The Bittersweet End of Another School Year

We've spent the last few days saying "thank you" and "goodbye" and celebrating all the cool things the Lord Jesus has been doing in our midst through his Spirit this year. Friday night we had a time of open sharing where the students told story after story of how lives were impacted through this community. You would have been so encouraged to hear all of them!

Meeting weekly with Luke, Austin, Casey, and Jesse has been a highlight of my year!

All of our cores have been having their last meetings as finals get underway. The four student guys I had the pleasure of mentoring in their leadership have done such an amazing job! Both cores are sending potential leaders to SICM next week, and all four of these leaders are planning to serve in leadership again next year--two at UTD, one at UTA, and one on our staff at Richland. I don't think I've ever had such an actively sweet group of young men in my peer team. They have each purposefully and consistently encouraged me this year. My heart is full just thinking about what a blessing they've been to me and what a blessing they've been to the other students they reached out to and loved in the name of Christ this year.

Thank you!

So many of you invested in our next generation of student leaders through the Spring Showcase or otherwise giving scholarships for SICM. The Showcase raised $17,759.20 in one day! We should be in great shape paying for everyone who needed help.

We leave for SICM in Washington next Thursday, May 10, with a group of 135. So please say a prayer for safety and that God will work mightily as He always has!

Student Testimony

Bekwele Wodi, Texas Woman’s University, Psychology, Sophomore

"I first became involved with FOCUS when I was just starting out at Collin College. I had been living in Nigeria for a few years, so I was walking into a college experience where I didn’t know anyone. I worried a lot about not being able to find any meaningful friendships while I was there. So it came as a surprise when some old friends of mine, Loré and Gibby Yessuff, invited me to a Thursday Night Fellowship. From that first night of fellowship, I made more friends than I could have prayed for. People asked me to sit with them, scheduled time to hang out with me, got to know me, and challenged me as a disciple. It became clear to me that this was not only an example of authentic Christian community; this was the way Jesus called us to do friendships—intentional, genuine and loving.

Through the many friendships I’ve been blessed with in FOCUS, God has changed my fear and worry of not having any friends into a desire to grow and develop friendships at TWU. I am beyond thankful when I see what he is doing in the lives of students here and for the example of Christian friendship that I’m now able to extend to others."

One More Cool Story

One of our alumni works on a missions team in Thailand, and she sent us this picture of some of her team listening to our fall Pizza Theology on the Sermon on the Mount together and taking notes. So your investment is making an impact overseas as a piece of FOCUS goes to Thailand!