Your generosity and partnership will not only have an impact during the Fall Semester but it will live on in the hearts of those whose lives are impacted through our ministries all across the city. Together, we raised $6,000 dollars in a little over a month!
Many of you are students, alumni and friends. Others are family members and church leaders. We had people from all over the United States partner with us in our 100 for $100 Project. We are grateful for the sacrifices that were made and we know that these resources are going to truly help us as we welcome thousands of students to the city in the upcoming weeks.
At American University, one of my favorite events that we do for Fall Kickoff is Cones & Chi Alpha. (You can read more about it from a student perspective here). We've usually spent the entire day moving in several hundred students into their new dorms. Many of them come to campus with their siblings and parents. I think I'm still sore from the amount of mini-fridges that we carried last year. One mother even packed it with food and then duct taped it shut - boy, it was heavy! But it's an amazing feeling to be the first faces that freshman see when they arrive. They are usually stressed out, excited but nervous - but we are there with dozens of volunteers and student leaders. That very first night, we invite them to a social called Cones & Chi Alpha. They get to eat free ice cream (who wouldn't love that!) but they also get to met upperclassmen that are involved in our ministry.
As you know, relationship is everything. I've heard it said like this: "Show me your five closest friends and I'll show you your future in five years."
We help provide a place for students to choose a better path for themselves. They may not necessarily believe all the same things we do, but we hope to provide an environment where they are welcomed, loved and can see what a community driven by Christ looks like.
It's all too easy to believe that college students just want to drink, party and have fun - but it's just not true. We have a diverse group of students that is continually growing that are serious about making the world a better place and being part of something bigger than themselves.
So, as I hand out a cup of chocolate ice cream to a freshman - I'll be thinking of you. How your financial generosity and prayers helped create this moment. As we exchange names and perhaps share where we are originally from, one more connection is made and who knows where it will lead.
