A Few Highlights

WOW! I really can't believe that it's already the end of the school year! I feel like we were JUST planning out welcome week or the first week in August and now we're planning out an end-of-the-year pool party. I feel so behind in updating here. The truth is that (as silly as it sounds) I lost our camera for a good chunk of the semester and what good is a blog post without pictures to go with it? ;)

So many really incredible things have happened throughout the year. There are several hearts and lives that will never be the same; the LORD has been so faithful to be with us every step of the way.

Here are a few of my favorite highlights from the semester:

1. In the beginning of March, I took most of the girls out to a friend's lakehouse for a weekend retreat. We had so, so, so much fun and were really challenged by our 2 sweet interns who've been coming down every week from SHSU Chi Alpha. Hannah and Kimberly are such incredibly wise and beautiful women who have given all of themselves to this precious group of girls. They are each a strand of thread forever woven into the tapestry of this ministry here at UH. I could not be more thankful for them. I did, thankfully, have my camera for this wonderful time together.

2. We took the first ever Communion at UHXA the Thursday evening before Easter. It was such a sweet time with our students. Eric, one of the student leaders, preached about the Cross and about what it truly means to honor the significance of it in our daily lives. He did such a an amazing job! And afterward, we participated in Communion together.

3. We have had the privilege to see the fruit of some of the seeds that were sewn back in the fall. We fought hard through the long, cold winter where everything seemed to be frozen over and, in some, maybe even dead. But with the warmth of the spring sun and the melting of the ice came the warmth of the grace of GOD to melt the hearts of our friends. And sure enough, up comes little shoots of green...signs of life!

4. This last Monday was the final evening of the school year for the Girls' Small Group. We had such a sweet time together, even though we were all emotional about it being the last time we would all be together in one place. Nicole (the other leader) and I had the house candle-lit with sweet worship music playing when they got here. She read the passage of Scripture where JESUS washes the feet of the disciples and then we washed their feet one-by-one and prayed over them. Afterwards, we all went out to dinner, all dressed up. I still can't believe all the different beautiful women the LORD has brought into my life just in the last year. I so enjoy looking back at who they each were when I first met them and then thinking about what their lives look like now. Transformation is such a beautiful thing.

I'm sure some pretty amazing things also happened with the guys, but they don't really tell me anything and I can't get Matt to post on here for anything. Ha! We sure do enjoy what we do and are just in awe of what the LORD has done in such a short time. We eagerly look ahead to what's brewing for the summer and are in anticipation for what's coming next fall. Keep your eye out for more awesome stories...there's always something going on here.