Hello again.

First and foremost, please allow me to apologize because I have totally neglected this blog.  Though I have been updating my personal blog on a semi-regular basis. If you want the link to that, just ask. 

Things on campus are going really well, and I'm posting on here just to let you know that my November newsletter is available. If you would like a copy, just message me and I will forward it along. 

Thanks for everything!

A few quick stories

- One day last week we were tabling for a new student activities fair, and we met a few Korean students who were studying in China and came to AU on an exchange program. Apparently their teacher was a former AU alum who knew of Chi Alpha before he actually started following God. He then recommended that his students come check us out when they arrived at AU. We have had the pleasure of hanging out with them this week. When asked by a Chi Alpha sophomore what their favorite part of DC was, the group said "Chi Alpha".  Glad we could make them feel welcome! =]

- Another night, I met a girl who heard about Chi Alpha online. I got to learn a little more about her story and how she was once agnostic because she was forced to attend church as a kid and saw no point in God. In the last few years, God has radically changed her life through healing and redemption. And, now she wants to serve Him on campus. Awesome!

- Yesterday, we had our first worship meeting. It was a pretty full chapel with people from all over the world and from all walks of life. At one point our worship leader asked people to hold their hands out in surrender, and I looked around the room to see dozens of college students declaring that they wanted to put God first in their lives. Honestly, it was such a touching moment that I definitely got a little teary eyed.

-Two of my dear friends shared their stories last night. One talked about how our community helped him deal with his depression and helped him become more comfortable being himself. The other talked about how he used to find value in attention from girls and drinking with his frat brothers on the weekends. Now, he sees that God has more and finds value in authentic community. I love Chi Alpha, but I love Chi Alpha because Chi Alpha is a group of people. People who yield to God, and who love one another. I love this guys and it was awesome to hear them share their stories.

In summary...

A blurb for my home church's newsletter:

1000 event flyers, 500 free cups, 200 servings of ice cream, 25 pizzas, 7 days... all for 1 purpose to let students know that they are welcomed and loved. Welcome week at American University is coming to a close and my internship with the campus ministry here is only beginning. I have met dozens of students from all walks of life and all over the world, and each student has the same desire: to find a community on campus. Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship is that community for many and God has great things in store for this year. 

As I continue to work with Chi Alpha this year, I am so excited to have the partnership of my church back home! Your prayers and investment of $125/month will make a huge difference in impacting the lives of college students. It also has made a great difference in helping me reach my support raising goals. $1500 of my $2500 monthly budget has been raised so far. I am incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement! Please keep this process in your prayers as I still have to gather a few more supporters on my team in order to continue to intern. I have to hit the $2000/month benchmark by the end of this month. So if you or anyone you know are interested in helping me further meet that goal, please let me know. 

Also, I will be keeping a ministry blog and sending out newsletters regularly; if you would like to receive more information about my work on campus, please email me: kera.package@gmail.com. Thank you again for everything! Thinking and praying for you all often!

Much love and many blessings! 

-Kera

Welcome Week.

I love welcome week. Reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new people, welcoming freshman home, passing out free stuff, serving the campus, and baffling people because we make them feel loved and accepted and they can't quite understand why.... love welcome week.

I only have a few minutes to blog. So for now, here is a recap of the week thus far and an idea of what the upcoming days will involve. I promise to take a few minutes later this week to share some stories more in depth.

Saturday and Sunday... we helped move in hundreds of freshmen. Often, their parents try to pay us. One mom asked me why I wouldn't accept a donation. I explained that it was my pleasure. When she inquired further, I had the opportunity to tell her that we are kind because Jesus was first kind to us. Awesome.

Sunday night... we handed out over 150 servings of ice cream. Amazing event, and the very same one that I first connected with Chi Alpha at three years ago when I was a freshman in college.

Monday afternoon... handed out free ice pops at our information table on the quad.

Monday night... glow in the dark lawn games and pizza on the grassy area near where people get picked up for frat parties. Awesome to be an alternative. I have some great stories... involving everything from awesome freshmen to party crashing drug dealers. Stay tuned because I'll share more later.

Today... more tabling, and an open house for our spiritual life center.
Tomorrow... tabling and family reunion.
Friday... dinner out on the town and a gigantic game of capture the flag.
Saturday... canoeing...

It has been an awesome week thus far, and will prove to be a great week ahead. Please keep our events, our campus, and the students who call it home in your prayers.

Update

I apologize for not giving a support raising update. I am still $475/month away from the 80% benchmark, almost $1000/month away from full budget. Good news is that my internship director has graciously given me a two week extension to meet that benchmark. So, we have some more time.

I did officially start my internship this week. I will write a longer entry tomorrow reflecting on week one tomorrow.

For now, I am off to bed. I can rest easy knowing that God is in control, and that I have an amazing group of people who love and support me. =]

Daily Update- overtime.

My deadline is supposed to be tomorrow morning...
but I now have until Weds. night.

$580/month away from that benchmark.... and still praying for a miracle.

Thank you all for all your prayers! Let's keep praying and believing that God is going to come through for me to start this internship on time! =]

Daily Update T-.5

One day left, still $625/month until that benchmark.

What has been really awesome is seeing who wants to partner with me. Those who I expect to, often don't. But my friends who I wouldn't think to ask are the ones that want to help. Several of the girls in my Bible study last semester are giving special gifts, and one of my friends from UK wants to help... awesome. So thankful for amazing people in my life.

One full day left until I sit down to have the "where do we go from here? Can I start this internship?" conversation. I am praying that God provides just a little more before then.

Thank you all for your support and prayer!

Daily Update- T-1.5

As promised, I am updating every day... and every day my number has gone down a little.

$655/month left to raise to hit that 80% benchmark.

Daily Update T-2

Another day has gone by and I am a little closer to hitting that benchmark. Two more monthly supporters brings us to... $675 left until 80%.

Let's see what this weekend brings... one thing that it will definitely bring is my new roommate. The Chi Alpha CMIT intern at Georgetown, who has thankfully hit her benchmark. =]

God provides... and I am getting more and more excited to see how He is going to make this all work out as time ticks away.

.. and I think that clock may actually stop on the 10th, not the 9th ... so maybe this post should be entitled Daily Update T-2.5.

Daily Update: T-3

Sitting here with my guitar at my side,  I'm hoping to get in a worship session before I go to bed. A funny thought because I pray that it is a sweet sound to God's ear even though I know it isn't the most pleasing sound to any other ear. (I'm still learning how to play.) But I have a music instrument and the desire to praise Him, so with all that I am and the little ability I have, that's exactly what I want to do... worship Him. And, that's exactly what I want to do with all my life. 

I am amazed at who God is and what He is doing. I spent the last few hours talking with three Chi Alpha alumni about how we have changed in the last few years. There have been so many victories in people's lives- over depression, eating disorders, self image issues, phobias, healing in family issues, the list goes on... There are so many reasons to thank God.  

The discussion morphed into a prayer session, for a half hour we prayed for a friend of ours who is struggling. Not to be cliche, but it was truly a beautiful sight. One of the girls afterwards said, "These are the moments that should be advertised. This is Christianity. This is community." And may I add, this is what Chi Alpha is all about. An authentic movement of people who love Jesus and want others to see how much Jesus loves them too! 

So there is my advertisement, and also my heart. It is for that amazing God, for this community, and for all the people who have yet to meet Him that I want to be on campus this year. 

Three days away from my official start date and I am still $800/month away from beginning my internship. Two monthly supports and another special gift today... which means I have 30 individuals financial supporting me and at least a dozen more praying with me. I am so grateful that I stand with many, that I stand in community. Thank you all for being in this with me! God is going to come through for us! =]

Daily Update: T-4

Another monthly supporter, another special gift... and we are $835/month away from the benchmark. I also have some awesome friends that have sent out some referrals for me... so we'll see what happens.

God can totally do it! Tonight at church, the sermon was on God's authority and how He is more than capable of doing miracles if we have just a bit of faith.

I think I can muster up a little faith, and I'm expecting a big miracle. =]

Daily Update T-5...2.0

Since writing my daily update, before the midnight hour struck...

thanks to one of my dearest friends... we can change that figure to an estimated $900/month left to raise to reach my benchmark.

Woot! Woot! Five days... and God is definitely big enough to do this! =]

Daily Update T-5

Another day of prayer, patience and persistence....  and look mom, three points with alliteration- does that make me a good candidate for a ministry internship? Just kidding. When the odds are stacked against me, I often make jokes and laugh because I know that God is in control. =]

Little by little... two more of my friends invested in my ministry with special gifts. Both are still in college. Awesome to see that they care enough about ministry on campus to contribute some of their summer earnings to their  friend and future intern. My prayer is that God multiplies and blesses their investment. =]

I am about $950/month away from meeting that 80% benchmark. With just a few days left, I'm excited to see what God has in store.  A friend reminded me today that God is always using my life to show how He provides at the right time, in the right way, and at the very last moment.  I'm hoping that this is another one of those testimonies in the making.


[Note: If you are a little confused by my numbers... I am NOT counting the funds in question with that pesky scholarship check. I was previously, but am not longer factoring the hypothetical amounts into my totals due to the fact that it may take up to two  additional weeks to resolve the issue and  I can't guarantee how much money I will receive from it. Still praying that it will be resolved this week. That would be a huge help... but even if it's not, God's in control.. so all is well.]

Daily update: T-6

I broke one of the support raising rules of thumb: I sent out a mass email today to over 100 people at once. Essentially, I spammed my entire address book. Why? Because I care about the work I will be doing, and I really want to be able to be on campus full time this year.

My support raising coach reminded me of something pastor Mark Batterson often says:

"Pray like it depends on God; Work like it depends on you"

Here is to six more days of doing exactly that. If it depended on me, I would handle support raising like I handle non-profit fundraising- mass emails and mailings. That is the work I know, so that is what I did.

Within two hours of sending it, I had four responses. One monthly supporter, two special gifts, and one interested supporter.  The result  the equivalent of at least $16/month in support that I wouldn't have had if I had not sent that email. Little by little, God is providing.

There is much work and even more prayer to be done.

Will you help?

Hi Friends, 

I hope that you are having an awesome summer! I can't believe its already August, which means summer is almost over. The last few months have been great, and I am expecting this week to be even better. Hopefully, you can be a part of that. I am writing to ask for your help. 

(I apologize  for writing this email in mass quantity. I definitely prefer writing personal emails,but  I have been learning a lot lately about the importance of consistency. So, my mass request is actually intentional because I want you to know that I believe in what I am doing enough to send everyone I know the same request for help. I hope to talk with you personally later this week =].)

As you probably already know, I have been preparing to begin a campus missionary internship with Chi Alpha at American University. I will have the awesome opportunity to serve the my campus while learning what it means to be a campus missionary. I am definitely excited about this opportunity! Before I begin my internship, I must finish gathering a team of supporters who will invest in my ministry through prayer and finances.

I have exactly seven days left of support raising for my internship. I am roughly $1400 short of my monthly budget of $2500, and I need hit at least the 80% benchmark in order to start working on campus. In other words, in the next seven days, I need God to provide an additional $900-$1400 in monthly commitments or $9,000- $14,000 total. 

Would you join me in believing for enough funding to start my internship? As the semester begins, there will be students struggling with their identity, battling alcoholism and addictions, feeling homesick and lonely, navigating a new city and lifestyle, and just trying to find friends to spend time with... and Chi Alpha will be there to welcome each of those students into a loving, authentic community. It is for those students and for that community that I want to be on campus next week.

And, here  are three ways you can help 

• Pray- Please keep this support raising process in your prayers. Jesus said that anything we ask in His name is possible as long as we are in accordance with His will. I believe that this year at AU is God's will for my life this year, and I believe that He will provide. Will you believe with me?  

• Invest- I am believing in a financial miracle, so one way you can help is to invest financially into my ministry at AU. Whether it is through a special gift of $20 or a monthly commitment of $25 or some other amount, any support would be helpful and greatly appreciated. A little aside, I was a bit stressed out earlier because I don't have many contacts left who I think can support me monthly... and then God reminded me that I have plenty of friends and if each of them sowed a small financial seed into this ministry, my support would be raised in its entirety.  It's true, and I am geeky enough to do the math: 1000 facebook friends. If half of them sow a seed- let's say $20... that's $10,000 or $1,000 a month right there and more than enough to hit my benchmark goal. Realistically, I am not asking everyone to give a set amount or believing that everyone I know is supposed to invest financially. What I am asking is for you to consider asking God if you are supposed to sow a seed here. Could you do that? And, if you feel led to give, let me know and I would love to talk with you more about how to go about doing so.

• Share- As I said before, I am not sure if I know enough people to make this miracle happen. Thankfully, I am not making anything happen, God is and He has more than enough contacts and resources to provide.. but I need your help to reach them. If you know of anyone who might be interested in investing in campus ministry, please ask them if they would like to hear more about what I am doing or forward along this email. Also, ask your friends and family to partner with me in prayer this week. Here is a link to a blog I am going to be updating regarding my internship. It has more information about what I am doing, where I am in progress, and how to help. Feel free to pass it along to anyone who may be interested:http://kairosandkoinonia.blogspot.com/ 

I hope that you will join me in believing for some every day miracles this week. The verse I have been clinging to is Luke 12:32, "Do not be afraid little flock, your Father has gladly chosen to give you the Kingdom".  Here is to getting a bigger glimpse of how  His Kingdom works in everyday life. I cannot wait to tell you all how God has provided.

Thanks in advance for your help! For those of you who have already been partnering me with in prayer and/or finances, thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and friendship! I love and appreciate you more than you know! And, I thank God that each of you are in my life! 

Much love and many blessings,

Kera

p.s. feel free to call me with questions or just to catch up! I hope to talk with each of you soon! (724) 503-7707

Daily update: T-7

I have seven days left to support raise, and roughly $1400/month or $14,000 total left to raise to hit full budget. I am still believing for a miracle, and have been emailing my friends asking them to believe and pray with me. I will post a copy of the email I am sending out on here soon.

Will you join me in praying that 80% of my budget will be in by the end of this week?  Today I picked up  the equivalent of another $40 in monthly support.

Little by little, God is providing. =]

Pending that pesky check... I need between $600- $1000 in monthly commitments to hit that 80% benchmark. Sounds like a lot, but seven days is more than enough time for God.

Faith like that.

"I caught a glimpse of what You want from me.

And what I have is not enough.

I read the story one more time.

Of those who gave to You their lives

with no fear or compromise

I want a faith like that...."

This is song is my prayer for this next year, and life in general. The song recalls the incredible and simplistic faith of the early Church, and how they saw God move... not because they were great men, but because they had great faith in a great God.

What I have is definitely not enough, but God is continually reminding me that He is more than enough. Last night another alumni joined my support team, another reminder of how awesome it is to be a part of the a community that loves and follows Christ.  =]

I also have a specific prayer request. To truncate a very long story. I got permission from a scholarship agency to use the remainder of my funds for expenses during my internship year, but due to some red tape, the funds are tied up. In other words, I could either be getting a check for $6000, no check at all, or a check somewhere in between those two amounts. If you think of it, could you pray that God will overcome the red tape and release to me the exact amount of money from this resource that He desires to release. Obviously, the full amount of $6000 would be incredibly helpful, but my prayer is for at least $3000 because that is the amount I have factored into my monthly budget (I intended to use the remaining amount to pay off the balance of my credit card which currently has all of my summer/support raising expenses on it). Thanks for your prayers!

A Concise Confession

In an email, one of my high school teachers once wrote: "conciseness is a virtue, one that Kera Package do not possess".  It was a true statement then, and it is a true statement now. To be concise is to be "free from all elaboration and superfluous detail". If I had a dollar for every time I started a sentence, "please allow to elaborate"... let's just say my support would be raised.

Today, one of my friends from college asked me when I would be back in DC. My response: "August 4th, assuming that I raise my Chi Alpha budget and can start my internship". The correct response would have been "August 4th", but I felt the need to elaborate. All too often, I elaborate and provide unnecessary explanation when I am not feeling secure enough to make a concise declaration of what I believe to be true. 

As my support raising contact list dwindles, my deadline nears, and my prayer life increases... I must confess that I find myself elaborating with conditional statements like "August 4th, assuming..."

Assuming what? That God provides? He will. His provision and timing are perfect. My resources may appear to be limited, but He has more than enough partners and financial resources to meet my deadline. My elaboration habit reveals that I am still doubting that God will come through. This is my confession. As the father of a sick boy prayed as he awaited a miracle, my prayer while I await my tiny support raising miracles is: "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!" 

"Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"- Mark 9:23-24, The Message

Lord, I believe you will provide every partner, every resource, every dollar, and every ounce of wisdom that I need to begin this internship. I believe that You will be glorified in this support raising process and throughout my year at AU. I know that You will come through in greater ways than I can even imagine. Lord, I believe, but please help my unbelief.

If you are reading this, would you please believe with me? I can't wait to see what these next two weeks hold... and I am really glad that God has given me some awesome companions for the wild ride ahead. Thanks again friends! =]

Keep Rollin'

With about two weeks of support raising left, I have  about $1200/month estimated....  just under half of my budget!! These next two weeks will be busy, but I'm excited to see how God provides!

I am about $1300/month short of my goal... so if you are considering joining my team  or  if you know of anyone who may be interested in supporting my internship, please shoot me a message. I would love to talk with you!

You can also check out the page links on the right hand side of this page for more information about me and the internship. I will continue to update this blog- more frequently- as my support raising journey continues and will use it as a method of keeping my team updated throughout the year.

For all of you who have joined my team, thank you for your prayer and support!  =]

update.

I have roughly 10% of my budget raised.... two months left of summer, and roughly $22,000 left to raise.

I appreciate all the prayer and support from my friends. 

numero uno.

Today, my first official supporter joined my team. A dear friend of mine was the first to commit to financially supporting me throughout this next year. As we talked about the upcoming year, I was reminded of the first time we met and how much has happened since then. She was my small group Bible study leader my freshman year of college, and has supported me through the best and worst of the last three years. Her faith is admirable, her character remarkable, and  her friendship highly valued in my life.

As she signed the paperwork, I had a revelation of sorts, a simple one. Support raising is all about allowing your friends to continue to support you, allowing those with your shared vision to invest in what God is doing, and joining together with those you care about for a common purpose.  The thought of raising $2,500 a month by August 1st is intimidating and challenging, and I quite frankly don't know how it is going to be accomplished. Yet, I do know this: God is faithful and it will get done... and part of that is because I have the support of amazing people. As the Beatles sing, "I get by with a little help from my friends". 

Thanks for being there for me! =]

Oh, the road ahead...

“The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.”- Lord of the Rings, J.R. Tolkien.

As commencement has passed, the door of my undergraduate college career has closed. Having walked through it, I now find my feet set upon a new path in the same neighborhood and I could not be more excited for the journey.  In other words, as college closes and I know that the path of vocational ministry lies ahead, I am extremely excited for next year. I have the opportunity to stay at my university and work with my campus ministry, and there is no place I would rather be.

This blog exists to provide my friends, family, and supporters with information about my year as a campus ministry intern and updates along the way. My feet are set upon the road ahead, and I am eager to see where it leads. Will you come with me? Will you accompany along the journey? I hope and pray that you will because it is going to be an awesome adventure, and I would be honored to share it with you.