Living Life at Belhaven!

Good gravy! So much has happened! RUF at Belhaven is growing in depth of relationships as well as maintaining the enthusiastic crowds that started out this amazing semester! Chad Scott, our campus minister, has been preaching through Acts in a series about what Jesus' death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit mean for our lives, and our students are certainly living it out by loving the community! RUF has helped with the Sonbeams ministry of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church, which gives parents of special needs children a night off by taking these children in for a night of games, snacks, biblestudy, and singing. Our girls especially had a blast and have been asking when the next one will be :) 

Over Fall Break, a group of RUF students gave their time and energy to Palmer Home for Children, repairing greenhouses where the home grows poinsettias to raise money, working alongside some of the kids to space poinsettias inside the greenhouses, completing some odd jobs to make things run more smoothly, and just generally goofing off and showing these kids some individual love and attention. We played tag, hide and seek, basketball, and even taught a couple of two year olds to play duck, duck, goose! Again, students want to know when we can go back, and hopefully we will be able to make another trip this spring! 

Here is a picture of some of our crew with a tarp to cover a greenhouse. Palmer Home asked that we not post any pictures of the children for their safety.

The other weekend away this semester was the MidSouth Fall Conference. Over 300 students from all over the MidSouth gathered at Twin Lakes retreat center for a time of teaching and fellowship, away from the pressures of college. 

The Group! by Anna Lois Callen Photagraphy

The guys doing a "girl" picture. They're...special.
Anna Lois Callen Photography

Ligon Duncan and Billy Dempsey were our speakers, and let me tell you, folks, these men are exceedingly gifted at making the gospel come alive to college students through unexpected passages. I don't think these students ever expected Numbers to be so piercing and gospel-filled! Plus, Belhaven's RUF music team led worship, and it was KILLER!!! (Bonus: We have drums, oh YES we do!!!)

The girls playing "Inky Pinky Punky Monkey"...or something
like that. We're special too ;) Anna Lois Callen Photography

Aside from learning loads, WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! From the dance party to reconnecting with friends from other schools to disc golf to basketball to climbing the fire tower to just hanging out/napping, this was a much needed break!

Did I mention the Giant Jenga tournament?
It was pretty much epic.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support! In addition to these events, I have been able to spend a large amount of time on campus, especially in the Student Center, and as a result I know (and am known by) more girls than I ever thought possible! RUF also has avenues of reaching the areas of campus that have previously been closed to us in terms of student interest, and we are wondrously thankful! The choir director has generously allowed me to sing with the Belhaven Concert Choir, and Chad, our campus minister, has used his talent for volleyball to reach many athletes by occasionally volunteering with practices! We can't wait to see where God points us next!