Friday, September 20, 2013

Sedona Getaway


With the busyness of preparing for the first week of Bible studies to begin, I realized I could use a day of exploring and adventure to refresh my soul. Conveniently, Arizona is full of beautiful places to range over. So a couple of students and I made the trip north to Sedona last Sunday! I had so much fun with my new and dear friends, Angelica and Saundra. Enjoy some photos from our adventure!







 


Holy Cross Church-so beautiful!




A good day always ends with ice cream. 




Friday, September 13, 2013

A Time of Investment


The last two weeks have been a time of investment in students and preparation for Bible studies to begin. In between several of my one-on-one lunch, smoothie, and fro yo dates, we have held events to allow the students to continue to grow in community. Here are some of the things that we have been up to here at ASU!

Mark Hart
We had the well known, "Bible Geek," Mark Hart, join us at the Newman Center to speak about how to live out a faith life on a college campus. Mark's humor and wisdom drew 130 students to the event! 



ASU Tailgate
The Newman Center put on an opening game ASU Football tailgate on Thursday, Setpember 5th. We had everything you need to make a good tailgate: a game of cornhole, lots of food, a grill, and some good jams. 




House of Gold
My teammate, Anna, and I had our second "House of Gold" event on Friday, September 6th. We led a discussion about how we as women can say "yes" to God this year. Just as Mary gave her "yes" to bring our Savior into the world, we discussed how we, too, have a choice to invite God into our lives. The early Church Fathers tell us that all of heaven held its breath, waiting for her answer, for the salvation of the world depended upon it. Heaven must have sighed in relief when Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38).  Her “yes,” allowed redemptive grace to enter the world and alter the destiny of mankind. The Blessed Virgin Mary was uniquely commissioned to bring Jesus into the world, and God extends the call He issued to Mary to every woman. Through our "yes", God will empower us with His Holy Spirit and we, too, will be filled with the life of Jesus Christ.  We become a channel of grace through which the love of God enters into the world. The rest of the night was filled with fellowship and food, and ended with a spontaneous dip in the pool. 



Prayer for Syria
The ASU Newman Center joined the rest of the world in a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and the rest of the world on Saturday, September 7th. It was beautiful to see all the students come together for Mass, adoration, a rosary, and a divine chaplet to pray for peace. 


One-on-One Investment
I have had meetings with women every day to invite them into my Bible studies and to begin to form friendships. It's been so great getting to know many wonderful women with different backgrounds!



So far, things have been great here in Arizona. I've been blessed with wonderful roommates, teammates, and priests to work with. Of course, I miss all of my family and friends back home, but I find peace in knowing that I am exactly where Jesus has called me to be. And that is the only thing that matters. God bless you all!