"Be Fertile and Multiply"

Jesus multiplies...55 Student Leaders in 2011 from 18 in 2009!

"And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?”And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”  And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground,  he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.  Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children." (Matthew 15:33-38)

     
     I had been blessed to serve at South Dakota State University with FOCUS for two beautiful years! Looking back on my journey I can honestly say that it was more of a gift to me then anyone else. My Heavenly Father taught me so much and the greatest of these was LOVE! I discovered the key to being a disciple of Christ, that is, to Love but as St. Paul tells us, "Love must be sincere." It was through humbling myself before these students that I was truly able to give and receive. God chooses the weak to lead the strong and it was awe-inspiring to live this Truth. It was through acknowledging my weaknesses that God was able to use me for I knew that it was only by the power of the Holy Spirit that hearts could be transformed, "I am nothing without God, and everything because of Him."

     One of my bible study students, Nancy, brought wisdom to our study one evening in regards to the passage in Matthew. She said, "Our Lord understands that we have little to give but when we surrender to Him the gifts that we do have, He uses them in unimaginable ways! The disciples brought to God what they had, 7 loaves and a few small fish, and He performed a miracle!! He fed thousands with what little they had. This is what God does with our lives, we lay our lives down at His feet and He feeds thousands! There is no telling how many lives we will touch by the love of Christ but when we enter into His Kingdom we will see, so "lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven." (Mt. 6:20) 

"What love He has for us!!"

Hannah Banana

      Throughout my time with Kristine, I have learned to believe that there are no such things at coincidences. God’s hand is truly in everything!

     When I first met Kristine, I was a sophomore nursing student at SDSU, struggling to find a desire to grow deeper in my faith. Since I came to college, I had grown complacent with superficial friendships and repetitive falls into temptation. After we first met at a Newman Center barn dance, I knew that Kristine saw something in me that I did not see in myself; I was a beautiful child of God. So, I did what came naturally, and ran away from the Newman Center and back into old habits! But, thankfully, Kristine did not give up on me that easily; she sought me out in the crowded Student Union and asked me out for coffee. Reluctantly, I said yes.

Me and Hannah at our end of the year gathering!

     Through our weekly discipleship dates, I learned that Kristine’s past was not so different than my own and that she also struggled with similar temptations. It was by opening her heart and her life to me that I realized how God CAN and DOES work through the mess of our lives. He has already redeemed us by sending His only Son to die for our sins, all we must do is accept our crosses, open our hearts, receive and follow Him!

     God had big plans for Kristine and me to learn and grow by sharing in each other’s lives. In our short time together, we have traveled to Spain and Rome with the Sisters of the Home of the Mother and learned so much about the love of God the Father, the Mercy of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit! Also, in addition to opening her heart to me, this semester when I had nowhere to live, she opened her home, and adopted me as a roommate.

      I will forever be grateful for the time we all were able to spend with Kristine at SDSU. Her joyful, social, and loving personality has helped so many of us along our journey of faith. I am also exceedingly grateful for her ‘fiat’, her YES to God, in letting Him work through her to touch the lives of wandering students like myself! 

In Christ,  Hannah Sammons

Hannah and I at the Vatican in Rome

Miracles Happen Everyday

Statistics show that approximately 50% of abortions are done by women between the ages of 18 and 25!

      Alyssa chose LIFE! Miracles happen every day. A young girl, Alyssa, came to me scared, upset, and confused, having her heart set on one thing…getting an abortion. After hearing me give my personal testimony at a FOCUS event last semester, she was open to hearing any advice that I might have for her regarding her unborn baby…

     There comes a point in one’s life when they realize they have to stop living for themselves and start living for the sake of others. We are made to love and be loved, but yet we find ourselves seeking this love in the created rather than the Creator and are left feeling empty and alone as a result. I too had found myself in this situation once before and by the grace of God He placed Alyssa in my path to help her discover the Love that I was blessed to find in Him. His Mercy and love for each one of us is Infinite and thus, He continues to draw each of us toward Himself that we might discover His Saving Love. Everything that we receive is a GIFT of God’s love, and that, above all, includes LIFE. We need not be afraid, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!” (Jer. 29:11). TRUST IN THE LORD!

Jessica and Alyssa

“You are my hope, Lord; My Trust, God, from my youth. On you I depend since birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers.” (Ps.71:5-6)