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.

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

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

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