RUF Training

I just returned home from spending a week at RUF staff training, which is just in Atlanta, about 30 minutes from home. I love everything about this week, from spending time with interns, meeting other staff and campus ministers, and learning!

Throughout the week we attend sessions led by different campus ministers, beginning with the "state of the union address". The interns' sessions were mostly about RUF's philosophy of ministry and about putting it into practice on our respective campuses. Some of my fears going into this week were that I still have a hard time imagining what my job will look like and that I don't know how to prepare myself for the day to day life of an intern. These sessions really helped me get what it looks for a ministry to be driven by the Gospel, even in one to one conversations. I wasn't handed a daily job description, but I realized that I have all the tools to do my job. We had sessions focusing on each of the principles of the "P.O.M.", which are Scripture, Justification, and Sanctification. At first, I thought, "really, we're being taught about justification again? I get it!" But that's the thing, I really don't get it, I need to be taught about forgiveness and grace EVERY DAY.

In other news, I think I've reached about 42% of my support... which means I'm halfway to moving! It also means that I'm still far, and that I still need so many supporters! Please pray that God would provide! Classes start at UAB two weeks from tomorrow, and I want to be there!

Just for fun!

Sometimes this blog is really serious.... I'm going to post today to share some things I'm really thankful for!

1. Starbucks and Mary Beth Moore.  She's sat with me twice this week as I read for the study program, make phone calls, and waste time on the internet.  What a friend! I'm so thankful for you, MB, and for our mothers' friendship that keeps us connected when we get bad at keeping up with each other!

2. DIY blogs. Very rarely do I actually get around to making anything that I see, but it's cool to think that I could be a crafty person.

3. Books that I don't have to read. Oh, thank you, summer, for reconnecting me to one of my favorite past times ever! Let's keep this up past August this time.

4. Daniel 3! Have you read this recently? I know we all heard the story in Sunday School, but verse 25 gives me chills when I read it now. King Nebuchadnezzar saw one "with the appearance like a son of the gods" walking around in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Let's take a second and imagine what that might have been like.

What is July for anyway?

Something I mentioned in my last post is that I'm spending my summer raising support for this internship. This is the part of the deal that took me a long time to come to terms with and REALLY freaked me out.  The truth is, it has turned out to be an incredible learning experience and something I feel really wholehearted about (truly the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart, that's not how I felt two months ago).

In order to move to Birmingham, I need to raise 85% of $33,787.  I'm not even half way at this point, but I'm still really excited to see how it's going to come together.  Okay, that last thought changes every couple of days or so.  This summer has definitely taught me how much I let my circumstances determine my attitude.  At the end of the day, I know that God can provide the support and that He loves to give his people good things, so I can trust him to bring me to the end of this summer, whether that means with support or without.

This process has been really hard for me for two reasons.  First, I am always really reluctant to share how I feel about things and I hate to make people uncomfortable.  This is not helpful at all when it comes to support raising because it is good to share my love for UAB and RUF and for sharing the Gospel with students and it is good to ask people to partner with me! It has really shown me how I need to learn to be less afraid of others and more concerned with sharing the really good things that God is doing in my life right now.  Something that has helped me appreciate the support raising process is that it is really about relationship building. I have been blessed to deepen my friendships with so many people in my life by sharing with them about this internship and I've overcome a lot of fears about other people and what they will think of me. I have such a long way to go towards loving people the way Christ loves me, and he is graciously showing me that so much this summer.

Another reason this process has been difficult is that it has shown me that I am not a very self-motivated person.  Support raising involves a big goal, with a deadline that's not exactly close and the reasons I want to do it are people who I don't actually know yet and are not around me everyday. I'm kind of excited about support raising next summer, because I'll be able to tell stories and share about individuals.

Training is next week! I'm excited because I love being with the other interns, and because the campus ministers will be there this time! I'm also anxious, though, because I know that I don't have very much support raised, and this training marks the beginning of the end of summer...

Until next time,
Laura