Happy New Year!---Danielle's January Update

Classes in Denton started this week and we are back in the swing of things here! I wanted to wait to send this post until after our biggest event of the year, Winter Camp! We spent the holiday weekend at Sky Ranch with all 600 of our students across the metroplex to gear up for the coming semester. Two campus pastors from Bellingham, Washington, Geoff and Jessica Mumley, came to speak to our group about being sent into the world as disciples. Their stories of being sent to their community were so inspiring. Something that Jessica said that stood out to me most is, "Jesus' mission field was where his feet were, no matter what his plan was. Your mission field is where your feet are!" This has been a great reminder to me, and I think it can be encouraging to you as well. Even if you aren't doing campus ministry, God has still given you a mission field and it includes all the people you encounter on a daily basis. "As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" (Romans 10:15).

TWU Core at Camp

Look how many students came!

Some more good news and thanks to share with you: our Keep FOCUS Growing Fundraiser raised over $60,000! Thanks to all of you who donated and helped us reach our goal! We are blown away by the generosity of our greater community. We have already started renovating our staff meeting space at the church building in Garland, and FOCUS is now able to offer health insurance to all employees! What an amazing blessing!

Finally, here is our latest student testimony from a student at Collin College:

"FOCUS showed me what a real relationship with God is. Coming from a Christian private school, I thought I understood God pretty well but I didn't have a relationship with him at all. Through the example of my Corefas, staff members, and just so many other students, I saw what it means to earnestly seek God. One of my favorite moments from freshman year was a talk with my friend, Pedro. We were good friends at this point in the year, and I had become pretty vulnerable with him. We got into a serious conversation about our current walks with God, what that looks like, and why. After poorly answering how my relationship with God was "pretty good", Pedro really pushed my ideas of why I was Christian. I ended up realizing most of my faith was blindly following the laws God had given us, and not really seeking him out. Pedro then opened up to me that he had struggled with the same problem early on in his faith. I'm beyond thankful for Pedro and so many other friends like him who have spurred me on in love. Before FOCUS, this community, I was living half the life I am now. Now, I am living life with God, not just for him."


Graham Spencer
Collin College, Spring Creek
Illustration
Sophomore