NavImpact

This Friday we'll head to Spring Hill Camp in Seymour, Indiana with 35 students from the U of I.  Please pray for the conference!  Here's one of the videos we used to encourage students to join us.

Recently my coworker, Katie, and I thought it would be fun to get our freshman/sophomore women's Bible studies together.  Many of them knew the students in their own studies well, but hadn't spent much time with some of the other girls in the ministry.  Our desire is for students to be in community in both small and larger group contexts. . . . so, what better way to develop relationships than an Illini Women's Volleyball game and a night of games and snacks? 
      The Illini beat Purdue in 5 sets. . . and we played several rousing rounds of Hilarium and Imaginiff.  So fun!  I'm still praising God for the wonderful group of women that He's blessed us with this year - ones that love Him, love each other, and love having fun together. 

           As collegiate missionaries, our Septembers are always busy, exciting times.  Times when we never know just what is going to happen, how it’s all going to work out, which students we’ll meet, or what God will do . . .This fall is our third year on staff with The Navigators, working to help students know Christ and make Him known, at the University of Illinois.  Although we’ve been here for two other Septembers, this one is a whole new adventure!
            The 42,000+student body is just finishing up its sixth week of classes.  For the last month, we’ve been making new connections with students from all backgrounds, inviting them to join with us in advancing the Gospel, or, for some, to just check out what Jesus taught.  This year we have more staff (two other couples and an intern staff) and more student leaders than ever before, and God has given us all more than enough to do – between beginning of the year social events, our large group meetings, small group Bible studies, Bible discussion groups, one on one meetings, and simply getting to know a wide variety of students.  Here are a few of our highlights:
1)    Melissa.*  At the beginning of the semester, Jess had a lot of freshmen contacts that were interested in studying the Bible, but nowhere on campus to meet.  Then she met Melissa, a freshman business major, who has enthusiastically connected with The Navs and volunteered to host a Bible study her very first week at the U of I!  We’re excited to see how God uses Melissa in relationship with the girls in her dorm and in her classes.
2)    Brian, Ben, and Peter.  This fall, instead of leading a traditional Bible study, Jeff prayed that God would connect him with unbelieving students, who would be interested in reading the Bible in order to study Jesus’ teachings.  Brian is another freshmen on a mission to share the Gospel.  He invited his two roommates, Ben and Peter, to read the Bible with Jeff, and now Jeff is reading through the Gospel of Mark with them (and 3 other students), exploring what Jesus really taught. 
3)    Sue.  Sue has been in the U.S. for only a month.  As an exchange student from Malaysia and a believer who is eager to learn how to share her faith, Sue is learning how to share Christ with others, particularly her fellow Malaysian exchange students.
4)    Kurt.  A returning Nav student Jeff disciples has taken the lead in organizing an upperclassmen men’s Bible study and is actively connecting with and encouraging younger students. 
Praise God for the work He is doing!  Please join us in prayer for these students, and the University of Illinois campus – that God would use us to reach the lost and equip believing students to know Christ better and intentionally share Him with others.
*names changed.:)