The End of Fall 2009

Well, exam week is underway here in Norman, and we have had our final RUF of the semester. It was a night of worship songs and a reminder of the gospel. It was also a night in which to pull out our tacky Christmas sweaters!!!

Love the big buttons on this one!

Friends let Friends wear tacky clothing.

Co-interns all dressed up for the final large group.

Goofy freshmen all excited about their cheesy Christmas-garb.

It has been a wonderful semester of learning, loving, and friendship. While the former certainly characterizes most of my first four months here, there have certainly been moments of hardship, frustration, and disappointment. I would be lying if I did not say that. I would also be leaving something out if I did not mention that in those hard moments my community here has blessed me and Jesus has provided. I have felt very loved here!

I am heading home in 3 days and am looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family. January 6th, however, I will arrive back in Norman as excited as ever to be serving with RUF at the University of Oklahoma. We will begin the year with a ski trip to Breckenridge. Woohoo! See you in 2010, blog readers!!!

Barn Dance!!!

Anna Serven and I after the tragic boar accident:

Some of the RUF enjoying the soul train:

Barn Dance!!!

The Fenricks enjoying some good chili!!!

Staff Picture!

- The RUF Barn Dance was certainly a highlight of the entire fall semester! Friends, dancing and chili- it was all so wonderful. The pictures can't do it justice, but I wanted to share them with you.

- I sent out my Christmas updates today. If you know you are on my mailing list, be watching for it in the mail! It might just be more excitement than you've ever had in one envelope.

- We are having a Tacky Christmas Sweater Contest at RUF on Wednesday. It is true!!! Glitter, sequins, trees, Santas, reindeer, bows and tassels are all fair game!

- It has been right at freezing everyday here for the past 3-4 days. It should get into the low 40s tomorrow. I am enjoying the temperature, even though I am having to remember how to dress for this weather. Chance seems to be doing in this climate too, although I continue to pray for his health.

- Only one more Monday update before I take a break for the Holidays. Whoa!

Thanksgiving and Holiday Beginnings

I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Houston. It was wonderful to be with family and old friends. My hometown on Tomball really is wonderful, and I always love going back. I have three precious cousins who I captured a couple of pictures of this weekend. Here is Mason playing at one of my favorite parks in the area:

Playing at the park with Mason, Wyatt, Hudson, Shane, Dana, Aunt Shirley, my brother and parents was a highlight of the trip. Other memorable moments were game nights, movies, and making Thanksgiving dinner. I will be heading to Florida for Christmas is three short weeks!!!

Back here is Norman there is no shortage of holiday preparation. Sally, my roommate, and I put up our real 7 foot Christmas tree tonight. Wednesday some RUF students are coming over to decorate the tree and enjoy some holiday treats. Here is a picture of the painting in our living room (who we call Keith) all decorated for Christmas:

RUF is having a barn dance this Friday, which means I got my first pair of real bona fide cowboy boots!!! Stay tuned for pictures next week!

A Picture Blog

I am driving to Houston tomorrow for Thanksgiving with my family. I can't believe I have been in Norman for four solid months and am approaching the end of my first semester. God has been very good. He has provided generously. I am looking forward to a time of rest, as are the students. I can't wait to see this little guy: (Wallace)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Chi-Chis

Last week was a whirlwind here in Norman with OURUF. The awesome freshmen in our Bible Study went on a scavenger hunt. The hunt included things from all over Norman, but some of the most memorable moments were: freshmen finding rose bushes and thorns to make themselves bleed, OU students dressing up as "authentic" Texas fans, and standing in water that was waaaay deeper than expected. Here are some of our favorite pictures:

The freshmen scavenger hunt was followed later in the week by "Double Not-A-Date." To my Florida friends, this is the equivalent to D4 or RUF Harmony. Each team did a dance video, and it was quite fantastic. My team danced to "Taylor, the Latte Boy." Here is the link to youtube. So far it has been viewed 20 times. Help us make it an internet sensation (just kidding!!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbWKBvtAC0s

All in all, it was a wonderfully exhausting week. One more week until Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see my dog Wallace!!!

Two weeks into November...

Two weeks into November, and the semester keeps on moving by. Here are some thoughts:

- My computer crashed last week. It became obvious that it was time to invest in a new laptop. I do so much work on my laptop that it was stressful to think about not having one. After doing ample research at the Mac Store and applying the RUF discount, I have a brand new MacBook Pro!!!

- We had a wonderful sleepover for some RUF girls. 13 girls came and we had a blast!!! Crafts, snacks, games, chatting, and movies were all involved! I am having such a good time getting to know the wonderful girls in OU RUF. The picture below is Becky painting a Christmas tree ornament.

- This Friday we are having a Double "Not-A-Date." Girls and guys are matched randomly in groups of four and are given an assignment to complete. I cannot wait to share some of the results during next weeks post!

- The Freshmen Scavenger Hunt is tomorrow. Woohoo!!!

- Last night we did a Prayer Walk on campus. This is probably one of my favorite things that we have done so far. We split into groups and covered different areas of campus. It was great to pray for different things: the College of Business, the Union, the Admissions Office and the students they are admitting for next year, Campus Corner where so much social interaction occurs. While these are the places that I work, they are also the places where these students live. They are forming their world views here, and we pray that they are Christ-centered.

- Texas A&M is coming to town this weekend to take on the mighty Sooners. As many of you know, both of my parents went to A&M. This will be my first time to get to see them play. I am particularly excited to see the Corps of Cadets (of which my dad was a member of) and the Marching Band.

- We have had 10 students sign-up to go on a ski trip to Colorado in January. This is going to be a great time of fellowship! Yeehaw!

Halloween, Tailgates, etc.

I am sorry to my many faithful blog readers who were disappointed when I did not post last week. I was at RUF Intern training in Atlanta, and became a little preoccupied. Needless to say, training was wonderful. It was great to reconnect with interns who are serving around the country!

RUF here in Norman is super busy! This weekend we enjoyed a Halloween Cornhole Party Extravaganza, a Homecoming Tailgate, and a cookout. It was all wonderful! The picture above is myself with Mary Katherine. We were partners for the cornhole tournament and dressed as two peas in a pod!

This week we are doing a scavenger hunt for the freshmen. This promises many fun moments!! The picture below is of three students (Tristen, Jena, and Josh) at the tailgate. I am not sure what they are so excited about- but they look like they are having a great time!!!

Deposits for the ski trip are due this week. We are taking a group of students to Breckenridge at the beginning of January. Skiing, cozy fires, the cute town of Breckenridge- yeehaw!! If you are an undecided student reading this- you need to come!!!

Well, this draws an end to my earliest posted blog ever. Life is busy here in Norman, and very enjoyable. Thanksgiving is a mere three and a half weeks away, and I will be making my way down to Houston to see my family!!!

You Too Should Come to Norman...

The title of this post works on so many clever levels. 1.) My mom came to visit me in Norman this weekend, and you should come visit me too. 2 out of 2 visitors have really had a good time! The picture to the left is my mom with Chance. 2.) U2 DID come and performed in Norman and it was awesome!!! The picture to the right is a group of RUF students that sat together at the concert.

The semester is half-way over. This is great for numerous reasons. One of which is that I am personally feeling more settled in, feeling like more organic things are happening with students, and that things are just happening more natural in general. This time in the semester can be hard too. Students can be overwhelmed with school work, anxiety, loneliness etc. I myself certainly experienced all of these things in college. Please be praying for the students of RUF at OU. Pray they will seek to glorify God in their studies. Pray they will see God as applicable to their lives and as a God who loves and cares for them.

On Saturday I leave for Intern training in Atlanta, GA. All of the 1st and 2nd year interns will spend 3 days talking about what we have learned so far on campus and what we have yet to learn. Please pray that this will be a time where we can be honest about our struggles and successes and learn about God. I am really looking forward to this time to be able to reconnect with the interns!!!

I recently sent out my mid-semester updates. If you did not get one and would like to, please send me your address by facebook or at natalie.haynes@ruf.org. I would love to add you to my mailing list!

PresWIC, Dates and Dating, U2 etc...

- "Community life will validate or negate the claims of the gospel." from The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood.

- I attended PresWIC this weekend in Dallas, which is the woman's conference for the North Texas Presbytery. It was great to see women thinking intentionally about their role in the church, and gave me a lot to think about. More importantly though, I got to spend some more time with women from Christ the King Pres. This was wonderful. The above quote is one from the weekend. It showcases how much emphasis was put on community, and how it plays an integral part of our lives.

- It has been raining and in the 50's for the past 5 days or so. I know that people have mixed opinions about this. I love it though! It reminds me of Sweden and makes me feel warm inside (even though my hands might be freezing!). Chance also likes the weather. He galloped around the field yesterday like he was a kid again :)

- I had some people over last Thursday to watch the Office. This is a regular thing every week. Jim and Pam got married. We ate cake afterwords to celebrate. It was wonderful.

- Doug's topic for RUF this week is "Dates and Dating..." This should be interesting. I am looking forward to the discussion that ensues after this.

- I am going to the U2 Concert (which we have affectionately been calling the "RUF Concert Series") a week from yesterday. You guessed it, that will totally be written about in next week's blog post....stay tuned!!!

Facts of Life in Norman

- I found out last night that I missed a great opportunity for an outing. The Cordell, OK annual Pumpkin Pancake festival and Pumpkin carving was on Saturday. This is a must for next year! Put it on your calenders OU RUFers!!!

- I just finished The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. That makes the third book of his that I have read, including Transforming Grace and Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts. I would recommend any of them.

- I had dinner with and played games with a group of students last night. These types of things make my heart warm. Love it!

- The picture to the right is of me and a statue on campus that I think is called "The Gossips," and I am wondering what they are talking about. One of my favorite thing about the OU campus is how they have captured history. They have interesting statues like these as well as framed photos everywhere of things that have happened on campus. These photos have captions on the bottom with the date and an explanation. I have spent several hours wandering the halls at OU looking at these pictures and loving the stories they tell!

- I have my membership interview at Christ the King Presbyterian today. I am loving this church and am glad to become a part of it. We take communion every Sunday and prayer requests are taken from the pulpit. Those individuals are then prayed for by a pastor or elder. These are things that are different from previous churches, but I love about CTK.

- Fall is definitely here in Norman, OK! I had a conversation with my mom this morning about making sure I have enough winter clothing. We decided that I probably have the right coat, but need more long sleeve shirts since I have 2 (two).

- I watched my campus minister's kids this weekend. Although there are many memorable moments, my favorite was probably Drew and Anna sticking their head out the window of the car and saying "Dog Mode." They then stuck their tongues out and let the wind blow their hair.

- Every week before RUF we do "pRUF" or pre-RUF. This is a pretty informal gathering of students to hang out and chat before our large group meeting at 9. Two weeks ago we went to a classic-50s dinner and last week we went to the OU Volleyball game. pRUF is becoming a favorite activity of mine!

Faith Sustains Us

Doug (OU Campus Minister), Ben (the male intern), and I visited the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial today during our staff meeting time. It was a very well done memorial. There was a chair for each person who died. The chairs for the children who died were smaller. That was especially touching. In one part of the memorial there is a tree that probably should not have survived the blast, but it has continued to grow. Around this tree is a lookout with this engraving. In reality it says a lot more than "faith sustains us," but this is the part that kept me thinking today.

Faith does sustain us. Faith sustained me through my senior year of college which sometimes seemed like it had too many trials to handle. It sustains me when I sin and I feel hopeless. It sustains me when terrible things happen, like the Oklahoma City Bombing, because I know that these things are not from God and were not meant to exist in this life. Praise God for sustaining faith!

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times, I am loving Oklahoma! God has graciously provided for me!!!

Would you like some Oklahoma trivia??? I was excited to learn these facts today about the state that I live in:
1.) Toby Keith lives in Norman.
2.) Sonic is from Oklahoma.
3.) Mickey Mantle is from Oklahoma.
So, basically what I am telling you is that I don't really live in Oklahoma, I live in Hollywood :)

Community

I love community. I love that we were created for community. I love that God Himself, in the trinity, is community.

This is something I talk a lot about during my one-on-one meetings with students. God gives us each our own lives and stories. We are each our own person. This is one of the reasons that one of the presuppositions of RUF is "the individual: God has created every person and no two people are alike." And yet, despite our own unique personality and circumstances, we are able to relate to one another in community.

Despite this community, however, I often feel as if no one really understand me. While this may be somewhat attributed to the fact that I have grown up in an age of postmodernism (Kafka's Metamorphosis anyone?) it is also a lie that I am tempted to believe. Sometimes I would love to believe that God has put me in a unique place in which no one can understand me, because then I can give up and stop trying to fix my problems.

Community is just the ticket, however, to understanding one another and encouraging each other with the Gospel. It is what makes it possible for the individual, in their own circumstance, to love and feel loved. Jesus himself loved people as an individual. He was able to understand people on a personal level, as we also are able to do. John 4 and the story of the Woman at the Well is an example of Jesus' ministry to specific people. We (the interns) were pointed to this story at staff training when we were talking about focusing on "the individual."

In the four weeks that I have been an intern, I can already tell that this is a big topic of conversation for girls. In moments of loneliness, frustration, and despair we are tempted to believe that no one gets us and it is hopeless (seriously- God has created me, the one person who CANNOT be understood by ANYONE). Community is here, however, to share our own experiences and to share the Gospel.

I love that I can encourage girls with this truth. I love that I am different than each of these girls, and yet we can encourage one another. I love that I can hear their own individual stories and yet point them to the story which gives hope and love.

A Word on Non-Ministry Things...

Happy Monday, Everyone!

As many of you know, I was blessed to be able to bring my horse with me to Oklahoma. This has been a great source of comfort and familiarity in a place where many things continue to be foreign to me. It is great to be able to spend some of my free time out in the country with my faithful steed, Chance. I thought I would share these pictures of my pretty boy...

Being able to have my horse here is just another way in which God has been faithful to me in this time in transition. I have been riding since I was seven and have owned Chance for nine years. Thinking about not bringing him to Oklahoma was very hard. In His ever mysterious ways, however, God provided a way for me to bring him and a place for me to keep him here in Norman.

Ok, so now a word on things related to my job. I thought I might mention some of the books I have been reading. Two books I completed for my study program are Putting Amazing Back into Grace by Michael Horton and The Enduring Community by Brian Hebig and Les Newsome. Putting Amazing Back into Grace is a book which goes through the beliefs of Calvinism. It is thorough and thick. Not for the faint of heart, this book will answer all of those pesky questions you might have lingering about Reformed theology. The Enduring Community, which was written by two RUF campus ministers, explains the role of the church in the modern community. It talks about people who "church-shop" and what the Bible has to say about it. I really enjoyed this book! As someone in their early twenties, I enjoyed the Biblical perspective they took on church membership, which will undoubtedly shape a lot of the rest of my life.

I enjoyed getting to go to my first Sooner football game this weekend. The Sooners trounced Idaho State 64-0. It was a cold and wet game, but was enjoyable as I sat with a group of RUF students and cheered on the Sooners. We enjoyed dinner at Raising Cane's (equivalent to Zaxby's in Florida) afterward and watched a movie together. It was a great weekend here in Norman! I am speechless at God's daily provisions.

This coming weekend the Sooners will face the University of Tulsa. OU RUF looks forward to hosting the RUF from Tulsa at our tailgate.

Freshmen Bible Study went well last week. We had 8 people attend. Please continue to pray for these freshmen as they are one month into their first semesters, and undoubtedly beginning to feel the pressures of school. Pray they would turn to Jesus in this time and that RUF would lovingly welcome into the group. Thank you, once again, for your prayers and support!

Just in the Nick of Time...Another Monday Blog Post!

Ahoy!

Well, tomorrow marks the beginning of freshman Bible study. Freshman Bible study is done the complete opposite here than at UF: it is led by Doug Serven (OU RUF Campus Minister), it is co-ed, and it is two semesters long. It is going to be great to see this done differently and get to meet (and bring) girls through it. We will be studying the Sermon on the mOUnt (hehe).

Also coming up this week is the "OU RUF Freedom Float Trip." What does this mean exactly??? Well, to mark the 8th anniversary of September 11th, OU RUF is floating down a river...hence, floating for freedom (hey, I don't write this stuff...I just publicize it). The river is in Tallequah. We will drive up Friday night and then float Saturday morning. It should be a great opportunity to get to further relationships and enjoy each other's company. They say this river is cold. I am anxious to compare it to the Itchetuknee in Florida :)

Well, I am sad to say friends but that is all from me this evening...it has been a long Labor day and I am ready for bed. Thank you for your prayers and support. Please let me know if you would like to know more or would like an updated prayer card.

1 Week Under My Belt!

Hello faithful blog readers!

Well, I have one week of school under my belt here at OURUF. It was quite a week with lots of activities. Our first large group was great (we are doing a relationship series this semester). It was supposed to be outside, but a huge storm blew into Norman, so we moved inside at the last minute.

I am learning more and more about campus. My favorite place to meet students thus far is outside of the union at some nice wood tables. One thing I really like about OU is the landscaping and attention to nice seating areas. I really think that everywhere you look there are nice tables, cozy chairs, and lovely benches to sit on. This comes in handy for a job where sitting and talking is pivotal! There are pictures to come (in a future post- so stay tuned!) of me next to the "Sooner Schooner" wagon in the union :)

This Thursday I am hosting an event called "Woman's World" for all of the girls in RUF. We will have dinner and hopefully it will be a good time to meet new people and fellowship.

Please continue to be in prayer for the freshmen on campus and my interactions with them. Pray that they recognize God's sovereignty in their lives and that they would desire to seek out community here at OU.

Well, this will be my last post for August. Tomorrow September will be here, which means that college football is about to be underway!!! Go Gators!! I did, by the way, get trash talked twice in the cafeteria this week for wearing a Gator shirt. If that is not persecution, then I don't know what is :)

First Day of School

Today is the first day of classes here at the University of Oklahoma, as well as for my Florida friends. In preparation for the beginning of classes, there have been two "New Sooner Kickoffs" in the last week. These are just big activities fairs where students come to seek out organizations they might be interested in. For my UF readers, this is in replacement of tabling in Turlington. They have gone fairly well, but I have to say I am always very hot and tired after the end of these things.

I have made several freshmen connections and am excited about getting to know these girls more. We have our first RUF on Wednesday at nine. We are doing a series on Relationships this semester. You can learn more about it at ouruf.org. I will also be putting together a girls event called "Woman's World" for everyone to come and eat and fellowship. Yes, I did take this idea from UF RUF, but it was such a hit there, that I felt I could not pass it up! Please be in prayer for the freshmen girls that I am talking with. Even if I am unclear, presumptuous, or boring, please pray that they would seek RUF to hear about Jesus.

Adjusting here is continuing to go well. My second roommate arrived back from here summer mission trip on Saturday, so our house is now complete. God is continuing to provide friends and fellowship, which is making this adjustment easier than I anticipated. Thank you for your prayers and support!

Live from Norman, it's Blog Post Monday!!!

God is Faithful!!!

In the last week I have experienced God's faithfulness in putting me exactly where He wants me. The community here has been overwhelmingly welcoming. There are women who have already reached out to me and invited me into their homes. My roommate situation is wonderful, I really could not have asked for a better place to live. My campus minister and his family have also been extremely welcoming. I literally broke down into tears the first day as I was welcomed into this community, especially being so far from my family and friends.

This week I will begin meeting with and interacting with students. I cannot express how excited I am about this. Yesterday I attended a chapel service for the girls going through rush. As I worshiped with them and got to speak with them afterword I became overwhelmed with excitement to minister to the students of OU. It has been a long period of preparation to get to this point, and I am excited to begin applying all of the ideas and theories that I have about what ministry is.

Please be in prayer for the students that will be coming to RUF. We have 3 events on campus in which we will be handing out information and speaking with students. Please pray that these events will be fruitful and that God will draw who He has planned to us. OUr (hehe) first large group is one week from Wednesday, please be in prayer for all of the preparation that will go into this first meeting. I am so appreciative of everyone's support of me here at OU. Thank you!

I Have Arrived!!!

After an exhausting 32-hour drive, I have arrived in Norman, Oklahoma. My dad and I were welcomed by a group of OU RUF students that helped us unload our UHAUL. We were done in 15 minutes! The students stayed for pizza after and I got to meet them. It was wonderful to feel so welcomed on my first night.




My view for the 1500 mile trip: Disclaimer: It turns out it is not very safe to take pictures and drive at the same time. Do not try this at home!!!






These were some of my first views of Oklahoma and Norman!



These were some of the students, the campus minister (Doug Serven) and his family, and me standing in my kitchen. I am living in a house with 2 other girls. It was such a warm welcome! Stay tuned for more adventures from the Sooner state!

RUF Week Ahead!!!

I have exciting news everyone!!! Due to God's unfailing provisions, I only need $220 to get to campus! I am aware of several donations on the way, so I know that I am able to move to campus. It is very encouraging to know that God has provided and that I will be able to begin work at OU.

In the last week He has also provided answers to two other big prayers. I have decided to bring my horse (Chance) to Oklahoma, and there is a barn just ten minutes away from my house and campus. This will be a great opportunity for me to both have something from home as well as minister to students.

I also have a new and working car to drive to Oklahoma. Since my Accord had 166,000 miles on it, Mom and Dad felt it might not be the best choice to drive 1400 miles away. I am now the owner of a '09 CR-V! God has been faithful in bringing all of these little details together, and for that I am very thankful.

I am heading out to Oklahoma very early Saturday morning (August 8th). In order for this to happen I have a bunch of little chores to do and people to say good-bye to. I am so excited to arrive in Norman, but am nostalgic about leaving my Floridian friends and family.

Please be in prayer for me as I leave for the Sooner-state, that the move will go smoothly and that I will be prepared as school starts on August 24th.

Stay tuned for updates on the move and OU RUF activities!!!

A Fantastic Trip!!!

As many of you know, I have spent the last 10 days on a graduation trip to New York and Washington D.C. with my parents. It was wonderful!!!

Highlights of New York City:
- See Jersey Boys or Billy Elliot
- Go to a Mets- Yankees Game
- Take a walk in Central Park
- Visit the New York Public Library (this is high on my list!!!)

Highlights of Washington D.C.:
- Go to a Washington Nationals Baseball game
- Visit Mount Vernon
- See a jazz show at Blues Alley in Georgetown
- Eat a cupcake at Red Velvet (The vanilla is great)
- Visit the FDR Memorial

It was wonderful to spend July 4th in our nation's capital!
I was particularly touched to see the documents that founded the United States of America- the historian in me wanted to study them all day!

It was wonderful to spend this time with my parents. Now, back to raising support and preparing to move to Oklahoma!! I hope to be Sooner-State bound in 4 weeks!!!

Book Blurb: "Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest" by Ed Welch

If there is one feeling or emotion that has characterized my life in the last year, it would be fear. Fear of failing the dreaded finance class I took, fear of being lonely, fear of not making it to Oklahoma...you name it, I probably worried about it. Ed Welch does such a good job of explaining the feelings that I felt were unexplainable. And while his words are comforting for a little bit, he points you to the words that are eternally comforting- scripture.

Ed Welch writes that our fears expresses our allegiances, which are normally to our own desires and need for control and not to God's kingdom. We are afraid that God is going to take away or give us something that we don't want, so we do everything in our power to prevent it. And yet the truth is that the Bible tells us to "fear not." That regardless of what lies ahead in our future, God is in control. The command that is given the most in the Bible is "fear not." A verse that has been pivotal in my life over the last twelve months has been 1 Peter 5:6-7, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

In "Running Scared" Ed Welch points out how often God says "I will be with you" and yet we don't listen. If He can say that to Moses while wandering the desert, how much more should He be able to say that to us, and we be able to believe Him??? In fact, Moses believed God's promise so deeply that his last words to his people were "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deut. 31:6)

Needless to say, I cannot possibly communicate all of the wonderful wisdom that Mr. Welch has in his book in a couple of paragraphs, but only give you a glimpse of how he attempts to communicate the peace that is available in the Gospel. This book made me completely rethink the insecurities/worries/anxieties I have about the plan God has for me. If you have them too, read this book- it will rock your socks!

RUFin It!

Why RUF? Growth in Grace, Fellowship and Service, Evangelism and Missions, and Biblical Worldview. These are the purposes of RUF. While RUF is not the church, and does not seek to pull
students away from the church (in fact RUF encourages students to join a local church) it does seek to minister to students on the campus where they are learning and interacting with other students.

The mission statement of RUF is "reaching students for Christ, and equipping students to serve." RUF desires to reach students on campus in order to extend God's love to them and then equip them for a life of service to the church. "Service" to the church does not only include becoming a pastor. As students enter the workplace and move away from college, they will hopefully find a church and desire to serve the church body with their gifts. This might include music, designing bulletins, setting ups chairs, greeting etc. We are to serve the church as Christ served us.


The University of Florida
I spent four years at UF studying history and business administration. It was a wonderful time of learning and growth while attending school and being a part of RUF. I learned of God's sustaining love for us. How wonderful His love is!!! Steve Lammers is the campus minister at UF, and I will greatly miss him and his family. The demographic of UF is different from the campus I will be going to, but I am looking forward to the challenge.




The University of Oklahoma
I had a chance to meet about 35 of the OU students at the week-long national RUF Conference in Panama City during the last week of May. It was wonderful to get a chance to meet these students and hear how God is working in their lives. In the fall the campus minister, Doug Serven, will be teaching a relationships series, which is sure to bring up good conversation. God works through and restores relationships and it will be wonderful to get to talk about these things with students.

God knew what He was doing when He sent me to OU, and I am excited to see what He has for me there. Please pray Psalm 23 for me as I enter a period of change and challenge in my life.

Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

And So the Adventure Begins...

I spent the last week in Atlanta in training for my job as a campus intern at the University of Oklahoma with Reformed University Fellowship. We discussed support raising, philosophy of ministry, and the challenges we will face. During time in prayer one day, the new interns prayed for both holiness and growth in grace as we take on this new position. Growth in grace is one of RUF's purposes. We prayed that we would come to love grace the way the Bible loves grace, a grace that produces beauty and Godly righteousness. We also prayed that we would pursue holiness for the kingdom of God, and not for ourselves or "for the internship," something we will all be tempted to do at some point.

As I am approaching August in which I will hopefully move to Norman, Oklahoma, I have 5 trillion things on my mind. My planner is a place of many on-going lists. It is currently very easy for me to get caught up in all the things I have to do, many of which are very important. And yet last week I was reminded that this life is bigger than my lists, my internship, and even myself. This life is about Jesus Christ, and I pray that His kingdom will go forward in the ways in which He has ordained.

I have now spent a week in Panama City with the OU students and a week in training in Atlanta. Both of these weeks have been wonderful and encouraging in this hectic time. Praise the Lord for His everlasting mercy!!!