Starting Semester 2
Spring has (almost) sprung here in Melbourne. It’s still a little chilly even though we enjoyed several days of 20C+ degrees (about 70F). Flowers and trees are beginning to bloom again and we are excited for some warmer weather to come!
This semester has been really busy already. We have had 3 groups of American students connected with Cru in the States come over to help us start the semester off. It’s been great to have them come alongside us in life and ministry and they’ve just added to the excitement of being on campus and engaging again in ministry. It’s great for the Aussie students involved with Student Life to see American students who are on similar journeys – student leaders of movements on campus, seeking to reach their peers with the gospel. There was a lot of encouragement and momentum that happened as a result of their being here.
One special outreach that we did while we had an influx of Student Lifers was called the “I’m Sorry” outreach. The idea was that we wanted to do something really out of the box that would show Aussie students that we are aware of the church’s failures that often keep people from coming to Jesus. There was a group who did this at Melbourne Uni as well as RMIT. One both campuses, the first two signs that people saw said: “Jesus didn’t have anything to apologize for, but Christians do.” Then individuals wrote on posterboard what they wanted to communicate to those who’d walk by. It was powerful to see the staff and students be so vulnerable to write things such as “I’m sorry I judge you before knowing you” or “I’m sorry that I treat homosexuals as second class citizens.” Great conversations started with passer-bys and many non-Christian students said how great it was to see Christians taking ownership for what has been communicated to the culture, even if they might not have acted out these atrocities.
In other news…
Well we have a HUGE announcement to make – we are pregnant again!! This was definitely not planned nor anticipated but we are excited for what God has planned for us and our growing family! We are through the first trimester, which was really difficult, and are hoping for a smooth second trimester as we continue adjusting to what life with be like with two children. To be honest, we really thought our family was complete with Hannah. It was, but God has been gracious and gentle as He’s shown us what His plans are for us. Please pray for the baby, that he/she would continue developing normally and healthily and that Maria would be able to deal well with her changing body and hormones. Healthcare is great here, so that’s not a concern; but there will be a LOT to do when we get home to Pittsburgh!
Prayer Requests
- praise the Lord for the contacts generated from the Summer Project – please pray as the staff follow up these students.
- praise the Lord for providing another child for our family – please pray for an easy and healthy pregnancy.
- pray for wisdom for Jason as he and Roger move into the editing process of finishing the book. They’re also working on other options for a title which is more stressful than they thought it would be.
- pray for us, our staff team & the students to walk with Jesus and keep Him at the center of our lives.
We are so glad we get to share this journey of life with Jesus and with you!
for His glory,
Jason & Maria
