End of quarter craziness...

Wow, so I have been really out of touch on this blog, so for that I apologize.  I have to say that I am very thankful for the reasons that I have had less time to blog.  One of them is that I have gotten to spend some good time with students these past few weeks.  Another, is because we had our Regional Staff Retreat the weekend before Thanksgiving.  

Our staff retreat included staff from University of Oregon, Oregon State and The University of Washington.  It was great to reconnect with staff that I had previously gotten to know along with meeting new staff.  It seems as though God is really blessing the Pacific Northwest with Navigator Staff.  One of the highlights of this time was getting to take Kevin to this retreat and having good fellowship with other believers.  We needed some time away.  Kevin and I have to make a decision concerning the next 5 years of our life in the next month, and it has been more overwhelming than I believe either of us imagined.  We need to decide whether to stay in the Navy or get out in the next couple of months.  It seemed like an easier decision to make before the economy started to deflate.  We are just praying that God would make it abundantly clear where he wants us.  Navy life has it's ups and downs and forces us to be apart for extended periods of time, but if God is calling us back into that, we want to be ready and willing.  

In other news, we are finishing up the quarter with students right now.  It is finals week, which is usually a crazy time for students.  We had a good time throwing a Christmas Party last week.  It was so fun to see students from all walks of life.  We have been getting to know students in all different capacities and it was fun to see all of them get together on Friday Night.  There were students from our bible studies, movies discussion nights, swing dance class and more.  We had food, sang carols and read a wonderful version of the Christmas Story that was written by a Navigator Staff and is told from the standpoint of a shepherd.  It was very powerful especially since many of students are not Christians.  Please pray that we would be allowed to continue to cultivate the relationships that God has given us this quarter and that students would be stirred to think of Christmas differently this year.  

Again, thank you for your support and I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Catching up...

So this past Thursday, the women on the staff team had our weekly discipleship training time, and it was so good.  Honestly, it is always a good time, but this week was especially sweet because as women, we all spent about a week apart from each other for very different reasons.  Lisa went to Florida for a staff conference for single Navigator Representatives, where she was able to fellowship with other Nav Rep women and spend some time resting with God.  Sarah went home to be with her family because her sister, Rachel, is experiencing some medical difficulties caused by a serious accident that occurred in August.  (Please be praying for Sarah and her family.)  Rachel's leg was badly broken in a motor boat accident.  It is a miracle that she is alive!  Her leg was broken very badly and there has been some infection at the sight of the break, which means there have been several follow-up surgeries as the doctor's continue to monitor her progress.  Genna was on campus, spending time with students and holding down the fort, and Kevin and I went on a much needed retreat away to be together.

The reason I write about this is because we spent about a week away from one another, and it was a good time, for all of us.  We needed that time, but it was so sweet to be together again.  As I think back on that time on Thursday, I am incredibly encouraged about the relationships that God has provided within this team.  I love these women.  We are all so different, but it was so good to hear what has been going on in each of our lives.  I don't mean that to say that everything is great and wonderful, we each have our times of grief of struggle, but I am thankful for the people that God has provided in Seattle.  It is a very clear reminder of what God intends the body of Christ to be, so that we can hold each other up in times of grief but also laugh with one another at the funny things.  I don't want this to start sounding like a greeting card, but I do want to make it clear.  I love these women, their willingness to be real and vulnerable, and their hearts for God and his calling on their lives.  

Bible Study

It has been so much fun to reconnect with Kimby and Rita from bible study last year.  Last year we started out by reading John in The Message.  We read together and discussed it.  As the year went on, we went more and more in depth into the person of Jesus.  It was such a pleasure to spend time with them and discover with them how our bible study would apply to their lives. Well as many of you know, at the end of the year, Rita went with me to an eight day long training week with the Navigators called Quest.  During that time we learned how to study the bible using the inductive method, which is much more intense than our previous study.  The reason I am sharing all of this is because Rita loved it and gleaned so much from this kind of study!  So, this quarter, we are studying the book of Ephesians using the Inductive Method.  We had our bible study on Friday and the girls had so much to share.  We are meeting at the Cliff House for Bible study, which is a huge change from the crowded Starbucks we were crammed into last year.  I was amazed at the hearts of the girls during study, and how God has just been answering my prayers.  God has given us a wonderful space to do Bible study and he has given the girls hearts to know him more!  They are so excited to dive into the word and really share their discoveries, thoughts and questions.  At one point during the study, I just remember being dumbfounded and thinking, God are these the same girls that you brought into my life last year?  They were great then, they are great now, but it was just a sweet feeling to know that we have history together, we trust one another, and we are so excited to grow in Christ even more! I am so blessed!

Basically, I want to thank those who have been praying for the ministry here at the University of Washington.  We still need a lot of prayer, but it is so wonderful to have partners in the ministry here.  THANK YOU!  Also, I want to ask you to pray for our bible study as we are adding at least one new student.  Pray that we would mesh well together and that God would build unity and trust quickly.  Mostly, I ask that you pray that God is the center of our time; that He would continue to work in each of our hearts.  

Homecoming!

Hi Again! I know it's been a little while since I have last posted on our blog, but fortunately I have had a very good reason for the delay. The last two weeks, in addition to connecting with students and staff, I have been preparing for Kevin to come home from his 7-month long deployment. On Sunday, October 12th, Kevin came home. It has been wonderful to have him home again and rediscover life together while doing the everyday things at home. I ask for your prayers and your continued support as we readjust to our life together in the coming weeks. I have included the above pictures to give you a little bit of an idea of our reunion. I have been so blessed with some good Navy friends along with some wonderful civilian friends that God has used immensely to encourage myself and Kevin during this time. Until next time...

First Tailgate!

Hi guys! So I have included a few pictures from our first Navigator Tailgate. We had the opportunity to feed students on their way to the football game for free! It was a great opportunity to meet new students in a natural and relaxed way. We were there for 4 hours and had a blast connecting with the people that came our way. Some of them stayed for a long time, which was great and just a lot of fun. We met students from all walks of life, some of them were excited to hear more about Jesus, while others were interested in meeting new people. All in all, God is allowing us to build relationships with students at the UDub.

Survey Says...

Yesterday we had our first day with students on campus. We joined together to pray over the time we were going to be gathered as a team with students. Our team conducted surveys and we were able to connect with a smaller demographic of students the day before classes started. We asked people to fill out surveys that give us an idea of spiritual interest. Then they enter their surveys into a drawing. This year we are giving away ten $20 gift cards to Starbucks!

It was great to see students showing an interest in what we are doing on campus and of course they were interested in the coffee! But, what was so encouraging was realizing that God is already connecting hearts. Visually, I remember seeing 8 students crowding around our table, not just filling out surveys, but actively engaging with members of our team. What a difference from last year. The surveys were great conversation starters and really gave us a platform to get to know people better.

The rest of this week we are going to continue to conduct surveys and follow-up with students. It is exciting because God is definitely relevant and moving on this campus, but I ask you to pray for boldness during this time of follow-up and inviting people to be a part of bible discussions.

Welcome to our blog!

Hi guys! This is my first post on my blog! Wow, how exciting!

Kevin and I have had quite an interesting year and are still enduring a deployment, although it is coming to an end, YAY! We are so excited to live under the same roof again soon.

I am starting this blog to share with you all about what is going on with "The Dores at UDub". I will also still be sending newsletters, but this will be a way to update you more frequently on the Navigators at The University of Washington.

It is an exciting time because in the last week we have had 5 new staff members move into the Cliff House in the U-District. The cliff house is a house that was bought for the use of ministry for the Navigators through donors and investors. It is divided into two living spaces, a downstairs apartment where two men reside and upstairs is housing three women. The house is also going to be a hub for ministry and an open door to students. It has been so fun to get to know Joe, TJ, Lisa, Genna, and Sarah. They have come from all over the country to serve alongside us and Campus Directors Brian and Kerri Ely. I am so excited to be a part of this team. We have spent the last week training and praying over campus. Classes start next week and we are so excited to see what God does.