Happy Summer! Here's what you'll find in this update:
The testimony from our summer student intern, Abbey
Our experience at ICCM, a conference supporting the efforts of those in ministry and technology.
Current support raising status
Meet Abbey!
Every summer we invite students to
intern with DiscipleMakers
to get a closer look at what it is like to do campus ministry full time. These students move up to State College for the summer and serve either on campus doing outreach, leading bible studies, and investing in the students here for Penn State's Summer Semester, or they serve alongside us in the Headquarters.
This summer,
Abbey Gross
(above, white shirt), a rising Junior from Susquehanna University, is interning with Kate and other Headquarters departments. Read below for her testimony and how God is at work in her!
You've probably heard the verse Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” I'd heard this verse many times growing up in church as a "good Christian kid", and as a planner and someone who has always wanted to see things turn out perfectly, just as I had planned, this verse has always stood out to me. However, as I've encountered various hardships in my life,
it's been a challenge to see how this verse can continue to be true
and cling to the truth.
I had plans
to be the perfect daughter growing up, doing all the "right" things. But my home life was falling apart. My parents fought all of the time, often getting physically abusive with each other. This didn't fit into my plans and I didn't see how a loving God could use it in His plan for good.
I had plans
to be the perfect girlfriend to my first boyfriend, freshman year of high school. I became obsessed and lived every moment with him and for him. To keep him happy with me, I gave into sexual sin with him and became addicted almost immediately. But after about a year of emotional agony and giving over so much of myself to this guy, he broke up with me out of the blue and immediately started dating one of our close friends. I was shattered and feel into deep despair and depression.
This didn't fit into my plans and I didn't see how a loving God could use it in His plan for good.
I had plans
to find purpose again as I worked hard in school, had a thriving social life, and even in a new boyfriend who treated me better. However, it was at that time that I was diagnosed with clinical and seasonal depression. I was furious with God. How could He let me enter into the darkest time of my life when He claimed to be all about giving me a hope and a future?
I had big plans
for the final months senior year to be the best yet, but then COVID came and my plans were cancelled.
All of the things I had put my hope in were taken away
by the spread of the virus and I spent my days in my room, lonelier than ever and furious about all the things I was missing out on. Even beyond that, my boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me with no explanation. I was heartbroken, of course, but this time it was different somehow. God graciously took off the blindfold I had chosen to wear my whole life to show me that His plans are greater than mine. I had put up so many idols in my life and He continued to strip them away until I realized that I needed Him and Him alone. I could no longer deny that God had control over my life, so I put my faith in Jesus as my Savior and
surrendered all of my plans over to His divine plan
.
Since starting college, God has answered prayers I never would have even thought to plan or pray for. He placed so many amazing Christians in my life to show me
how much better life can be when it's lived for Jesus Christ
. Not easy, not always happy, but better! I still struggle every day with lust and my desire to get approval from men. There are still days when my depression gets the better of me and I need to spend the day in bed. But in those darkest moments,
I have a hope in the God that sits with me in the dark times and comforts me in the future He has promised to me.
God has done a good work in Abbey's heart to surrender to him all her plans and seek His ways and glory first. Even as she has learned this, God has still given Abbey great skills in planning, and organizing.
It has been a joy for Kate to work with Abbey in the the office!
She has been a great asset to DiscipleMakers this summer with these skills. She is currently studying Business Management and has enjoyed learning
what it could look like for her to use that passion to serve a ministry, perhaps even with DiscipleMakers.
Ministry Techies Unite!
In June, we attended the
International Conference on Computing and Missions (ICCM)
in Hannibal, Missouri. This fits perfectly into TJ's passions! We got to meet others who are also excited to serve the Lord in ministries with their skills in computer programing and other technologies.
TJ taught one of the workshops on JSON Web Tokens, a technology related to web security (below, top). You can view his
presentation slides here
. He also played on the worship team (below, left). Kate enjoyed a week to connect with new people (below, right), help do a bit of the event coordination, and just rest!
Support Raising Update
We can't believe it's been over 4 years since we each finished full time support raising! That means that many of you have been
faithfully supporting our ministries with DiscipleMakers for 5 years
. Wow! We praise God for his faithful provision for so many individuals who regularly pray for and give to this work.
In these past few years, we have also lost a bit of financial support due to the ever changing nature of this world. This leads us to needing to give more focused attention to raising more funds for this ministry work.
Specifically,
we have a need to raise $1,000 in regular monthly giving for our ministry with DiscipleMakers.
To meet this goal, we would need to meet
20 new people
, with an average gift of
$50/month
.
How you can help:
Pray for God's blessing in our DiscipleMakers support raising efforts, that He would bring us to new donors and increase giving quickly.
Consider how the Lord may be leading you to give financially.
Share about our ministry with DiscipleMakers with 2-3 other people who love Christ and desire to see His truth & love impact the next generation of college students.
We also plan to visit our hometown areas in November and would be glad to meet up with you, others you know, or connect with a church, then!
Thank you so much for your continued support of our ministry with DiscipleMakers. We are honored and humbled to know so many care about this kingdom building work!
Prayers & Praises
Praise God for His work in Abbey! Pray that she would continue to seek the Lord and trust in His promises in tough seasons. Pray for wisdom and discernment as she considers how to serve the Lord after college.
Praise God for the sweet time at ICCM. Pray that the Lord would equip and bless the other ministries we connected with, and that more would be stirred to serve in technology for missions.
Praise God for his faithfulness to provide financially. Pray that God would raise up new support for our ministry with DiscipleMakers.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. If there are any ways that we can pray for you, please let me know!
• In June, we did a good amount of traveling. First, we visited St. Louis for some work with our church (left). We also spent time with family, visited supporting churches, attended our Summer Staff Conference, and went to ICCM. Whew! We were glad to be home again in July.
• We've also been pretty active this summer. TJ's enjoyed going to the local rock climbing gym, and Kate participated in a 5K muddy obstacle race with a friend!
