bloggish thoughts, interesting links, short news items

Welcome to Blacksburg #VT22!

 

With Orientation starting today, we wanted to make sure you got a hearty welcome!  We hope that Blacksburg and the campus of Virginia Tech begins feeling like your home-away-from-home.  Family is important to all of us, and we would love to help you find a group of people here that you can call family.  You have a place here, and we’re glad you are coming to Virginia Tech!  We would love to extend an invitation to become part of the NLCF community.  Check out the info and videos below to get a better understanding of who we are and what we do!

About NLCF

One thing that may strike you first about NLCF is that we’re mostly comprised of college students! That’s right: a church built around YOU! We meet on campus, our schedule reflects the school year, and our desire is to see the Kingdom of God move on campus! We want to love God and love Hokies!

Learn about who we are, when/where we have Sunday Services, how to get involved in our small groups, and more!

 

While we have meals and small-groups (as we call Engage Groups) throughout the week all across campus, there are two spaces that we have a lot of gatherings: The Loft and 130 Jackson.  Check out this video to see where they are!

 

Want to get involved?

 

  • Moving into your Residence Hall– We’d love to give you a hand moving into your new Blacksburg-home!  Simply shoot an email to [email protected] and we can coordinate a few folks to come help move you in.

  • Kickoff – The week before classes start, and into the first few weeks of school, we will be having a ton of chances to meet new friends and have a blast!  From a Pizza Party Extravaganza on the Drillfield, to a Cookout in the Quad, there is a ton of free food, free swag, and awesome people.  Check out our Facebook page for the most up-to-date info!

 

We’re on Social Media!

God’s Creation in You

I was watching a video series with Ben Stuart (if the name sounds familiar, it’s because it is – he did the breakaway series on dating) about the Song of Songs. I was excited because I had heard this section of the Bible was awesome, and I think Ben is pretty cool too. So really I just started watching it because Ben was teaching. And also apparently he is not at Texas A&M anymore so that’s shocking. I must keep tabs on his future endeavors.

During the third episode, centered around the wedding night (yaaasssss), something really hit me. I cried actually because I was so hurt and upset. Eve was the last creation of God. And let me tell you, it was not an afterthought. He didn’t forget to make her earlier and was like “oh crap! Eve is due at 11:59PM and it’s 11:34. Better get on that.” He didn’t rush, He saved her for last. He created the Woman last because it was His final masterpiece.

“The female form was the pinnacle of God’s creation, there is nothing in creation more beautiful.” That’s the thing that sent me to tears. Because every single woman has insecurities, some run deep. Every woman is told they are not “enough” (skinny, curvy, smart, bold, polite, strong, etc.) or they are too much of all of those things. That makes me mad. What an awful, but not surprising, thing for the enemy to do. To take what God has created as the pinnacle of beauty and to tell every woman (who the Lord designed to live in this identity) and tell her she is not worth it, or not beautiful enough. GRRRRRR.

NO. You are beautiful in every way and even still God has given each of you fantastic traits and quirks that bring me joy every day and I KNOW for sure He delights in each of you because He created you “last.” You are the pinnacle God’s creation. Mountains and sunsets ain’t got nothin’ on you, my dear.

So the main update on what God is healing in my life is a broken sense of reality for my own self-respect, worth, and beauty in my eyes. Because it’s easy to say God thinks I’m beautiful so I am, but it is another battle to feel it in your own heart. I can already tell this will be a long and slow process but that’s good because that’s where permanent change can take a strong grip. And since this grip is God’s grip, I know it will endure anything. Side note: cried twice writing this because I felt it so strongly and I have been praying that His message is received in your hearts. Additionally, in Reckless Love it says there’s no wall He won’t kick down, no lie He won’t tear down, coming after me (and you). So He’s coming for us.

– Lauren Haacke

“Broken”- A Reflection on the 2018 Honduras Trip

Broken. I spent weeks praying for God to prepare my heart to see the things I was told I was going to see in Honduras. Families crammed in homes that were barely homes. The creek from where the people of Los Quiscamotes got their drinking water. Trash and stray dogs at every corner. Brokenness. I spent weeks praying for God to prepare my heart to see brokenness.

I learned a lot in just one short week. I learned that any conversation could spark by asking “Como se dice….” and then pointing in a random direction. It was phenomenal. I learned that in Honduras, people associate Roosters with the noise “keekeedeekee” and not our usual “cockadoodledoo”. I learned that there are about a million ways you can serve beans, tortillas, and rice. I also learned very quickly that the people of Honduras love so well. From the people of Great Commission Church-Danli, to my host family, to the random person at the market that screamed at me in Spanish to zip up my purse to hide my money- Honduras is truly a place overflowing in love.

From when I was a kid, I have always been passionate about making videos. I love the idea of capturing moments that mean a lot to me and being able to share them with people that mean a lot to me. So, I was very intentional throughout the week to record everything from boarding the planes, to the team packing food bags, to carrying water filters, to blowing bubbles with the kids at the daycare, to beat boxing on the roof, to the team looking out at the sunset on bus rides. I got it all. Well, had it all. It was about 4 days in, and my camera was completely wiped.

We evangelized to a lot of houses in that short week of being in Honduras. But there was something dramatically different about the two houses I went to right after my camera was wiped. I saw God use me and the rest of the team to absolutely transform those two houses. I saw truth be spoken and believed in 20 minutes. I saw God work miracles- with my own eyes, and not through the lenses of a camera. I came to realize that what God did within the walls of those houses were moments that no camera would ever be able to capture for its true entirety.

Beautiful. I spent a week seeing ways of which Honduras was not broken. Kids hugging everyone they could before saying good-bye. Two women crying and embracing me out of pure gratefulness for God’s relentless love and grace. An entire church community prepping all day leading up to presenting the Lord’s word for His people. I spent a week realizing that we live for a God who makes the broken, beautiful. A God that knew it took gruesome death for glorious and eternal life. A God who chooses us to help His will be done but does not need us. I spent a week coming to the realization that the brokenness I prayed for God to prepare my heart to see, was the thing that God is already making beautiful.

-Tabitha

Sponsor a Water Filter

Something new we are trying this year on our Honduras trip is distributing household water filters.  They each cost $35 to make, and we are hoping to take ~10 filters with us this year.

The basic concept is this: Pour water into the top bucket, which gets filtered by the main filter device.  Clean water drips down into the bottom bucket, and can then be used via a tap at the bottom.

The filter and tap are from Amazon for ~$19 and ~$4 respectively.  The science behind the filter itself includes a ceramic layer to filter out particles down to a 0.2 micron size.  Inside the ceramic is activated carbon, a common component of many Brita filters, which attracts little ions that (when removed) will improve the taste, color, and odor of the water.  Finally, the filter includes colloidal silver which will kill any bacteria that gets in the filter.  The entire design of the system is based off of a colleague’s referral to Safi Filters used in Africa.

We are planning to distribute these filters in the small neighborhood of Los Quiscamotes and see how receptive people are to them.  We also just found out that the buckets can be purchased locally in Danli for $5-6 each.

If so, you may email me ([email protected]), and pay NLCF via:

  • Venmo (@NewLifeChristianFellowship)
  • E-giving
  • Cash or Check given to NLCF

Not About Us November-Recap

This past month, we focused on others over ourselves in “Not-About-Us November”.  Each week we directed our attention to various ways to serve the people around us and across the globe.  We wanted to take a look back to see the impact of your time, talents, and finances…

 

Rise Against Hunger

On the first Saturday of November, 85 volunteers came in shifts to 130 Jackson in order to pack meals as part of the Rise Against Hunger program.  With the help of many and in partnership with the New Life congregation, we raised over $7,000 and packed 24,192 meals.  That’s enough to feed 66 children in Haiti for an entire year!

 

Donut Dash 5k

It was a chilly morning, but the 2nd annual Donut Dash 5k was a great success!  We had 43 runners participate the morning of, over 25 volunteers, and raised over $1,050!  Our goal was to raise $1,000, and we met that!!  The money will be put towards team expenses and projects for the 2018 Honduras trip.  Some of the possible team projects this year include building beds, plastering walls of the church’s new clinic facility, finish tile work on the clinic, ceiling work in the clinic, and supplies for the clean water project.

DonutDash_Winners

 

 

Hokies for the Hungry

Before the Virginia Tech vs. Pitt football game, we teamed up with the Marching Virginians in order to collect canned food and donations to support the Montgomery County Christmas Store.  This year, despite a smaller game crowd and an earlier kickoff time, we raised record numbers!!  There were 3,475 cans collected and an all-time record, $12,496 in cash donations.

Hokies4Hungry_17

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Operation Christmas Child

Before Thanksgiving break, individuals, small groups, and more gathered supplies to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  The idea is that each shoebox would be packed with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, etc. in order to be shipped to a child across the globe.  This year, we collected nearly 60 shoeboxes!  NLCF will also be taking a trip December 1-2 to the processing center in Charlotte to get first-hand experience seeing how the boxes get processed from our hands and sent across the world.

 

 

 

Letters from the Wilderness No. 3

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When Jesus met Peter, He borrowed his boat to teach the people. Then Jesus filled their nets overflowing with fish, calling out to Peter to follow Him. What is Peter’s response? He falls down in front of Jesus, overwhelmed by his inadequacy, and tells Jesus to flee from him.

“Don’t you know what you are signing up for, Lord? Don’t you know my many sins? Here is your chance to leave, to choose someone better; I would understand.”

Jesus replies, “Don’t be afraid.” I imagine Him saying this tenderly, and maybe with a little laughter, like when someone tells a child they don’t need to be afraid of the monster under their bed. “Don’t be afraid, Peter; I know you completely. Don’t be afraid, Peter; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid, Peter; I have a special purpose for you. Don’t be afraid, Peter; I have loved you with and everlasting love.”

The monster under our bed is no match for Jesus. In the face of all our inadequacy, He calls out to us, “Don’t be afraid! Follow Me and I will make what you have more than enough.”

Are we willing to listen?

-Elle Humes

(Luke 5:1-11)

Letters from the Wilderness No. 2

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“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

There is so much truth in this verse that I often missed as a new believer. When singing the popular song based on this verse, I would get annoyed with the repetition. My head filled with criticisms like, “no duh, we were set free for freedom. I get it. Shut up already! Time to move on!” One day though, it finally clicked. I wasn’t set free to be perfect. I wasn’t set free to perform or to make God happy. I wasn’t set free for anything other than freedom – that’s how much Jesus loved me. My freedom, no matter what I chose to do with it, was the gift He died to give me.

After that day, freedom became so precious to me, and I wished other people could see what I saw in this verse. I wanted everyone to be as excited about this gift as I was. But, in my excitement, I neglected the whole second half of the verse. Every time I would mess up, fall back into sin, or be harsh with someone, I would feel worthless. To me, freedom still meant I had to be perfect. Freedom was fragile and had to be guarded carefully, or it would break. Anytime I failed to stand firm, I became a failure. And of course, that is exactly what the enemy wanted me to believe. I messed up, so now my freedom was gone and Jesus couldn’t possibly love me. What a heartbreaking lie!

Today, I am learning that while freedom is precious, it isn’t fragile. I may fail to stand firm, but I still have a choice. Galatians asks me, will you choose to submit only to Christ, and not to slavery? When I fail to stand firm, I don’t have to give up! Satan may back me down a few steps from the summit, but slavery is in the valley. I refuse to back there.

~Elle Humes

Letters from the Wilderness No. 1

I graduated college last May and felt very accomplished…for about an hour. Almost as soon as we finished taking pictures and moving out, people began to ask me “well, what are you going to do now?” I imagine most people were genuinely interested in my life and wanted to connect with me; but as someone with a chronic illness, answering this question became more and more difficult. The truth is, I’m not up to much. Not much that people can see anyway.

I believe God often takes people through a time of great trial before they can be ready for what He has in store. He took Jesus into the wilderness, He takes our staff through support raising, and He might take you to LT this summer. Only Jesus knows exactly how to shape you for your specific purpose. I don’t know why my wilderness has to be poor health, but it is, and I have been asked to share my journey with you, NLCFers!

This week I am beginning to talk with God about how to learn patience. I know I am going to have to use a lot of it in this season. I know it’s important. But I don’t know how to become patient. When I think of patience, I think of a mom teaching her kids to read. What do you think about? Do you know anyone who is extraordinarily patient?

~Elle Humes
2017 NLCF Alum

Lean not on your own understanding…

The second to last week of Honduras LT, I found myself growing apathetic. I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and I was feeling a lot of mixed emotions about leaving the children I had fallen to madly in love with over the two months there. God provided me at just the right moment with the verse Galatians 6:9 which reads, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” I spent some time praying just that: that God would give me the strength and endurance to continue to seek His love and pour into others even if we only had one week to go. And He truly answered that prayer.

My prayer throughout the summer had been, “Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours,” and He answered that prayer, for sure. He broke my heart for the orphans, the widows, the impoverished, the abused, the poor at heart, the broken, the forgotten, the hurt. He taught me how to grieve, how to love. And with one week left, He broke my heart once again.

A 15-year-old girl named Dayana at the CDI was very hesitant to open up to us at the beginning of the summer because she had grown close to missionaries before, and it really hurt her when they left. Eventually she became one of our closest friends at the CDI. The second to last week of LT, though, we barely ever saw her. She wouldn’t come to the CDI in the afternoons like she normally did. She’d occasionally come to the fence and tell us that she was sick again, and again, and again. Monday of our final week in Honduras, she finally showed up in the afternoon. We were so excited to see her again! We rejoiced when she walked through the door and were so happy to have her back with us.

She asked Rachel and Sam, two girls on the team, to help her with her English homework. As Dayana was writing in her notebook, Rachel and Sam looked down to notice cuts all over Dayana’s arms. During the devotional, the director of the CDI asked the question, “Who wouldn’t want to live this life God blessed us with?” and Dayana whispered, “Me, because I’m depressed.”

Because the culture is so closed off to mental illness, all the guys in the class just laughed at her and mocked her.

The next day, while most of our team at the CDI left to teach English classes at a university, the girls stayed back in hope that Dayana would show up that day, and in fear that she wouldn’t.

Around 1pm, she walked into the CDI. Sarah embraced her in a hug, and grabbed her arms. The letters “LS” were freshly cut into her wrist. We asked what that meant, but she didn’t talk. She just began to cry. We walked her into the building, and Rachel stayed outside to accompany the other children and keep the boys from looking into the windows and laughing at Dayana.

At first, Sarah, Sam, and I were all so frustrated that we didn’t know enough Spanish to effectively comfort her, tell her how much God loves her, and talk her through what she was going through.

After a couple minutes of just sitting with her on the couches inside, speaking what little Spanish we knew – “Te amo,” I love you, and “No estas soledad,” You are not alone  – we finally looked to God for counsel. We asked Dayana if we could pray with her. We sat around her, laid hands on her, and prayed in English, knowing that Dayana couldn’t understand us, but God could. I began to cry, my heart broken at the fact that this beautiful daughter of Christ, my sister in faith, felt unworthy of life.

After our prayers, we just sat there, crying with her. Sam had “Oceans” and “How He Loves” on her phone in Spanish, so we sat there listening to the songs, grieving in God’s presence, knowing that He, too, was grieving His broken daughter.

At one point, Dayana pulled out her notebook and wrote, “No quiero vivir” – I don’t want to live. We told her that we want her to live, that God wants her to live.

We pulled out our Spanish bibles and turned to Psalm 139, praying Dayana would cling to the verses.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.”

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”

After we read through some scripture, we continued to just sit with her, to cry with her. As she nervously wiped away the tears from her eyes, I told her that it was okay to cry. We sat grieving in the Father’s presence for about an hour, and then we walked her home.

Sarah kissed her wrists and told her, “No mas” – no more. No more.

On the drive home, Sam and I reflected on how powerful that time with Dayana was. At first we were frustrated that we couldn’t talk to Dayana more, but God’s presence was so clear in that time with her. He was there, saying, “Daughters, I’m with you.”

Proverbs 3:5 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

We had no ability to lean on our own understanding in that moment, to rely on our own discernment. All we could do was call out to God, listen to His songs, and read His Words, and that was more than enough. Even the timing was so true to God’s character. Dayana’s depression and self-harm could have been made known day one, but I know that for me, personally, I would have attempted to be her Holy Spirit for the next 8 weeks. I would have tried to fix all her problems, and would have, many times, relied on my own understanding. The fact that this happened during the last week was hard, so hard, to know that we were then just leaving Dayana and heading home, but God enveloped us in a peace like no other; a peace that reminded us that His timing is perfect; a peace that led me to fully trust that God will still call out to Dayana long after we’ve left, “Daughter, I’m with you. “

~Amanda Wallace