Adieu

At the end of every school year, I like to just reminisce about the journey God has taken me on. This year, it was one of adventure, restoration, and vision. My 09-10 journey was adventurous because I engaged in activities and friendships that were challenging yet fun! For instance, I served on student leadership, took the comp exam, learned to snowboard, interned at a transitional housing program, and even spoke in chapel! Each and every adventurous memory from this year will be cherished forever.

            This school year was also filled with restoration. God reached out to me in my struggles through friends and family, classroom lessons, and Sunday sermons. He spoke words of healing and restoration into my life—breaking the bonds of issues that had held me back for years. God truly offers a life of freedom and joy! It is up to us to embrace it and follow Him with every ounce of strength we have.

            Vision was the third word that described this year. We began Spring student leadership training with a time of solitude, asking God to give us a vision for the future and for this semester. That spirit of vision-seeking and vision-casting has permeated this Spring semester. Throughout each class, each friendship, and each preparatory meeting for my Cambodia mission trip, the core question has been “what does God intend for me here?” It is one that inspires me to seek more after Him and what He desires to do in my life and in the lives of others around me!

            Speaking of vision…I have been able to develop a more solid idea of what I want to do next semester (my last one here at Jessup), and in the rest of my life. My main vision is to encourage others and love people for who they are and who they are going to become. I have unearthed a specific desire to do social work once I graduate in December. It is my dream to work with the homeless and impoverished population here in the US for a few years, while still continuing to travel overseas for short-term trips. Someday, I would love to be able to move overseas and dedicate my self to mission work in a foreign country. I am excited to see how God will play out this vision in my life!

            It has been a wonderful experience blogging for Jessup this year! I will sincerely miss it. As I bid you farewell, I hope this expresses my love for our school:

Spirit, love, and fun…

I enjoy each moment here

Life buds as a rose.

What the guys in the wing next door did to my room!

Hiking during fall retreat

Wish I were graduating…

The semester is winding down, friends are making last-minute preparations for the end of their senior year, and all signs point towards graduation. For me, although I am a senior, I will not be graduating until December (I’m actually graduating a semester early…I shouldn’t finish until next May). Yet I feel like my “class”–that group of people who I’ve traveled with here at Jessup–is the class of 2010. In the Psychology department, we took all the same classes together, had the same fieldwork/internship classes, and many of us entered as transfer students together. We have spent countless hours working on projects together, studying for tests, writing group papers, sharing stories, serving on leadership, and hanging out. It is a close-knit Psych community full of laughter, tears, hugs, and advice. It is strange to grasp the concept that many of my friends will be moving on to bigger things–like marriages, grad school, careers, and more–while I still have a bit more time at Jessup. I don’t necessarily feel upset or frustrated, just a bit sad. Our “class” will always have cherished memories of our time here, and I am grateful for them. We still get to make some memories together–like our celebratory party next week–but summer is coming a bit too fast!

One thing I am learning is that life is about constant change, and the only things that stay the same are God and snapshots of days gone by. Yet it kinda makes life exciting!! Soon I will have the opportunity to graduate and experience different things, too. And though sometimes I wish I were graduating this May, I am thankful overall that I have a little time left to be a “college kid” :) It’s an experience that I will never be able to have again, and I want to enjoy it as long as I can!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

~Elizabeth

Mission Trip to Cambodia

This week, I have been focusing on raising funds for my Cambodia mission trip that I will be going on next month. I am part of an 11-member team from Jessup, and we are traveling to Battambang and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There we will be working with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) and AIM (Agape International Ministries). I am excited to return to Cambodia after having gone there with a team last year. It was such an amazing experience!! God is truly working through those organizations to touch the nation of Cambodia!

I am still working to raise money, however. Our trip costs $2,000 and so far I have raised $1,252. I have $748 to go!!! Praise God that He is blessing me abundantly, and I am so excited to see how He will provide the rest. Currently, my team is selling t-shirts as a fundraiser. The image on the shirt is a painting by Shane Grammer of a young Cambodian girl who was rescued from sex trafficking. If you would like to buy one, please visit www.pilgrimsmission.com and put “Elizabeth B. at Jessup” in the comment line. Thank you so much for all your support and prayers!!!

Until next time…

~Elizabeth

Passing of the Torch

So, coming back from spring break was a huge wake-up call! I jumped right back into a busy schedule, and my body is currently crying for sleep! This week has been filled with planning for the Passing of the Torch ceremony, an annual leadership tradition which signifies the passing of responsibility from the old leadership team to the new leadership team. It is quite symbolic, but also alot of fun because we get to begin bonding with the new leadership! I cannot wait because I will not be “passing” my torch, so to speak, quite yet. I still have one semester left of leadership…then I graduate! Personally, I love being on leadership and serving the community here at Jessup. It has been an amazing growing experience, and I have some of the best friendships because of it. God has truly blessed my being on student leadership as an Orientation Assistant.

Anyway, I am in the dinner-party-planning-committee for Passing of the Torch. Though I cannot give all the details (for fear that my fellow student leaders will read this and thus the secret will be revealed), the dinner should be awesome! Here are three words to describe it: traditionally-chic, comfortable, and yummy! :) We are also working on a “secret project” for all leadership members–old and new! It has filled my days to overflowing with meetings, activities, and more, but it will all be worth it! I’m so excited!!!

Next time I write, I may be able to give more details about Passing of the Torch. Until then…have a joyful day!

~Elizabeth

Job Hunting!

It is the middle of spring break, and I have been on the hunt for a summer job back home. I never really understood the time commitmment and perseverence that you have to have in a market like this. It is not an easy task, that’s for sure! So far, I’ve applied at eight different places and left my resume at three others. I’ll be applying online to at least two other places. Now it’s all in God’s hands! 

Despite the job hunt, I’ve been managing to enjoy spring break so far. I’ve been able to cook alot since I’ve been back…it is SO nice to have a kitchen again! I can’t wait to move to the on-campus apartments next year because then I will have a kitchen all the time! My family and I watched Blind Side last night. It is a really good movie, and it made me want to cry at points because it portrayed the real-life difficulties that children go through when they don’t have a family to turn to. I appreciated it even more because social work is a passion of mine. I only wish it could have spent more time on the issue of life in the projects. I encourage you to watch the movie if you haven’t already!

A good book that I’ve been reading is The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam. It is an autobiography about a Cambodian girl who is sold into sex slavery and eventually escapes it. She eventually works to combat the horrible trade, and she shares her story and her passion in this page-turner. This book comes at the perfect time, since I am  preparing to return to Cambodia with a team from Jessup in May. I have met girls who either have been or are still stuck in sex slavery. Their stories are utterly heartbreaking–even more so than the stories of the impovershed people I met in San Francisco in November (see my blog entitled “Brokenhearted”). I beg you to look into the facts about human trafficking, for it does not just happen abroad but at home. Oakland, California, is the city where it happens most frequently in the United States, and Sacramento is number two on the list. Learning this shocked me…it is right under our noses and in our neighborhoods! Search your hearts and God’s and see what He might have you do…ask Him. Maybe it’s a trip overseas, or maybe it’s a trip to an inner city…you never know!

Busy Week!

This week was incredibly busy! After celebrating my birthday over the weekend with a surprise party thrown by my boyfriend, I had to take the Psychology comprehensive exam that all senior psych majors take. God is truly showing me how to trust Him in stuff like that (I don’t really like taking tests), and He is deepening my walk with Him in more ways than one. This week has been quite a growing experience!

Today we students voted for our next student body president. I am excited because both candidates have great visions for our school next year. The whole atmosphere today at the polls was quite fun…both candidates had baked treats for voters (one side had cookies, and the other side had cupcakes). Our school is unique in that the students rally together behind their friends, but the whole contest is upbeat, lighthearted, and friendly at the same time. It will be interesting to see who will be on our student government team!

Spring break is fast approaching, and we are all excited to have a break from classes and visit our families or have fun doing whatever our plans are. This break, I hope to begin the job hunt for summer, and maybe get some extra sleep too! :)

Hope that your Easter is lovely and enjoyable!! Until next time…

Home Cooked Food…

Tonight I got to make some Filipino food with my boyfriend in his on-campus apartment! It was so much fun, and a relaxing break from homework and stuff. I love the fact that there are now so many kitchens on campus…I can’t wait to live in the apartments next year! It was also comforting to have a home cooked meal in the midst of a crazy week!

Last Friday, I went snowboarding for the first time…an awesome experience! We’re literally only an hour away from the snow, which is quite nice. Let’s just say I was pretty sore by the time the day was over! God taught me alot, too…just how to trust in Him when I was afraid and frustrated (trying to learn how to snowboard is pretty intense!).

Another way God stretched me this week was giving me the opportunity to be a peer preacher in chapel! It was such a blessing to be able to serve Him in that way…but I also learned what it meant to really “live” with a message. God truly engrained that message on my heart…a message of trusting Him in all circumstances and focusing my gaze on Him. Another bright spot was the fact that my family came up to hear me speak, and afterwards, I got to spend some time with them. It was really nice to see them again!

Well, it is midnight and I am quite tired…

Have a wonderful rest of the week!!! Don’t forget to spend some time with those you love!!

Beautiful February

Alot of people see the months of February and March as challenging because the workload is setting in, midterms are coming up, and the weather is dreary. But for me, the month of February has been much like a doxology (a joyful song). Not only did I spend my first Valentine’s Day with my sweetheart ;) but God has used each and every experience this month to draw me closer to Him. He has shown His glory in my weaknesses. He has been faithful when I have not, and He has shown me His love in so many ways!

There is one class that I have been enjoying so much: Applied Integration. It is our senior-level Psychology capstone course, and it includes a very big test. If we do not pass it, we do not graduate this year. So much is riding on the test, but God has been showing me time and time again that He is ultimately in control. Our teacher has been very helpful in nurturing our spiritual walks as we prepare for this test–encouraging us, challenging us, and helping us calm our fears. It has, in and of itself, been a growing experience. Yet God sees fit to generalize what He has been teaching me in Applied Integration to my entire life. I find it so refreshing when He does that–He shows His loving hand through so many avenues! I am so blessed to go to a school where the teachers are in tune to the moving of God’s Spirit!

Yes, February is a crazy month–packed with leadership meetings, mission meetings, mission banquets, papers, projects, classes, and more. As one of my favorite songs says “I stand only because You’ve given me strength to walk. You carried me…through it all. And I believe…You’ll carry me all the way home!” That’s my theme song for this semester. It’s not in my strength that I will get everything done…it is only through His!

Surprise! It’s a new semester!

It always seems to happen…it sneaks up on you like a quiet cloud and then lets out its fury. If you’ve ever had it happen to you before, you know what I mean. Days and weeks seem to sail by, fairly carefree…except for a few chapters here and there to read, and maybe a small quiz to study for. Then all of a sudden, bam, it hits you like a freight train. You are caught in a whirlwind of papers, quizzes, reading, tests, activities, work, illness, and sleeplessness. You can’t seem to see the way out…the path is foggy and muddy…almost impassible. You scream until your lungs ache, but to no avail…it’s like you’re falling in a dream and the only way to stop is to wake up. But you can’t. There is no way you can make your brain understand that it’s a dream…maybe because it isn’t. In fact, it’s NOT a dream…it’s called life…it’s called school…and the only way out is to endure.

Almost every college student has had this experience at least once: a sense of being overwhelmed. The good thing is, though, that every time I have had to go through it, God makes Himself known to me in a new and exciting way. The thing I keep learning over and over again is that when I cannot do something or endure something on my own, He can do it for me, take me through it, and make me better for it.

No matter how life looks right now, be encouraged. He is going to do something amazing in your life, just trust Him!

May you have a wonderful week full of calm skies and brightened by His love!

In the Library…

Hi All!

Right now, I’m standing in the library waiting for a few things to print. The library is a great place to study, to use the best computer technology, to find resources for class, and to print documents when you don’t own a printer :) According to the advancement office, our school has the best theological library in the greater Sacramento region. We see alot of pastors and seminary students using our library for research purposes.

On another note, we just had our crazy Week of Welcome…the first week of classes, filled with activities put on by student life. It was so much fun! We went roller skating, had campus communion, watched movies, played Prison Break, and more! Now we are getting ready to jump right into the regular school schedule!!!

Guess what! I finally bought a pretty coffee mug!! I’ve been wanting one for months and finally found one that I really liked. I actually found it in the school bookstore…it’s a sea foam green with a pretty brown cursive script that reads “William Jessup University” I’m excited because now not only do I have something pretty, but I also have something to remember the school by when I graduate in December! (as long as I don’t break it! lol!)

I couldn’t believe the storms we’ve been having this week! It was so hard on Tuesday and Wednesday to walk the short distance from the dorms to class and back because of the wind. Despite it being slightly unpleasent, the view from my window is quite gorgeous when it storms. Someday I will have to take pictures and post them on here.

Well…it’s back to homework and then watching a movie with one of my wingmates…have a great weekend!!!