Doing LIFE in Texas

Submitted by Jackie…

I can’t believe it’s only been about two months since Daryl and I moved to Austin. It’s been a whirlwind with Welcome Week, NSWN, DC outreach, Tex-Connect, LIFE groups…and just when I think we have some down time, we’re gearing up for our next event! I knew that coming to Austin would be a big change for me – I’ve spent the last four years in Gracepoint Berkeley’s Praxis and served in the children’s ministry for most of that time. I’ve never really done college ministry before, so of course, I was filled with anxieties about how the students would respond to me and whether or not I’d be “too old” or “uncool” in their eyes.

I knew that coming to Austin would also mean that I’d have to come out of my comfort zone – the familiarity of being around people the same age as me, living in the Bay Area, and being a part of a big church full of talented people. Things have been busy, but as I look back on these two months, I see that through my time in Austin, God has been giving me the opportunity to experience Him in a new way. Austin has really become that fresh start for me – new ministry, new relationships, new city – and I’m amazed that God would want to include me in this exciting part of His story. I’ve been thinking a lot about the DT on Matthew 9 from this past week, where Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

The harvest has indeed been plentiful at the UT campus as God has been bringing many students to our Bible studies, Sunday services and LIFE group meetings (picture above). At times, it’s difficult to not feel overwhelmed at the work that needs to be done here, but honestly, it hasn’t felt like work to me. I’ve been able to experience the joy of hanging out with Pastor Manny, Sunny unni, and the other staff at 605, eating, laughing and working on curriculum for our C101 modulars. I’ve been able to help out with food for Fridays, Sundays, and Wednesday and Thursday LIFE groups – I’ve never cooked so much in my life! And our Friday nights are always filled with fun activities after TFN, whether it’s playing Password or some other group game, having gym nights or going to Culver’s to just hang out over custard, french fries and onion rings.

Although the work can seem unending, it’s been such a joy because I get to do life together with the team. And I feel so privileged that God has entrusted me with His good work and I am reminded that only through the cross am I able to experience this kind of fellowship with others on the team, as we try to reach out to college students who are just like how we once were. I’m really excited to see what God will do this year, as we have a steady group of freshmen who have been coming to LIFE groups and a core group of sophomores who want to take their spiritual lives seriously and get discipled by the staff. It’s exciting to see how even in the midst of this partying and drinking culture, God is using us to be that city of refuge to the “blind, oppressed, poor and imprisoned.”