= Happiness

This is my first time blogging...

"What's next???"

I am starting my senior year at CBU. I still am in disbelief that it has been three years. It's been incredible to look back over the last few years and see God's hand through it all. I came in as a Kinesiology major... I'm not even sure why, maybe because I had thought the only thing that I was good at was sports. I realize now that sports is just a fun way to spend spare time, it isn't my life. Changing my major to Sociology was a great decision. At the time I wasn't even sure why I changed my major and now I feel it is just what I'm supposed to be studying.

Other stepping stones that got me to where I am today...

...As a freshman I was blessed by being conversation partners with a wonderful girl from China, Janette. Through that I was led to take a student leadership position that would allow me to work closely with all of the international students at CBU. This will be the third year I will be an International Student Ambassador. During my time as an ISA I have been able to see what God can do in the lives of international students. Most students who arrive at CBU come with a deep rooting in a religion such as Buddhism or Hinduism. Some students come having no religion. I have seen some of these students saved and sharing the gospel with their families back home. What a big God we serve!

...I have experienced so much joy through serving on leadership at CBU. I have gained so much knowledge in classrooms, chapels, and through living life on my own. As I look forward to finishing this chapter of my life, I keep getting the big question that all graduating seniors get, "What's next". Well my response is typically something like this, "Well, I was supposed to spend the summer trying to figure that out but I didn't get anything. I am just trusting that in God". And it's true I am trusting in God to direct me. Just this last few weeks I've been praying extra hard about His plans for my future. I believe He has given me a heart to help hurting people and people in need and that's what I want to spend my time doing.

Here's the new direction I'm heading towards (unless God changes my direction)...

...I want to use my Sociology major and love for people as well as my experience working with international students and traveling overseas to start a compassion ministry in a church or school. I envision it to be a program that would get church members or students out into their communities doing compassion ministry such as working with homeless, troubled teens, neglected or abused children, single parents and many many other needs in any given community. Once people begin to see what it means to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and bless those who aren't as well off as you are then I would want to set up opportunities to minister outside of the local community whether that be nationally or globally. I would also like to set families up with international students who have come to America. I would love to see Christian families adopt international students and minister to them while they are here so that when they go back to their home countries they too can minister to their families.

I can see God setting me up to be a mobilizer; a mobilizer who awakens communities of Christians to the reality that the world around them, their neighbors, are dying without Christ and there are things that can be done about it.

CBU has a compassion ministry program as well as ISP which mobilizes the students on this campus. Many churches, including the church I attend (Sandals), has ministries like this. I believe that these ministries are vital. I would love to work with churches or schools who don't have these types of ministries in place and start compassion ministries there. So much joy is to be had through being involved in ministries like these. I believe every thing I have been involved in over the last few years has made me into the person I am now and I am more equipped for what God has for me!

I am excited about the possibility that this may be what God has for my life!

I am also so blessed to be here at CBU were compassion ministry is an important part of what goes on here. There are many wonderful mentors that I can go to to seek guidence and wisdom while I figure out what the next steps are... do I go to graduate school? Do I need to spend time overseas? Can I get right to work as soon as I graduate? There are still unanswered questions but I feel that this is God's will for me right now and that gets me so excited!

Those of you who have prayed for me... thank you.
Continue to pray for me as I walk down the path I believe God has mapped out for me.

May you find joy in Christ!