time God taught me to rely solely on Him, to study His word, and instead of being alone, to have fellowship with Him. But the God who makes the deaf hear is the same God who makes the mute speak. Anxiety providing me no confidence of my own, I know that the confidence I stand in now is in God alone. I have learned that words are a gift, and if we are to speak, we should speak as those who speak the very words of God. The world needs that. Surrounded by a church that is committed to the gospel and values relationship more than any other church I have known before, a community of believers who welcome each other and have welcomed me as their own, today I confess that I am no longer ashamed of the gospel that saved my life. I love Jesus and I am all in for God, no matter what that looks like. I say this in front of all of you, so that you may be my witnesses who hold me accountable to the faith. Every day I am reminded of Christ’s victory by the life I see breathed into people all around me here. I am encouraged by you all, and want to run the race marked out before me with all that I have, because he already finished this race for us. Praise God for that!" - Alex Gribble
Personal Update...
After doing lots of test and getting an MRI and Ultrasound we have found that I have Fibromyalgia and Hashimoto's Disease. Though it is not ideal, it is nice to know what is happening and why I have symptoms that are kind of weird. Being diagnosed with chronic illness on top of metal illness can be very difficult to deal with at time. I'm not going to talk about it on here so if you would like to know please reach out to me I am willing to answer any questions.
May 17th is almost here and I am so excited to got to Africa for a month with Lydia Ware. Praise God we are both completely fully funded now! All that's left to do is count down. I can't wait to give you all an update on that when I get back.
Other exciting news Ben and I are buying a house!! We close April 27th and just can't wait even though it's less than a week that we have to wait. We will be moving to Avondale which is still really close to campus so we are beyond thrilled to have a home we can invite friends, family, and college students into. We pray that it will be a home filled with God's love and ministry. There will definitely be pictures in the next update letter!
Prayer Request:
Pray for my trip to Africa, that Lydia and I would both get there safe with no complications. Also be praying that we would have many opportunities to show God's love to them and be able to share the gospel with them.
Pray for all of our students as school is ending and they are going on mission trips, leadership trainings, or just home. Be praying that it would be a summer of growth and that they remember that their relationship with God doesn't just go on pause because they aren't attending H2O and Life Groups.
Pray that my husband and I would be able to use our new house to bless the students we minister to and the community around us.