Through no power or effort of our own, Mitch and my support was completed at the beginning of January while we were spending the week in Atlanta at the Passion 2012 conference. I cannot ever express in words the joy and peace we experienced in the moment that we received the news that we were reporting to USM. I believe that I can speak for Mitch and myself when I say that we never doubted that God would one day complete our support. However, I will confess that we shared many days questioning how far in the future that day would be. Thankfully, God chose for that day to come sooner than we could've ever hoped and we moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi just in time to kick off the spring semester! Again, all God's work and all God's glory.
Upon arriving in Hattiesburg and getting settled, Mitch and I have quickly fallen in love with the city, the school, the staff team, the students... well you get my point! Our love for Southern Miss and our overwhelming peace with being in Hattiesburg have been such sweet gifts of assurance from the Lord. We are very confident in our calling to stay at Southern Miss for long enough to really see the ministry get on its feet and flourish and have thus committed to stay in Hattiesburg for at least 4 years.
Although the ministry just started up in August, USM cru is already hosting a weekly meeting on campus every Wednesday night at 8. This semester, we have been studying the book of Ephesians and have spent time outside of the meeting reflecting on the passages within some of our community groups (bible study groups). In addition, we have been focusing on the importance of a global perspective by calling attention to spiritually and physical needs of people groups around the world. Campus Crusade offers several summer discipleship trips and missions trips called "summer projects" that we as staff will spend our time leading through the months of May, June, and July. (Mitch and I will actually be heading to Durban, South Africa this July!) We hope to not only help lead these summer projects but to also bring USM students who share our global perspective and passion for being Christ-centered laborers throughout the world!
The past two months (yikes it really has been a long time since my last post) have been such a joy for us as we have begun the current journey God has for us. Although I constantly find myself questioning how God could ever use such a weak and sinful person as myself, I know that His grace is sufficient for me & that His power is made perfect in my weaknesses. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me! How I hope and pray that I will never know a day that I do not give God all the honor and glory for the things He is faithfully doing through me.
