(Clockwise from top left) 1. All moved out in a Uhual! 2. My stellar action team from our spring break trip in Santa Monica. 3. A meaningful one on one conversation with a student on the beach. 4. Getting ready to share our faith on the boardwalk!

Goodbyes. Hellos. Empty boxes. New apartment. Lack of furniture. Eating on the floor. Getting Lost (plural). Thankful for campus maps. New names to remember. Thankful for name tags.  An abundance of learning curves. Thankful for planners. Delicious Tucson food. Discipleship a plenty. Spring break trip to Santa Monica. Lack of sleep. Huge steps of faith by our students. Experiencing God’s love and grace on new levels. All worth it.

I have spent exactly 24 turbulent, exciting, God inspiring days in Tucson, AZ and I don’t even know where to begin! I began ministry immediately upon arrival with our week long spring break trip in March to Santa Monica. Twenty five of our students learned and proceeded to share their testimonies, their faith and their hearts with the people of Santa Monica! I was so impressed by their willingness to trust God with the results and take what they learned back to the U of A.

Upon coming back to Tucson I began the process of not only adjusting to the move  but adapting to the new staff team and ministry. With much grace and love from the staff team I began discipling three amazing sophmores, leading a small group bible study  and running the weekly meeting. While I have felt and continue to feel over my head at times I’m blessed by the encouragement of your support and the support from my new staff team! It is clear as day to me that I belong here, and that I am needed here. As inadequate as I feel in this strange new city God is using me to change this place day by day, moment by moment. I can’t explain the honor and humility I felt at a recent leadership meeting. Numerous students expressed to the group how my placement to the U of A had been an answer to their prayers; that my arrival was the highlight of their semester!  After all the glorious work God did behind the scenes in finally getting me on campus it’s incredible to now be on the stage watching it all unfold.

As I engage in this last month of ministry for the end of the school year please be praying for our upcoming leadership retreat! Our leaders are the literal hands and feet of the ministry that we cannot duplicate. Please pray that they would be inspired, dedicated and invigorated by God to reach their campus in the fall.

I thank you so much for your contribution to these people; to this mission in Tucson. Your prayers and encouragement go beyond my understanding time and time again.

Sincerely,

Jenny

Brothers and Sisters,

I am excited to share the news; God has provided the funds need to engage in full time ministry! Thanks to your prayers, your faith, and your encouragement He has delivered me in His goodness and sanctification to the University of Arizona. As you can imagine I’m experiencing a  myriad of emotions as I reflect on what God has done in the past year and seven months and prepare for my departure.  The love and commitment my ministry team as well as my community has shown me is not nothing but overwhelming; I’m truly blessed in this exciting stage of my life!

I wanted to update you on the exciting events to come now that I am fully funded for the U of A!
Saturday, March 3rd: My going away party to celebrate not only what God has done but the incredible journey I’ve had with all of you!

Monday, March 5th: My last day in the valley as I drive up to Tucson that morning to join my staff team; I will spend the next four days immersing myself in Tucson and the Cru movement.

Friday, March 9th to the 14th: Our Cru spring break trip to Santa Monica begins! I’ll get 5 days to not only spend quality time with my students and staff but to absorb and learn about my new ministry.

Friday, March 16th: My apartment will be available to move into and I will get settled in for my new life in Tucson!

I plan on keeping you all posted on the months to come and want to encourage you to reflect on how God has used your faith to prepare not only a might work in me, but for the people He so dearly loves in Tucson!

Sincerely,

Jenny

Last month was an incredible time of new beginnings as I visited Tucson, Arizona for the very first time. As soon as I arrived on the beautiful U of A campus it become obvious to me that the Lord had big plans for me there.

With the generous help of my new staff team and some excited U of A cru students I was given a full days immersion on what  my new life as a Wildcat will look like. It began with a tour of the campus. The richness of the campus was evident from the historic brick of the buildings to the mountain range surrounding the skyline. When I wasn’t trying to absorb every detail of my much anticipated my new life here my tour guide/fellow staff member and I envisioned how God would use me to change lives.

As students whizzed past me on bikes, read quietly in the grass or simply walked to class I was reminded of the inconceivable value each one of them has in the Father’s eye; that I could help lead them to a relationship with Him for all eternity! I was so thankful to not only experience the culture of the university and the passion of the Cru students there but to experience genuine desire from the students and staff for me to join them. I felt a peace in my heart driving through the moonlit desert that night that God wanted me there too.

Everyday God is bringing more of who I was created to be to the surface; and it is in His strength that I am thankful to fulfill His great commission!

Thank you for your prayers and partnership.

Sincerely,

Jenny

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With the beginning of the New Year God has made some tremendous changes not only in my personal life but in the plans He has for me. It is my hope that despite the suddenness of this transition you may experience the excitement and hope as to what God has called me to when it comes to my ministry!

As many of you have been made aware through my newsletters and facebook support updates three weeks prior to now my financial support took an unexpected turn. I sought to ask God in the difficult weeks to follow why He had allowed for such a setback in my journey. Not only had I experienced a door closing in the possibility given to do full time ministry at Cal Poly Slo but significant changes were taking place in the personal relationships around me to only re-emphasize this reality. It was during the weeks of Christmas the led into the annual Cru Winter Conference that I searched to hear from God what His plans were for this mission.

I spent those five days from December 27^h to January 1^st at the conference in San Diego sharing what I was feeling about my ministry with the higher leaders in Cru I know and trust. From there I was given an opportunity that coincided with this new direction. With blessings and encouragement from my campus directors, my support coach campus directors at Cal Poly Slo as well as friends and family I was released from the California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo in order to accept an invitation to do full time ministry with Cru movement at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.

This reassignment would answer the prayers of former U of A on the campus, allow me to remain securely employed with Cru as full time staff, and most importantly, get me on the ministry field to change lives. In the midst of my effort during the conference to thwart off once dormant fears over a decision such as this one the Lord showed up. I was trumped by a clear answer from the Lord to once again step out in His love, His faith and His wisdom to accept this invitation despite its foreign nature.

Since beginning this journey back in August of 2010 I have found new security and boldness in my relationship with God and my ability to discern His will for my life. I am 100% secure He has called me to the Great Commission regardless of where that is. It is through this calling and not my own that I am sent out of to reach college students no matter how unexpected. While I mourn the loss of the community and work I could of done on the campus of Cal Poly Slo I am confident that God knows what He’s doing with me. During this time I will remain in Chandler, AZ to continue with full time ministry partner development to reach full support for the campus of U of A.

Would you continue to join me in my partnership through prayer, encouragement and support as I live out this new avenue to reach the lives of students everywhere? Thank you so much for your unwavering faith in me; it blesses me in ways I pray you would come to know.

Sincerely,

Jenny