Content in All Circumstances

I love reading Paul's letters, especially since becoming fully reliant on the saints for our salaries.  Again and again, I see how Paul's attitude was when he asked for help, and when he thanked his supporters.  In a modern world where support-raising is strange at best, and at worst taboo, it is so encouraging.

Today I was reading Philippians 4, and here's what I ran across:

"For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength... I have received full payment and event more; I am amply supplied [by the] gifts you sent.  They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.  And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:11-12, 18-19

This passage encouraged me for a few reasons:

1) Like Paul, Elliott and I have experienced what it is like to be in want and what it is like to be in plenty.  And in both situations, we have learned that our only contentment comes from the Lord.  In everything, we need to be grounded in Christ Jesus -- our faith should never be in material comfort.  We pray that you can experience this type of contentment too, no matter your financial situation.  Our God is the God of all comfort, and he is LORD over ALL -- including our bank accounts.

2) Being amply supplied - Although we still need a couple more monthly supporters to keep us at a consistent monthly paycheck, we have had full support because of the generous gifts from our summer support-raising project.  This is the first time we have been at full support since I have joined the ministry.  It is amazing to be able to budget from a consistent paycheck. 

3) I love Paul's visualization here about the support being a fragrant offering.  Yes!  That's exactly how we see your giving -- a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice!  The ways that you support us go beyond earthly monetary value and are eternally valuable.  We receive spiritual blessings through asking for support, even when (and maybe especially when) it is uncomfortable for us to do so.  We are required to sacrifice our own understanding of what money is, and we ask you to do the same.  We pray that God WILL meet all your needs -- especially spiritual ones.

Thank you for your willingness to enter into a partnership by supporting us.  Your decision to support us is counter-cultural, and so Biblical!  I get so excited when I read Paul's words, and God brings to mind every single one of our supporters.  And, like Paul, we cannot help but consistently give thanks to our Father for your goodness shown to us.

Thank you!

Rachel

a home in which to do ministry

We have been settling in, offering this home to God as a place for His ministry to thrive.

And He has used it to His glory!

Since moving in, we have had people over almost every night -- including many, many students.  Less than a week after moving in, we hosted a group of twelve students chaplains over for dinner.  The student chaplains at Eastern University cultivate community and discipleship on their halls by leadings a weekly Grow Group, which is a chance for the hall to engage with the Lord in order to bring spiritual growth.  As they are so focused on pouring themselves out to their peers, we wanted to be able to fuel them -- both with food as well as spiritual encouragement.  This dinner was a chance for them to talk about what was and wasn't working, and to pray for their ministries -- as well as their personal walks with the Lord.  It was an incredible night of fellowship, and before the night was over, they were asking when we would have them over again (we're hoping to do gingerbread-house-making before they break for winter!).

Never before have we been able to open our home to students in such a way.  We feel abundantly blessed to invite students into our lives -- all the time asking that God will use our family and our home to bring people closer to Him.

Please pray for all who enter our house -- that the Holy Spirit would enter into our conversation and that people would be encourage and refreshed.  Pray especially for the student chaplains -- that the Lord would continue to give them personal support, and that they would see the fruit of their leadership.

it's in the day-to-day

Campus ministry is so much more than programs, events, and overall flashiness.  It's about something bigger -- something more encompassing than a mere four years of college.  It's about the Kingdom -- the larger Narrative of which we are all a part.  It's about discipleship.

There are many things that could be said about discipleship, but I want to highlight one thing right now: discipleship is in the day-to-day.

When we look at Jesus' way of discipleship, we see how he lived day-in and day-out with his disciples.  He traveled with them.  He prayed with them.  He walked side-by-side with them through all their trials and joys.

In campus ministry, we attempt to do the same.  We do disciple students in a very formal way -- going through Bible study, prayer, being deliberate in spiritual growth.  Yet we also try to go one step further by living day-to-day with our students -- inviting them into our home, getting them off campus for a coffee or movie, or even moving in with them.

For the last five months, we have lived with two of our students, and the growth (on their end and our end) has been astounding.  Our God really uses relationships to reveal Himself to us, and to mold us into His likeness.  And now as we pack up to leave, we invite other students into this part of our lives.  Tomorrow when we move, there will be a number of students helping us.

We praise the Lord that as we go on in ministry, He has provided more and more opportunities to live among our students -- to not just be there for the bigger events, but to be there for the smaller ones, or the days where there are no events at all.  He is allowing us to get to know our students in very personal ways, and is opening doors with even more students each year.

We're Moving (Again)

Five months ago, we moved in with two of our students and their new baby.
We thought we'd be here for a year or two -- in it for the long haul.

This past Monday, God gave us an opportunity for another direction.
And we've decided to take it.

For the first time since we got married, we will have our own home.
And we move in exactly one week.

Some students will be helping, and we're hoping to use this house for ministry opportunities.  It's not big, but it's big enough.

More details are here.

Happenings at Haverford College

For the last three (going on four) years, Elliott has been actively involved on Haverford College's campus.

The fact that he is there at all was no easy feat.  Haverford is a very different school than most schools.  Students are drawn there not only for its academic rigor (think Ivy-League quality), but also for the autonomy of the student body.  No one can be on campus without the welcome of the students.

So it's been a slow road, but year by year, we have begun to grow deeper relationships with the school -- both in the student body and the administration.

One thing that has helped is partnership.  The CCO is committed to partnerships -- with churches, campuses, and organizations.  We have partnered with Haverford Christian Fellowship (HCF), which is a chapter of InterVarsity.  There was no male leadership in the group, and so Elliott has been attending for a couple years, mentoring different students through his time there and bringing them to our church.  This year, Elliott has had the fantastic opportunity to teach during the HCF Bible meetings.  The response has been so great, that Elliott has been asked to teach more often.  He also had a couple of non-Christian students approach him about talking more about the Bible.  (I want to say more about this opportunity to minister to non-Christian students, but I will get to that at the end.)

The other thing that has aided in the CCO's presence at Haverford is a newly formed organization for faith-based groups.  Elliott was asked by someone in the administration to be on this group in order to represent HCF.  This is huge, as we reflect on Elliott's first year, going door to door in the administration, met with suspicious stares that implied the question, "Why are you here?"  Now, they see him representing a strong voice on campus on behalf of part of the student body.  This is also exciting because if we are ever to leave and work elsewhere, the CCO will have an official spot at the school.

I wanted to share this with you for two reasons:
1) To praise the Lord for open doors, especially when we persevere with patience.
2) To let you know the work that we are doing on secular campuses.

Speaking of the secular, please also pray for the new opportunities Elliott has had to minister to non-Christian students.  I believe Elliott has been gifted with a few things:  great wisdom of the Bible, great articulation of words, and great charisma.  People are drawn to him, as he is non-threatening, welcoming, and has good answers and insights.  Elliott has had the opportunity to answer many of these students' questions about Christianity, in addition to sharing his testimony and the Gospel.  Please pray for more opportunities to come up like this -- that in our work to disciple Christian students, we would also be able to reach non-Christian students with the love of Christ.

on God's unusual provision

I find it somewhat amusing (not really the right word) that this blog started with car saga, and here we are again in the midst of car saga.  It seems that car troubles are a theme in our ministry.  Let's have a quick recap, shall we?

Goldie, our Ford Focus, collided with a commercial truck during a support-raising trip Elliott was taking in Maryland.  The car was totaled, the truck that sideswiped the car was long gone, and Elliott was (praise the Lord) unscathed.  We were car-less and ready to go to Haiti.  We told God if He didn't provide a car, we would be going to Haiti.


God answered our bold prayers and gave us Sam, a blue Saturn Wagon.  Sam came from the friend-of-a-friend who literally just wanted to give us his car.  He was also a believer (whose name, incidentally, was the inverse of my brother's) and God made it very clear he wanted us to stay and continue in campus ministry.  We named the car Samuel because we dedicated his purposes to the Lord.


Once we found out we were pregnant, we started for looking for a more reliable car (and a car with air conditioning since Sam's air was un-fixable).  After months of praying and no time to look for a new car, a supporter (my father!) gave us his old car: another Ford Focus whom we'll call Red for the sake of this post.  It's the newest vehicle we've ever had and has less than 100,000 miles on it.  We never thought we'd live to see the day! ; )


Well unfortunately for us, apparently 2006 Ford Focuses had bad transmissions.  So our transmission went about four weeks ago to the day.  To add insult to injury, the warranty on the transmission expired two months ago.  So it's been to two shops and still has yet to be worked on.

But I'm not writing this for pity's sake.  I'm writing because of how awesomely God has provided for us.  About 2 1/2 weeks into our newest car being in the shop, my eyes welled up with tears, and I angrily asked God, "Why is this happening?  What sort of good is coming from this mess?" 

God answered, "My provision, Rachel.  My provision."

Last Sunday at Sunday School, I was reflecting on how we had already borrowed six vehicles from six different parties (only two of which we asked for -- the rest were just offered to us here and there), and I wondered how we would get through the next week.  Just then a student from Eastern University who is part of our ministry turned to me and asked, "Rachel, do you guys need my car for the week?"

: )

Can you believe it?

What a mighty God we serve.

-Rachel

P.S. You can still pray about the car and the bill.  It looks like we'll be borrowing this student's car for two weeks.

Student Stories from the Summer, Part 2

Student Stories from the Summer

Jess

Prior to the summer, at the tail end of the spring, I was hospitalized for Bipolar Disorder. Pre-hospital I was at the beginning stages of finding faith. More than half of my stay is cloudy and I was there 21 days, much longer than the average length of stay. What I do remember though, is praying daily and nightly, talking about God with other patients and reading my Bible religiously. Post-hospital, during this summer I have become even stronger in my walk with God. I attribute the ability of myself to stick with my meds, exercise and eat well to God. I have been hospitalized numerous times and each time after I fall right back into my disorder, I wouldn't take my meds, didn't eat because I was anorexic and drank alcohol and didn't sleep much. This time around, things are different, and as aforementioned, it's thanks to God. I've been eating healthy, on a solid sleep schedule, taking my meds and my mood and overall state of happiness are heightened. Thanks to God I am having an amazing summer. Every day is a chance for me to praise God, explore the life that I feel he wants me to live and finally be myself, happy and well. So God has worked in enormous ways in my life this summer. And for that, I am truly thankful.

Emily

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to spend seven weeks in Ghana with Wycliffe Bible Translators for a program called Discovery. Discovery is a little different from other mission trips, because it is not focused on evangelism or service. Rather, it is meant to be a opportunity for young people to fully immerse themselves in and experience another culture, as well as to see what missionary life is like. I was part of a team of thirteen young people, made up half of North Americans and half native Ghanaians. That was incredible in itself; just by spending so much time with my Ghanaian teammates, I was able to learn so much about what life is like in Ghana for college students and young adults. We spent some time with language and culture orientation, just going out to markets and walking around and talking to people. We then were split into separate teams for our village project assignments, in which we spent four weeks at a translation project. My two village partners and I helped by typing translated Scripture, taking inventory of translated books, and visiting local literacy classes. We lived with a host family, did our own shopping at the market, and did a lot of our own cooking. The team met up again for a week of debrief, and then we headed back home. Overall, my trip was very challenging for me in many ways, but it was very humbling, and ultimately very fulfilling. God provided wonderful, generous supporters to get me to Ghana, and then He used my time there for much growth and learning for me. I realized or re-realized a lot about Him, about myself, and about other people and other cultures. Discovery is a very appropriate name for the experience, and I would encourage anyone who is interested in missions or cross-cultural service to look into this trip. It'll change your life.

Ken

It’s Tuesday night and we have just wrapped a long day of work, a day which began at 9am. Just another day at the office… I have been blessed with a great job this summer. From May through August I work as an audio visual technician for Sandy Cove Ministries, in Northeast, Maryland. I help to run all things lights and sound at the conference center. From giant big screen movies in the auditorium to microphones and speakers in a meeting room, we did it all. Often putting in long hours for late night events or set- ups, the mid-night hour was a familiar sight. Throughout my time at Sandy Cove I grew to appreciate the body of Christ in a very real sense. Each individual had been hired to carry out a specific task at the conference center. They were then grouped by department to work together on their tasks. Each department had a job which was unique, yet contributed to the life of Sandy Cove. Without the talents of each department, the whole facility suffers. God has really shown me that every little job is important, no matter what your paycheck or position says. God has you in a place where he will use you to bring glory to Himself. Through the team environment this summer, God has been teaching me to lean on Him, not myself. Whether it was running the sound system, installing cables in the ceiling, or helping a guest with directions, my summer has been full of adventures both large and small.

Student Stories from the Summer, Part 1

While we have had our own life-changing summer (hi, baby!!!), our students have also experienced life transformations. Each story is very different and occurred in varied locations. We're posting a couple now, and have more to share later. These are also extended versions of what will appear in our September newsletter.

But before we share the stories, here are some updates on the Simko front.

Praise: We surpassed our goal in raising for the matching grant, which means we got the matching grant, the match, and some extra! What we raised this summer will give us full paychecks through the fall. Praise the LORD! This is the first time this has ever happened! We are so thankful!

Prayer: As was mentioned in the previous post, this is the busiest time of year for us, which is fine because we expect it. What we didn't expect was the other unexpected hardships this week. Our car needs a new transmission and we haven't had it for over a week, and it will take another week and a half to fix. Pray that it gets fixed sooner and for a lesser cost than was quoted to us. We have also had some other things going on that have added stress that don't need to be named, but we ask for prayers of clarity and peace, and a refocusing for the beginning of the semester.

So without further ado...

Student Stories from the Summer

Samantha

This summer has been packed with many welcoming memories. As I finished my freshman year at Eastern University, I moved across campus and settled into my very first full time job, working for Sodexo. At first, it was really tiring but it became nice to have something to do all day. When I was not working, I was preparing for a missions trip to Ometepe, Nicaragua and participating in a small group with Elliot Simko. The small group really has helped me to become more aware of the details of being a disciple of Christ and while in Nicaragua, I used some of the things that I learned to help evangelize with the locals. The small group has been a huge blessing in my life. When I was in Nicaragua, I was working with a church that I helped with last year. It is amazing to go back to the same place each year and see how God is continually helping there. Once I returned to Eastern, I began working again and classes will soon begin. While this summer was a great time of growth for me, I look forward to the blessings that I will be given through my professors and friends in the upcoming school year.

Chris

This summer, I got an internship as an assistant youth pastor at a church called Bethel Lutheran in Colorado Springs. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. On the bright side, the church itself was great. It was a very welcoming community, and I really loved being a part of it. But it seemed like nothing really went right this summer. Some of it was my fault; I’ll own up to it. However, it didn’t end with just my own faults. There were an abundance of miscommunications and circumstances that made things even tougher. This, however, led to the main work that God did in me this summer. I couldn’t survive it without Him. There was absolutely no way. And so as I was breaking down, I realized this. I began to give everything back up to God. Giving Him my faults, and feelings, and circumstances, and worries, and anything else I was carrying inside me. And He showed me the power of His glory. The summer did end on a higher note, but was still tough. It wasn’t all about God fixing things. I found that it was about holding on to Him for dear life. It brought a peace that was certainly not brought on by my surroundings; a joy that transcended my circumstances. Though the summer was tough, it taught me a lesson that is simple, yet paramount in its importance: God is truly in control.

James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

tis the (busy) season for campus ministry!

Hi friends,

Bear with us -- this is our busiest time of year!  Between new students coming in, old students coming back early, and preparing our master schedules, we have a lot to accomplish the next couple of weeks.  We are also working on our newsletter, which should be out in the next month.  Stay tuned in the next couple weeks for student stories from the summer -- from the far reaches of Ghana to Maryland to Eastern University and beyond!

We appreciate your patience, as well as your prayers, as we focus on our students at this time.

Thanks and love,
Rachel, Elliott, and Gwendolyn

Guest Post!

Check out Rachel's guest post on Introverted Church:

Introverted Campus Ministry

A Matching Grant and Rachel's Forgetfulness

Wow. So much for that "15-minute-per-week" thing, huh? I totally forgot about last week's update. Even now, as Elliott leads a discipleship group in our dining room, I scramble to get these few sentences out as Gwen dozes in and out of sleep beside me. I'm learning how to type with one hand, as the other hand must be on "binky duty" (Gwen still hasn't mastered the technique of holding the binky in her mouth by herself).

Anyhoo.

So I wanted to share with you a super exciting opportunity with have this summer in support raising. A number of generous supporters have banded together to raise $2350 as a grant for us. Our job is to match that grant by August 13 at midnight. As I type (with one hand, I might add), we have about $700 raised of the match.

If you want to give and help us reach our goal, please follow this link, click donate online, scroll down to staff member "Simko, Elliott & Rachel," and donate. Please email us at elliottsimko at gmail dot com to let us know of your donation for the match.

Woohoo! God is so creative, and this is our creative attempt to raise money this summer so that we can focus more on ministry once the school year starts. I hope you can help us!

And this post was a little shy of 15 minutes, but now I'm going to see if Gwenny will let me use both hands to do some font work.

God bless!

Rachel

A Change of Pace

Alright, friends. We admit we've be remiss at keeping up this blog consistently, so here's what we're going to try to do. Harkening back to the beginnings of this blog, I (Rachel) am going to try to commit to writing for 15 minutes about campus ministry. Now, Elliott strived to write 15 minutes per day about ministry, but at this point, baby Gwendolyn won't let me. So here's what I will strive for: a 15 minute update per week. Perhaps I will be able to do more, but I figured weekly was a good starting point, considering we were doing every other month or so.

Okay, let's start the clock. 11:45 am. I have until noon.

To give you a swift update of our life since we last wrote, we've actually moved in with two of our students. Zack and Jocelyn were married a little over a year ago and have a little baby. They got a pretty good deal on a house rental but had a little too much space. So after much prayer and seeking out of wisdom, Elliott and I decided to move in. You can read more about our day-to-day experiences on my personal blog. It's definitely been a shaping experience, but we have seen God's hand through the entire process. We have been able to mentor Zack and Jocelyn on a more personal level, but at the same time, living in intentional community with them has strengthened us spiritually as well. It's pretty cool how God works like that. :)

We're also thankful for the move in that it has brought us to the very neighborhood where we do ministry. Although we loved living in the city, it brought us so far away from our church home and the campuses where we work. We now live about 10 minutes from our church (and walking-distance from a number of church members), 15 minutes from Haverford, and 20-25 minutes from Eastern.

11:50 am. 10 minutes to go!

As for the summer, a lot of our students have gone on trips. God provided in full for the three girls mentioned previously on the blog - in mighty, miraculous ways! And there were many others that we didn't share about on here that also saw miraculous provision. There are also a number of students who have remained behind on campus. Elliott has put together discipleship groups of about 3-4 students and meets with them weekly or every other week. He has also been playing games with a group of students once a week. Tonight, we're actually having some people from the discipleship groups over for a big game night.

As for me, I've been (and am still) on maternity leave. Come this fall, I'll be scaling back my hours a little bit. But I'm thankful that the CCO is flexible and I will still be able to stay involved with college students. In case you couldn't tell, Elliott and I really love what we do and consider it pure joy to have the opportunity to do what we do.

So thank you for reading and praying and supporting us. It's 11:57 right now, and I suppose I haven't lived up to my promise of 15 minutes.... but Gwen is squirming and seems discontent so I better attend to the needs of my three-week-old.

This is Rachel, signing off!

Team Simko Just Got Bigger!

In case you hadn't heard the word on Facebook, we'll clue you in:

we had a baby!

Gwendolyn Shiloh was born on 6/21/11 at 12:44pm. She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and arrived with a full head of brunette hair.

Her name means "Beautiful Peace."

We're sorry we haven't been updating our blog as much -- the last couple of months have been very busy. We moved in with some students -- another young married couple and their baby. You can read about our community-living experience on Rachel's blog. Rachel was also finishing up a graduate class up until the baby was born. We have been busy, though, and will start updating again soon!

God bless!!!

A Time to Laugh (and Play!)

Why, yes! Sometimes we also just have fun!

We recently took our Monday night small group out for an afternoon of bowling.

None of us are serious bowlers, so yes - it was a time to laugh!

We are really going to miss this group. Please pray that God continues to grow them and that they will continue to seek His face over the summer!

Pray also that Elliott's summer small group (for the students remaining on campus) will grow, and that many students will come to learn about our Lord!

Jim, Sara, Lauren, Tierra, Kelsey, Ken, Nick, and Eric appreciate your prayers!

(...as do those not pictured but who are in our small group:

Alexa, Mike, Hannah, Emily, and Samantha.)

Students Needing Prayer

Hello friends!

Over the next month, I hope you will join me in weekly or daily prayer for three of my students. They are all leaders on campus and are all going away for the entire summer for missions work. They have a lot of money to raise by the middle or end of May. I know that all the money in the world belongs to our Father, and He is our provider. Please pray that each woman would see the abundant and miraculous provision of the Lord in their fundraising, and that they would give glory to God because of it!

This is Betsy.

Betsy is the leader of Transformed! - a student-led, traveling drama ministry. I met Betsy this summer at my cousin's wedding, and she came in this year to Eastern as a freshman. Her heart has always been for missions, and she will be spending the summer in Uganda. I just spoke with Betsy and found out she has about 50% of her support raised for this summer, which just covers her plane ticket. She is supposed to be at 75% by now and is a little concerned. Please pray that God teaches her to trust Him as He provides in His own time.

This is Emily.

Emily has been a student chaplain on Eastern's campus for the last two years, and will continue this ministry next fall as a senior. She is an anthropology and missions major. Her long-term desire is to work with Wycliffe Bible Translators and translate the Bible into unknown languages. This summer will be spent with Wycliff in Ghana. She is at 60% of her support-raising goal, and has until the end of May. She is encouraged that she has raised 60% so far, but still has a lot to go. Pray that God will continue to sustain and encourage her and that others will support her on this mission.

This is Megan.

Megan is a student chaplain, a co-leader of Watchman Prayer Ministry, and a co-leader of Precious Movements, a multicultural dancing mime ministry at Eastern. She is going to do missions full-time with her life as soon as she graduates. Previously, Megan has spent summers in Kenya and at the International House of Prayer. This summer, she will be going to Palestine with the other leader from Watchman. Megan literally decided two weeks ago to go on this trip, and she is leaving in mid-May. As far as I know, she is very early into the support-raising process. Please pray that God provides quickly, as there isn't much time and (as you can maybe tell) Megan doesn't have much extra time on her hands.

God bless!

Rachel

The Rocky Road of Relationships

There are small groups scattered throughout the lounge, each engaged in various forms of discussion, prayer, and worship. After finishing a prayer with my own group, I glance at my watch. 10:30 pm. We "ended" the official discussion over an hour ago, and still students linger to engage in conversation with us about their struggles. Despite being overcome with pregnancy-related tiredness, I am overwhelmed with joy. These are some of the best moments in campus ministry -- the unexpected, unplanned conversations that usually extend into later hours of the night. On this particular night, we (the leaders) have come alongside the students to wrestle with self-image.

Partnering with Eastern's Office of Faith and Practice, Michael (a fellow CCO staffer), Elliott, and I have developed a series of discussion nights oriented around relationships. The first night, in February, we discussed the value of singleness in the Kingdom of God. Since the Eastern student population is somewhat relationship-obsessed, and since the students often live within this "ring-by-spring" culture day-in and day-out, we wanted to bring in a different conversation. We invited three speakers to talk about what it has been like to be single and pursuing the Lord. The feedback was great from the students. One girl in particular came up to me and thanked us. "My friends have been telling me I'm crazy to be single right now," she confesses. "The pressure has been hard, but I really want to focus on the Lord at this time in my life without the distraction of a relationship. It's good to hear that I'm NOT crazy!"

In mid-March, our next discussion night was on self-image and basing our value on being made in the image of God. Four speakers came on this night, sharing their testimonies of self-image battles as well as deliverance from the Lord. After some discussion in the larger group, we broke up into small groups and each speaker (as well as myself) led a small group discussion, as well as some much needed prayer.

About 30 students have shown up to each event, which is honestly an incredible turn out on a small college campus. We have seen the Lord's hand every step of the way and are thankful that He can use us in this way to bring hope and expose truth to these students.

Tonight is our third discussion night, where we will be talking about appropriate boundaries -- both in relationships and friendships. Two weeks from tonight, our last discussion night will focus on how social networking and the internet are affecting our relationships with one another, and how a Christian ought to respond or interact with such technology.

Please pray:

1) That the Lord will continue to draw students to these discussion nights. I pray each week that if someone is debating whether or not to come, that the Lord will tug on their hearts enough to have them finally come out. The last time, one student confessed that she really didn't want to come. "But I kept staring at the flier on my desk and I knew God was urging me to come. I'm so glad I did," she told me.

2) That each night will go smoothly, and the Lord will work through us--that our words would be His words, and that His truth would be revealed to these students. Pray that we would be mere vessels for His ministry.

3) For next year -- that we can continue to work alongside the student chaplains and RAs to prepare for these discussion nights, and that God would use us effectively.

Thank you!

-Rachel

P.S. If you read this blog and have yet to subscribe, please do so right now! We'd love to know who we're communicating our ministry with, and we'd love to pray for you!

Jubilee Testimonials

Last month, we took 23 college students to Jubilee -- the CCO conference that challenges students to live out their faith in every area of life. Two weeks before leaving, we weren't sure that we would have enough scholarships to cover the cost for all the students, most of whom could not pay out of their own pocket.

God provided abundantly through our supporters and fellow church members. Every student that wanted to go got to go! Here are some testimonials:

I saw God present the most in the reality that the kingdom of God is diverse. Every speaker offered a different perspective to the issues that Christians will face. I appreciated the fact that I was able to take a look at the ramifications of globalization from a more positive light. In many respects I think Jubilee was preparation on a small level for my spring break trip to the Dominican Republic. Many of Jubilees speakers demanded that the students understand the importance of being culturally competent. While I struggle with the word competence (because I don't think as foreigners we can ever be fully culturally competent) I appreciated the heave emphasis on remaining "unchurched" but living out Christianity. I saw that present in the DR. I speak fluent Spanish but it was not my Spanish that grabbed the attention of the women working in the kitchen-- it was my sincere love and appreciation for them that caused their hearts to be moved. Selah.

-- Angeley, Eastern University

From my time at Jubilee I have let myself be open to God. What I mean by this is that I went with the mindset to have God open my eyes to things going on in my life. Even now, after that weekend, God is continuing to reveal areas of my life where I need to change and let his love take over. This was not an easy thing to ask for from God because it is difficult and painful to change. With that being said, I know that I will be taken care of but this change can only come from God. And through this time from Jubilee I am working on that change and I am continuing to search for the woman that God has created me to be. It is going to be a life long journey but it is worth it because God will never leave me but will always be beside me in both the good and bad times. Jubilee has given me the push that I needed to face those tough areas in my life that I was unwilling to acknowledge and reminded me to stay strong in God’s love, power and mercy.
-- Sara Barnhurst, Eastern University

As a senior in college, this was my first time going to Jubilee, so it was really great to be going in with the perspective of graduating in just a few months. In many ways, the experience helped me to rethink how I would approach post-graduation with a Christian perspective. Overall, God has also used the experience to teach me more about Him. It was an exciting and encouraging experience!
-- Liz Wolensky, Haverford College

Annnnnnd if you were one of the supporters who helped get the students to Jubilee, or if you were praying for the students, here is a special thank you from Eric Mayhew, junior at Eastern University:

I hope this letter finds you well. Especially since we have been experiencing some fantastic weather. I would like to sincerely thank you for your support in this trip. I was blessed through your support and God willing I was able to gain just enough support to go and received it at just the right time, so Thank You.

Jubilee was such a great experience that I know God knew I needed. I was blessed beyond belief. I went into it not expecting anything and came out gaining a lot. God really pressed it on my heart to be more of a Godly man. He wanted me to be a firmer leader and take control, enacting justice on the behalf of others, have empathy for the hurting and by making the world a better place.

But the one thing that he really let stand out is that of being noticed. Letting everyone around me know that I am a Christian and letting their judgment not waver if I am or not. This can be done primarily through my actions and not being a “Sunday Christian”, being a Christian in church but walking out the doors not even changed.

One speaker said, “There are 50 million Christians in our country today. But… If that is a true statistic then where are they? By the state of our nation you would not know that the majority of the people in our country are in fact Christian.” He went on to say that we need to be changed to make a change and that we also need to not live a safe life. Everyone in the bible who made a different did not live a safe life. Just think of Noah, David or even Jesus. None of them lived a safe life.

This is just some of the things that God reveled to me on this trip. It was though him and through you that it was made possible and again I thank you for your help. If I could also ask for your continual support for me in my college career through your prayers. I have hit a rough patch and am not sure where God wants me right now and am having trouble deciding what to do. Your prayers would be of great assistance in this struggle. Thank You.

Sincerely,

Eric Mayhew

Enjoying our Daily Bread

"Have you been spending time with God?"

It's a simple question, and one that people would expect a campus minister to ask. But the typical response always catches me off guard. Instead of a simple answer, my question is usually greeted by a shameful look downwards or a shrug accompanied by a pitiful glance.

I try to remind the students that I'm not asking them this question to make them feel guilty, nor does God want them to shrink away from Him in their guilt. He longs to be with us, and we were designed for fellowship with Him.

So why is it so hard?

I admit that even in my own life, some days I find myself trying to remember the last time I sat still before the Lord. God has taken away the sense of guilt or shame I used to feel, and has replaced it with a sense of mourning. It is sad to go without our Father's fellowship. I want to take joy in just being in His Presence. And without the Bible, how will I recognize His voice? How will I know who He is? Without our Daily Bread, we starve ourselves.

How do we let this happen?

I think it happens because we don't let God take control. We tend to think, "I need to spend more time with God. I just need to do it." How many of us have actually asked God for help?

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

John 15:16

I encourage my students to start out by doing three things:

1) Ask God to help you. We are not in control, and we can do nothing apart from Him. Ask Him to give you this spiritual blessing of spending time with Him.

2) "A Psalm a day keeps the devil away." My brother said this to me once, and I thought it sounded corny. And then I just decided to try it, and God has blessed my spiritual walk abundantly. When you have a spare five or ten minutes, whip out that Bible and read a Psalm.

3) Engage in the Word with others. It is hard to keep ourselves accountable, but what if you planned to meet with a friend once a week for one hour to dive into the Word? How would that change your daily encounter with the Lord? How much would it help a fellow sibling in Christ?

So I ask that as you and I both struggle to find our own time with the Lord, that you would join me in praying for these students that are not practicing quiet time before God. Please pray that God would impress it on their hearts, give them the motivation, and that they would follow through in engaging daily with God and His Word.

Praying for the peace that surpasses understanding -

Rachel

In Their Own Words

We told you that Elliott went on a service trip with some guys the other week (mainly planned by Jim, a junior at Villanova University who Elliott has known for 2 1/2 years!). We wanted to share with you a couple of their responses to the week...

"I believe that an integral part of any mission trip experience is learning something new in the process. In past trips, this has been fairly easy, because whatever group I have been with has gone to our location, and then spent our time in that one spot. In this way, we have the opportunity to get to know the community of the site on a deeper level. What made this trip unique for me was that we did not stay in a single location - every day was a new site, a new community, and a new purpose. While I was at first apprehensive about this, I ended up discovering something nevertheless, something which I would never have realized if it hadn't been for the constant motion of the trip.

"At every community we arrived at, we heard the story of its origin. All of them...had one commonality: they were new. ... This is where I discovered the message being delivered to me by this trip: there is hope, and things will get better. There are few places more in need of help than the Philadelphia area, and it feels like it has always been this way. But after witnessing firsthand the growth of so many new organizations that are making it their mission to bring positive change to Philadelphia, I see true reason for hope.”

- Billy Albert, Junior, Villanova University

"Revelations hit me like a wall of white-washed stones during our unique week-long service trip to Camden, Norristown, Chester, and Philadelphia. Our first mission involved white-washing two stone walls in the basement of a converted convent called the CRIB as part of our service to HopeWorks, Camden. Retrospectively, this flagship job symbolized the beginning of something new for me - a kind of fresh start on my journey of faith. While I had not been drifting, backslidden, or falling away (to use the typical Christianese), I had become set in my ways and God decided to challenge me by taking me out of the comfortable place I had built around myself.

"In short, two radical (but obvious) themes colored the week which had begun with two white-washed walls. First, the idea of excellence in our service to God and others. We explored God's call for ministerial excellence with Pete and Becky Bowersox at the Norristown Community House. The second idea grew out of a conversation I had with Eastern Professor Lindy Backues: the parish community. Essentially, the prerogative of the parish is part of the Christian's duty to impact his local community by means of the Gospel. The Christian thus becomes committed to his neighborhood, and consequently, a local church. God sent me on a trip to serve others; unexpectedly, He showed up to give me a gift of ideas with which I am applying to some tough decisions that I must make in the near future. To God be the glory!"

- Zack Groff, Junior, Temple University

Our Wishlist

During our support-raising trip in May, we had a number of supporters recommend that we do a Wishlist of things we need. This way, people that are not able to support us financially could still contribute to our ministry—possibly with things they already have in their own home! It took more months to put together than we anticipated, but without further ado, here is our Wishlist!

For our ministry...

These items will help us keep the ministry running efficiently and without added cost to our monthly budget.

• Button-down shirts for Elliott (size Medium)

• Nice pants for Elliott (size 32/32)

• Stamps (for mailing our newsletters and thank-you cards)

• Cards and stationary

• Business-sized envelopes (for mailing our newsletters)

• Gift cards to coffee shops (so we can take our students out more frequently!)

• Gift cards to book stores (so we can get books for our students)

o We particularly like to shop at Hearts and Minds Bookstores, since the owner is a partner of the CCO. http://heartsandmindsbooks.com/

• Board games (so we can have more game nights with our students)

• Printer paper (for our newsletters)

• Gas cards (for all that driving back-and-forth between home, school, and church that we do nearly every day, as well as for support-raising trips)

More personal...

Having these items will help us cut down on added expenses.

• Financial advising

• Baby stuff (for our expected arrival in June!)

• Sneakers for Elliott (size 11)

• Food items (canned vegetables, anything gluten- and corn-free for Rachel, chicken broth, spices, etc.)

• Soap, dish detergent, paper towels, etc.

Please contact us with any questions or clarifications.

Elliott can be reached at 215-756-3155 and elliottsimko@gmail.com.

Rachel can be reached at 215-756-3020 and chellysimko@gmail.com.