I was blessed, shaped, and challenged, as I both rejoiced and cried, sometimes all in the same day! After being amazed at the financial support that the Lord so graciously provided through so many generous people and families, I moved up to Raleigh without a question that this job was indeed what the Lord had planned.
New city, new relationships, new job, new campus, new church... It was easy to get lost and overwhelmed in all of the new-ness and adjustments. I settled quickly into a church community (Christ the King Presbyterian) where I have enjoyed fellowship and been reminded of the gospel every Sunday since. As the school year and RUF started up, I was affectionately nicknamed 'Hentern' and began the everyday act of getting lost on campus. Some days it felt like God was placing students right in front of me telling me to pursue them and walk life alongside them and other days it felt like they were no where to be found (or maybe I just didn't want to find them sometimes..). Did I feel weird hanging out on a college campus after I had just graduated and asking freshmen to grab lunch and coffee so I could then ask them a bunch of get-to-know-you questions and pry into their lives? Yes. One-on-one meetings were a regular part of my day where conversations would be sprinkled with countless topics (roommates, loneliness, broken families, missions, careers, summer plans, homesickness, death, forgiveness, insecurities, body image, alcohol, father wounds, dating, spiritual apathy etc). Although I did not always know what to say or how to respond, the gospel did. Jesus had a response in every one of these conversations and that is simply because He knows and cares for, and is more faithful, forgiving, merciful, and gracious than I am capable of imagining. However, the Lord did bless these conversations, which served to deepen relationships, and grow BOTH of us. On Fridays while meeting with Chuck to catch up on the events of the week, I would often find tears welling up in my eyes, because I was just emotionally overtaken by what the Lord was doing in their lives, whether it was certain realizations or sufferings, and in our conversations.
What a seat I have as I journey along watching and witnessing the work that God is doing in these girls' lives! Sure there were (and are) times where all I wanted to do was talk about myself, avoid the struggles, preach the gospel of Allison instead of the gospel of Christ, cancel on them, not be patient, and not listen. I so often got impatient with Jesus and wanted to be the one to save these girls, but as you can see from the list above, I would've (and have) clearly and immediately failed them. Although I have not succeeded at every chance I had to tell or remind them of the Savior that Christ is, I rejoice in the fact that that is still the truth and that Jesus is revealing Himself to people despite my failures.
Above is just a glimpse into this past year, but Bible studies and Large Group were also regular happenings. I was so glad that girls at Meredith College got involved in the Bible study that we had on their campus, which helped them to get plugged into Large Group too. I'm excited for a couple of these girls to serve on ministry team this upcoming year and to see what else is in the works for that campus.
I'm so thankful for this first year and the ways that Jesus has met me both in the pits and the peaks. The pits of figuring out how to deal with the cable guy when he doesn't come at the time he says or going out to put something in the mail in your pajamas and realizing that the door locked behind you (and allowed you to meet the sweet 75 year old woman on the other side of the complex who let you use her phone) or being stood up 3 times in one day (ouch)... but then in the peaks of getting to know a new freshman while simultaneously learning how to play racquetball or painting nails while talking about Jesus in a 7th floor dorm room or rollerblading around Lake Raleigh weighing pros and cons of different majors. I could go on and on, but if you're still reading... be encouraged, only a little bit more.
What am I doing this summer?? After the school year ended, we took about 40 students to RUF Summer Conference in Panama City Beach, FL along with about 1000 other RUFers from across the country. Special thanks to some Atlanta supporters for housing students overnight as they made the drive from Raleigh! Students attended seminars lead by various campus ministers, hung out on the beach, worshiped together, and were taught by Scott Sauls, who pastors Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville and talked about what Scripture teaches us about Scripture.
I've been in Raleigh for the past few weeks and will head to Atlanta this week. Interns' first priority of the summer is support, so I will be working on that in the coming weeks. I'll also be working through my study program (and catching up on it too) and starting to plan for Bible studies happening at Meredith College and the Tri Delta sorority house at NCSU. A trip to Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis is happening this month, so if you are in any of those cities, I would LOVE to catch up with you as I'm passing through! I'll wrap up the summer with staff training in Atlanta and man oh man am I looking forward to spending some time with fellow interns! I'll head back up to Raleigh before the new freshmen move in!
Thank you for humbly giving towards, praying for, and caring about the work that God is doing in the lives of college students. It is my hope that as a supporter you feel connected to this ministry and know that you have helped make it possible for me to be serving in this role.
Support Update:
My budget (expenses and salary) has increased slightly from last year to $30,000 and after accounting for continuous monthly pledges, I have about $13,000 left to raise this summer.
If you are not yet involved in supporting RUF, would you consider giving?
If you made a donation last year, would you consider matching that donation or consider giving monthly?
You can give at www.ruf.org/donate (select my name under 'staff member')
No donation is too small and all donations are tax-deductible
Please let me know if you have any questions! allison.henley@ruf.org
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| Jorts of All Sorts (end of the year party) |
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| Summer Conference |
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| Summer Conference |
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| Summer Conference |
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| RUFers hanging out on campus |
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| NC State |
