More than Familiar

Teen temperatures sent me power walking through the UCCS library today on my way to meet with a student. It's always my ambition to find ways to avoid being outside on such days. As I pumped my arms and clomped my boots passed studious collegiates and book lined shelves, I found myself recognizing faces. "Hi, Lauren!" a student said as I passed by. "Oh, hey! How are you?" A brief exchange of salutations and I was off again. Then it hit me. I'm not a student here, yet I know so many people.

There up on the bluff, within the public university, are dozens of faces that are more than familiar to me. They have names, they have personalities, they have pasts, they have futures, they have questions, they have thoughts, they exist to me. And every time I step foot on campus I enter into their world of activity. I am living life with them all the while showing them the light of Jesus.

I sat in Jazzman's, the on campus coffee shop, and talked with my freshman friend and we both occasionally paused to say hi to our passing friends. I think it's a testimony of God's grace and favor to give me friendships with these college students.

Thanks for your prayers-they are the foundations of these relationships.

The UCCS library. . .my inside "shortcut" during snowy days. (Please imagine a white ground and me huffing and puffing with seven layers on in this picture.)

And We're Off!

The 2009 UCCS Spring semester begins tomorrow! Soon the parking lots will be filled with cars, the smell of Jazzman's coffee will again float through the University Center, study rooms in the library occupied by all those single individuals will be commandeered by members of the Prayer Team. It will be grand.

With all this buzz of activity means I need to figure out my semester schedule and start making plans. Even thinking of that task makes me break out into some form of hives. Yes, I have allergic reactions even to the thought of making a schedule. It's quite difficult to sit down and set in stone your course of action when one works with college students who's schedules are akin to a newborn's (you know, frequent naps, frequent feedings, awake during the wee hours of the night, play dates, drooling. . .ok, maybe not drooling).

Prayers are appreciated as I contact the women I mentor and set up our one on ones, and plan the material for the Investigative Bible Discussion, and plan all the little interactions with students throughout my week. Whew!

Come back soon to see how I made it through my first week back! Perhaps there will be evidence of these schedule induced hives!! :)

This is what my head feels like when I think about making a schedule. (This is actually from an Eagle Lake Extended Version day last January where we let children play with stacks of newspaper. . .another form of recycling, and a great way to make your eye twitch.)

Scoping out Hollywood

There are so many adventures when you're on staff with collegiate Navs! Just last week my teammates, Jamie and Derrik, and I flew out to Los Angeles to scope out the city that we will soon be bringing some of our UCCS students to for their Spring Break.

Some Highlights:

1. randomly sitting in front of one of my former UCCS Bible Study girls on the plane to L.A.!

2. touching the Pacific Ocean for the first time!

3. seeing Amy (now 15!!) whom I used to nanny several years ago.

4. discovering heaven on earth: Yogurtland!

5. talking to Project Angel Food about volunteering our time to help prepare meals

Some "I'm so glad we figured this out before we brought students out here" moments:

1. all the interstates that run together like spaghetti ("the 5" "the 405" "the 55" weird)

2. having a GPS is not helpful, is necessary for survival and sanity!

3. expect to pay $$ for parking anywhere you go

4. there are way more fun things to do in L.A. than visit the Hollywood Wax Museum

5. Santa Monica is the home of the "original" Muscle Beach

Our theme for this trip is "Super Cali-Fellowship" and we'll be taking a closer look at what real fellowship means. 1 John 1:7 says that "if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another. . ." Our desire is for students to not only enjoy each other and the sights and sounds of L.A., but to really know that true fellowship is only experienced by walking in the light of Christ.

Spring Break isn't until the end of March, but it'll be here sooner than I expect! Please pray for 18 students to commit to this trip and for their hearts to long for true fellowship. And please pray for our planning!!

Jamie and I at Long Beach-look at those beautiful palms!

Amy and I at Yogurtland-the most delicious place your tatsebuds will ever know!