First Month Tidbits

Partnership Updates:
Currently have 85% toward my goal
Approximately $2,879 total left ($240/month)

Translation: if 12 people gave $20/month, I would be at 100%!  

 Life Updates:

Women’s development program, or “WDP” as we like to call it, is blowing me away. This program is another facet of Austin Stone Institute, but also open to the church body as a whole. Designed to engage women to know God more intimately, love the gospel, and live missionallly, WDP is going to stretch us all until it hurts, and then some. Saturday was the first retreat for women’s and men’s development, where Jeff Vanderstelt, of Soma ministries in Washington, spoke on gospel fluency. Breaking down the truths of the gospel, he stirred my heart to embrace with fresh eyes the gospel that has saved, is saving, and will save our souls for His glory. The fact that there is nothing I can ever do to earn His love, but yet He still loved us enough to die so that we may know Him has brought me to tears this week. I pray that I will never grow numb to this story, that every time I share it I would feel that lump in my throat for how much He cares for me. 

Wednesday is the day that we have class for WDP. Every Wednesday night, men's, women's, and worship development programs meet together to sit under church leaders who not only open our eyes to concepts of theology, but are also careful to draw these concepts back to the gospel. Every week I feel like the walls around my idea of who God is, His Word, and what He has done are not just expanded, but completely bulldozed back to the foundation. This season is filled with a lot of questions, hard answers, an entirely new self awareness, but I am starting to see seeds of growth. Praise Him.

This is intern alley, where I spend most of my days. I love the open concept. Other than breaks with games of 'trashcan basketball', I deeply enjoy the time working alongside of people from all different areas of the church. Creating an environment where experiences and ideas flow freely, we learn a ton from each other. It's all about those little moments.

There are big things happening in the world of Connections! Right now our church is in the middle of a series titled 'This Matters', in which the whole church body is being taught about the importance of living in authentic biblical community. For so long, we have lived in an individualistic society, in which individuals and families keep to themselves and adhere to the "self-made man" mentality. This is how we got ourselves in trouble. Shallow relationships, depression, and a whole world of other issues that can be listed here are products of this. The need for the type of community God intends for us has played a huge role in my story, which is why it sets me on fire to put my time and energy into helping others find this as well. I believe this is where real change begins; in the micro, not the macro. The Lord's heartbeat for this is clear in how He burdens the authors of scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Ephesians 4:15-16, Hebrews 10:24-25, and Acts 2:42-47 are just a few of the places we can see the importance depicted. After just three weeks of introducing missional communities, we have 61% of our church body connected into groups. PRAISE HIM.

Of course I have to have a post about the good 'ol Ags. Last weekend I made the pilgrimage back to College Station to watch the Alabama game. Even though the scoreboard did not technically say that we won, I left the weekend feeling refreshed by friendships that have sharpened and constantly encouraged me these past four years. Gig 'em!

I love this city and I love capturing moments in pictures. So just a few views of a little place called Mozart's where I like to study...










This month has been a whirlwind of emotion and learning. Every day brings about new challenges and has caused a drastic shift in my thinking. You'll be updated more soon on some of my processing and growth! Please be in prayer for support and how you can potentially make a difference. If you have any questions, as always, I'd love to talk to you. If I have learned anything from the support raising process, it's that often it's the little bit of cash every month that we will not miss makes a huge difference. Support raising will never be the same. I have seen Him do incredible things in my life and others' lives through this! If this has been on your mind at all, I hope that you will be prayerful over that number and take a step in faith to walk in obedience to His call to be a part of His ministry. You really are a partner with me. The Lord was so faithful to get me to my needed goal to start work, but my goal of 100% needs to be met by the end of this month. I sincerely ask for your prayers for my partners' hearts. If you are already supporting me financially or in prayer, I thank you for giving of yourself and ask for continued prayers. Hopefully these updates will provide you with specific areas to be prayerful over!

For Him alone,

Callie