Intern Mondays // People You Meet While Support Raising

Have you met the interns yet? They're pretty amazing. The following post is from Bonnie Duncan, who likes making Texas-shaped food and has never seen an impossible race she didn't want to try.

My Chi Alpha pastor often compares support raising to the Tough Mudder. If you haven’t ran a Tough Mudder, then I should warn you, there is an 8-foot wall you have to climb over before you get to the start line. And you see this wall and you’re like well team, we gave it a good run.

It is in this moment when you realize the world can be a cold and unforgiving place. And if you didn’t pay so much for your race fee, you would be temped to throw in the towel at the sight of this wall and comfort yourself by saying you gave it the old college try. But because you would never wake up at 5:30am for nothing, you climb that wall. And others help you. And you make it over. And you do a victory dance. And then you get to the start line. And that’s when the real pain begins. But you’re so stoked you climbed an 8-foot wall, the adrenaline doesn’t wear off until mile 6. 

Support raising is kinda like that. And like the Tough Mudder, somewhere between soul-crushing and how much longer til the finish line, you meet people along the way who remind you behind every missionary, God creates a team.

Every pledge faith promise is a reminder of God’s providence and grace, and a reassurance that just as he has called me to go, he has called others to send. Like these awesome people just to describe a few:

The “Down for the Cause” Guy

This guy is all about the great commission. And all things Jesus. You ask for his email for a follow up and its soldoutforJesus@gmail.com. You ask how life is going, he responds saying he’s basking in the glory of God’s will. “Just trusting God in all things you know.” You tell him about support raising, he talks about how the hand of God is going to multiply and provide. You say goodbye, and he says “Live it loud and be sold out for Jesus.”

He’s all about this life.

That Pseudo-All-Knowing Person who Supports you Without Having to be Asked

You don’t ask them, they ask you. Because they are that cool. Call it the spiritual gift of knowledge if you will. (If that is you, there is a convenient link where you can give securely online here.) They’re the “Hey, I heard you are support raising and probably too nervous to ask so I’m just gonna start my monthly support k?” So this has actually only happened twice, but I am most definitely not opposed to it.

Just another reminder that God’s the one who provides in spite of my best efforts.

Lastly, Those People That Warrant a Happy Dance After Every Convo Because they are just that Awesome.

They know who they are. They are those super awesome that just ooze with wisdom and Jesus swag that it is almost hard to finish a conversation with them. Cause all of your energy is focused on keeping your cool.  Because they not only support you, but more importantly support the work God is doing on university campuses. They are those people in the Tough Mudder that dress up in costumes and carry around blow up alligators and dolphins. Why you may ask? Because ordinary is not really their style.

And while we are at it, ordinary is not really Jesus’s style either. And while climbing over that wall before the start line is daunting and utterly terrifying, it gives meaning as we run the rest of the race. 

Intern Mondays // Her Name Was Rachel

Have you met the interns yet? They're pretty amazing. The following post is from Kristin Caldwell. She's a graduate of Central Washington University and is becoming an expert at navigating public transportation in the city. 

I had only been at Central Washington University for five days before I discovered Chi Alpha. My friend Anna invited me to come with her to the pizza party Chi Alpha was having in place of their usual Tuesday night worship meeting. The room was full when we arrived, so we got our pizza and sat by ourselves outside. Even though we weren't inside with everyone else, it wasn't long before someone came and started getting to know us. 

This person's name was Rachel, and she was an intern with Chi Alpha. She was the first person I met in Chi Alpha, and she ended up being my mentor that year. As a result of her meeting with me every week, my life started changing dramatically. Because of her example and the example of so many other students in this community, I saw what Jesus' call to follow Him really looks like. I had grown up Christian, but somehow what a real relationship with God actually looked like in practice had never quite translated. I had never before seen people so open about their faith.

I also had never had anyone mentor me before, so having someone actively asking me questions about what I thought about a particular passage of Scripture was a totally new experience. As was having someone praying with me consistently. Not just praying for me, but actually with me. And so I started growing like crazy because I quickly realized that what she had was something I wanted.

Five years later, I'm here in DC as an intern myself learning how to be a campus missionary. What I am most excited for is to learn how to pour into students as I was poured into myself. The community as a whole made a big impact, but it was this single relationship with Rachel that really made the biggest difference. What happens this year will probably look very different than what I experienced as a freshman, but I'm excited to see how God grows and stretches me through it all.

Needless to say, being a campus missionary requires me to spend a huge portion of my time with people. I'm naturally an introvert, so being around people as much as I am every day is definitely a stretch. I'm learning that even though I'm not naturally outgoing doesn't mean that God can't use me. I'm also realizing more and more that my way of doing ministry probably looks different than those around me, and that's okay. I'm realizing too that the numbers don't matter as much as long as I'm obedient to God and love the students He has placed in my life as best I can. That was ultimately what made all the difference for me. The biggest impact on my life came from someone spending time with me. Looking back at my relationship with Rachel, I really don't remember that many specific conversations. What I do remember is the time she invested in me, whether we were talking about God or not. I'm excited to learn how to do the same.