college life

Welcome week here on campus always seems to coincide with the summer's last hurrah of scorching heat, leaving every Meijer in the area cleaned out of fans and dorm fridges. This week is perfect for back-to-school, however, as the temperatures dropped down into the upper 40s last night and it's wonderfully cool and cloudy today. This is undoubtedly my very favorite time of the year - the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The atmosphere is charged with all the new freshmen overrunning the dorms and the upperclassmen returning to the East Lansing neighborhoods. It always reminds me of just why we love college ministry... you can't even imagine the potential of what God could do in the hearts of these students. They are about to encounter that exhilirating freedom, some for the first time, of taking charge of their own lives. The decisions they will make here will set the tone for the rest of their lives - and there is nothing in the world like seeing God become real to a college student. We are so priveleged to work with men and women at this stage in their lives.

This Saturday is our first outreach event for the school year, the annual "Party at the Aud." The MSU Auditorium is filled with tables and booths from registered campus student organizations, and new students come by to check them out and sign up. It's always packed, hot, and stuffy, and bustling with energy. The organizations have an informal competition to see who can hand out the best "stuff" at their tables... we've tried cold water, candy, and even Ramen noodles in the past, and we're still figuring out what to do this year. Since Greek Life is not a registered group yet, Christian Challenge is graciously sharing their table space with us. Please pray for us that we get some truly interested contacts and a place to begin.