And so it begins...

We're a month into the school year, and we still have lots of new students to get to know at WashU and Harris-Stowe! A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to be a part of the activities fair at WashU. I am excited about raising up leaders out of this new freshman class!

The Lord has also opened doors for deeper relationships with freshmen at Harris-Stowe. I have a table set-up to take prayer requests every Wednesday outside of the main cafeteria, and this week a freshman student named Michael not only stopped at the table, but pulled up a chair and proceeded to ask questions about any and everything from gay rights to racism and the music industry. I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him and how I believe Jesus is relevant to real life issues. He said he doesn't know enough about Jesus to decide whether he believes Jesus really is the Lord and Savior that everyone says He is, but when I asked if he would be interested in studying scripture with me to learn more about Him, he said yes! Pray that the Lord would be revealing more and more of Himself to Michael as we meet up each week!

p.s. Here's a link to an article featured on the national InterVarsity website about the work at Harris-Stowe: http://www.intervarsity.org/news/gods-invitation

Going Deeper

Visions Gospel Choir is a key component of the music ministry of Harambee at WashU, and less than two weeks ago we had our first rehearsal of the semester. It was exciting to see new faces and welcome returning students as well. Everyone had a good time learning new songs and catching up with one another. It was pretty much business as usual until the end of rehearsal. We've always tried to emphasize the fact that the "Gospel" is more important than the "Choir", and that we are a ministry and not just a performance group, but that night it seemed to finally click in a tangible way. As we were getting ready to say our closing prayer, the room just erupted in authentic praise and worship. We moved beyond cliché phrases, and religious ritual, and were able to experience the very presence of God. As students poured out their hearts to the Lord in genuine worship, I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 2:9, "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." Not just in Visions, but throughout every ministry of Harambee, we are entering the year with a heightened sense of expectancy for what the Lord will do in and through us. We are excited to see lives transformed and the campus renewed as we continue to lift Jesus up!