New School, New Season
What an incredible quarter it has been here at the University of the Nations! We have enrolled more students this October than any other in the history of the campus! There are currently over 600 students and almost 1100 people on campus any given day. The campus is buzzing and while it takes quite a bit longer then usual to get through the lunch line we are loving it!
It is incredible to see so many selfless young people desperate to make a difference in the world and encounter Jesus. They not only pay to be here but are then willingly sent out around the globe to some of the most poverty stricken, desolate and isolated parts of the world. They bandage wounds, they help build homes, they pray, they witness, they visit orphanages and hospitals, they scrub floors and do yard work…all in the name of a man named Jesus.
I watch these same young students come back from their two months of service. Where they had once complained about how long the lunch line was, they now praise God for food so readily available. Instead of grumbling over cold showers they rejoice in running water and electricity to see at night. But it is more than just being grateful for things they had gone without. Their heads are held a little higher and there is so much life in their eyes. As they come back they have given so deeply of themselves…to strangers. They have shared the good news that Jesus desires a relationship with each and every person he has placed on this earth. And as they share the good news of the gift of eternal life something in them will never be the same.
It is an honor to be part of it all and even though we are not “going out” in this season, we are loving serving on the back lines here in Kona. This upcoming January quarter I will have the exciting opportunity to be a little more directly involved in the student’s lives. As many of you know I have been working in the Training Department serving under Andrew Dutton, who is a part of the “team three” leadership of the campus, and it has been an incredible season working with him and his wife Faith. This January they will be leading one of our schools, the Discipleship Training School, and have asked me to be a part of the staff team. I am beyond excited to work in the school and while I am not sure how much I will be able to do (motherhood takes priority) I know there will be plenty of opportunities to invest in the student’s lives, which is my favorite part For three months the students will attend lectures and serve here on the campus and afterwards they will be sent out for two months, to love and serve and tell people about Jesus all around the world.
Interested? Know somebody who would be? Here is a link that will take you to more information about our specific school we will be running in January. The average age of the students is between 18 and 25 but it is not uncommon to have people much older as well. The school runs for a total of six months and is starting in January. Come and be changed.
