Season of Friends

Hi everyone! :)

I just wanted to share what God has been teaching me this week. Especially, tonight at the Women's Event. I titled this blog the season of friends because it is something I have been learning to be thankful for. The season of friends that I've had this past year and a half at Marquette Cru. I got plugged into Cru by Gina George and it was totally a God thing how we met! Needless to be said, she has been a spiritual mentor of mine and I am so thankful for her! Another person who has been very influential in my walk with the Lord is Kathy Clay. She was my Upperclassmen Bible Study co-leader my first semester of sophomore year who I learned so much from. Also, there are two young ladies who have been very influential this past semester in my discernment process of coming on Milwaukee Summer Project. My discipler Kristin Rooney and her roommate Anna Mumm who will both be interning with Cru this coming year! Kristin will be interning with Cru in Montepellier, France and Anna will be in the Metro Milwaukee Team. Her main campus will be Marquette along with other campuses as our Cru woman staff leader Catherine Canham leaves to Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has been promoted to the Upper Midwest Region to serve as a Director of Campus Field Ministry. It was a privilege to have gotten to know Catherine this past year. It is because of the time she took to sit down with me to talk that I am here on this Summer Project. Otherwise, I would of never considered it. It was because of the encouragement and wisdom that I got from these ladies and many others that I am on this Project!

This past week someone from Cru Headquarters contacted me asking me if I could share my story about the obstacles that I faced with my mom and sister in coming on Project. It reminded of how blessed and thankful I am for the family that God has given me within Marquette Cru. I will be writing a story about the obstacles that I overcame to encourage other students in my position to be bold and courageous and to take a step of faith! It will appear on the Summer Project 2012-2013 Brochure.

With that being said, God has been tugging at my heart a lot. I'm considering doing full-time ministry with Cru possibly after graduation whether it be with Here's Life Inner City or overseas in a Spanish speaking country. Today was our third outreach and I was getting frustrated towards the end because people keep shutting me down. Then a young man was walking by and I asked him if I could ask him a few questions. He was like sure and I went through the Solarium with him. It's a tool Cru uses to initiate spiritual conversations. It consists of 50 photographs and 5 questions. Let's just say the guy was from Ecuador. I was definitely blown away by God! It was a divine appointment. He said that he had a relationship with God, but that it could be stronger. He gave me his contact information and hope to be following up with him. I plan on bringing a young man from Project with me to this follow-up appointment. I have been blown away by how God has created these divine appointments where I can use my Spanish. The first person I got to share the Gospel with this summer was in Spanish!

I have been considering doing a mission trip next summer overseas with Cru. Either in El Salvador or Ecuador. Two places that I feel God has put in my heart and where I could use my Spanish. In all honesty, the amount of stuff I have been trying to process this week is so much. I'll try to keep it brief  :)

Last thing, tonight at the Women's Event we did an activity called Stand up for your sister. It was such a powerful experience! We talked about our identity in Christ as his beloved daughters. Being reminded of our identity in Christ. We were able to confess to one another our sin and to be freed from it. It made me think of my parents. I've struggled so much trusting my Heavenly Father because I've never felt loved by my earthly Father. Being reminded that my Heavenly Father loves me at my worst and for who I am was definitely needed. There was so many tears of pain and suffering of things just built up over the years that I was hiding. I'm working on bringing the things in hiding into light which is exactly what we did tonight. I cried tears of joy with my small group because for once in my lifetime I felt completely free. I had been carrying all this pain with me all these years along.

I am constantly reminded that it is the Lord who has brought me this far. I owe it all to Him. This summer is not about me or anybody else. I will continuing serving Him this summer and focus on my relationship with Him. Continuing to grow in my understanding of Him and His heart for Milwaukee. Along with growing in my understanding of what it means to be a Woman of God.

As always, a few prayer requests:

1. For our upcoming Tuesday Night Weekly Meeting at 7pm. I will be sharing my testimony for the first time with a large group of people that God would be able to speak through me and that I would be calm and natural.

2. For my follow-up with the guy from Ecuador. Hopefully, he can find others to come alongside him to encourage him in his walk with the Lord.

3. Patience and being gracious to the Project Staff

4. Project Staff leaving next weekend and for the transition to be smoothly

5. For God to be continued to be glorified through our Project

Once again, thank you all for your continued support and prayers! It means a lot to me!


With joy,

Rosa