Dear Friends,

I am so happy to finally have time to sit down and write to you about all the great things God has done this week! I am so thankful for all of the various kinds of support I have received, and I can feel the many prayers that have been prayed over me. THANK YOU for all that you’ve done to help me respond to God’s call for me to love and welcome international students at Clemson. I’m grateful to have each of you walking alongside me.

On Friday, Aug 19, I got a call asking, though I was at 53% of funds raised, if I would be willing to move to Clemson in the next few following days. I was told that upon my arrival to Clemson I would be allowed to attend lake day and meet with my campus minister, but other than that I would need to spend the rest of my time in the week raising support. I responded with a big ole “YES!” I felt so grateful that God was paving the way for me to be at Clemson in time for the welcome back, “HEY Y’ALL”, lake day. About 10 minutes after this call ended, I received another phone call saying I had received a $10,000 matching donation, which meant that once I raised $10,000, this donor would match it. WOW! The next few days were bittersweet as I spent time packing and savoring moments with my family and friends. The day before I left for Clemson, I was told that I should try to set up as many meetings with people as I could so that I could meet my fundraising goal which would allow me to finally start working with students on campus. With a trusting and hopeful prayer, I took this to God. I asked the Lord that if it was within His will for me to be fully funded before I arrived in Clemson, that He would make that happen. I am grinning now as I write this. On Wednesday, near the end of my 15-hour drive to Clemson, I checked my fundraising account and over $10,000 had been donated. More than enough of what was needed in order for it to be matched. The Lord answered my prayer and then some! The next couple hours of my drive felt so easy at that point, I could not believe it.
This week, I have been introduced to many new faces, both at Clemson Presbyterian Church, and at the “HEY Y’ALL”. Something that has blessed me this week is seeing how involved the church is with RUF-I. At our “HEY Y’ALL” on Saturday, roughly 160 international students came. Many of these students do not have a good source of transportation, so over 25 people volunteered to drive students to and from the lake. The day was filled with good food, fun boat rides, and great conversation. As I spoke with many people from different places all over the world, I felt God’s affirmation and comfort all around me, softening me, and allowing me to know that I am exactly where He has called me to be.

This week, as I have been reading through John, I have been thinking much about the power of prayer. In John 14:23 Jesus says, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” And in John 16:13 Jesus says, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” As I reflect on this week, and even throughout my life, I have seen this promise assured. Yet, despite God’s provision in every area of my life, I have the tendency to return to anxious thoughts and worries about the days to come, almost immediately after seeing His blessings shower down on me. God has been showing me recently what it looks like to rest more fully in Him, and seek Him in all things. The reason that prayer is powerful is because God is all-powerful, and because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we get to come boldly to Him with our concerns, requests, and praises!