Ordinary People

 Last spring, I was invited by Josh Howell, the area director for InterVarsity in Houston, to come speak at their fellowship group at Rice University about Children of the Kingdom.  When we set the dates for me to come in August (8/23-8/25), we did not know the timing of our move to Seattle.  It turns out that the day I left was the day that we closed on our house in Seattle!  Even with all the crazy parts of this move, we saw no reason to cancel the trip and so here I am in Houston, Texas. 

I arrived last night and then spent the day meeting with students, being a part of a fundraiser for Children of the Kingdom making bracelets, and speaking tonight at their fellowship group. What a huge gift it has been to be here. I have been humbled that this group would offer the gift of their time and creativity to make bracelets as a way to raise funds for our program.  It was such a great idea- they asked local sponsors to donate $10/ bracelet that was made to Children of the Kingdom. Then students were invited to come to the table to make a bracelet and to learn more about the program and about Intervarsity while they were making the bracelet.  Most kept their cool bracelets but some wanted me to have them to take to the children I am going to visit in India in October.  

Over 200 bracelets were made so that means that there was about $2000 raised for Children of the Kingdom during this week's student orientation! 

Then tonight, I got to speak at their gathering about starting up this ministry in college and continuing the work with the children from 1994 until now. I loved getting to share about the relationships that have changed me and have shaped me tremendously. I loved the chance to be an ordinary person pointing to an extraordinary God we serve and to encourage these students to ask in their own lives, "What's next?" as they consider what their stories might be about in college and beyond.   (“The resurrection life you received from God is not a timid grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, “What’s next Papa?” Romans 8) 

Emily with Ellen, Josh and Jack Howell 

(Ellen was one of the first sponsors of Children of the Kingdom and has supported a student through college! She went to Kenya in 1999 on the same trip that I went on with InterVarsity. She got involved in sponsoring a child after I wrote to her team telling them about the organization that had started because of that same trip back in 1994.) 

a small group of students.... but we had a big response! 6 of them signed up to sponsors students! 

Kenya flag in the back :) (thanks to Cammy's gift from Christ Community!) 

Emily & Li Ann 

some of the students after the meeting 

This TOTALLY made me laugh out loud to see my picture around the campus when they were advertising for this event tonight :) 

This is like Where's Waldo. See if you can find my picture along with auditions for dance and engineering clubs...