An island...An unexpected appointment...Fijian Sports

     Two weeks ago, after the spring break team left to go back to the States, we got to welcome Jane Armstrong (a Campus Crusade for Christ staff at Miami University and my Bible Study Leader/Discipler from my senior year at Miami), Courtney Evans (a Miami CCC intern), Ryan Elliott (our STINT partnership director) and another CCC intern at Miami to Suva/USP for our STINT Encouragement/Development week!  After 3 days on campus where they got to spend time with some of the students we have been meeting with all month, we jumped on a bus and headed to Nadi.  From Nadi we got on a ferry and made our way to Mana Island.  For 3 days we enjoyed time with each other, encouragement from the team in regards to our walks with the Lord, relationships with each other as a STINT team, and our ministry at USP.  We also enjoyed sailing, snorkeling, swimming and kayaking.  It was incredible, definitely what I thought Fiji was going to look like (before I realized we'd be living in a city without a beach).  It was a much needed time of relaxation.  As we made our way back to Suva last Sunday, it was such a blessing to gain a sense of finally being back 'home' when our bus drove through downtown Suva.  I could not wait to get back on campus last week and see what the Lord had in store!

Sunset Beach on Mana Island

The Ladies 

      The week ended up being incredible, though truly exhausting!  I was repeatedly brought to a point where I needed to depend fully on the Holy Spirit because my own strength had failed me!  Friday I found myself sitting at a table by myself, realizing that my 10am appointment was not going to show up. After a few minutes another student came over and sat down across from me.  I introduced myself and found out her name was Reea.  We started talking about her year at USP so far, where she was from (Kiribati) and whether or not she has heard of Student Life.  Our conversation led into an opportunity for me to share my faith, and before I knew it, she was praying to ask Christ into her life!  She doesn't have a phone, and has class Thursday nights when we have our weekly connexion meeting, but I'm confident that the Lord is going to place people in her life to help her grow in her faith!  I just love how the Lord showed me that day that His plan is so much greater than my own!

Nice, Brian

This past Saturday found most of my STINT team and about 50 USP students on the campus rugby grounds for Student Life Sports Day.  This consisted of a group of students playing Rugby (the guys), a group of students playing volleyball, and a group of girls that taught me different fijian games.  One of these was called Ferry and consisted of increasing your jumping distance each turn.  I don't want to brag...but I may have won this game :)  I then got to teach them how to play freeze tag!  After about an hour of playing these types of games we sat down on a tarp in the shade and just started talking.  It was such a sweet time to see different groups of girls that I have been hanging out with this semester come together and become friends with each other.  They are so inclusive and accepting here, which is so refreshing, especially when you bring new students to the Student Life weekly connexion meeting, or introduce them to some of the student leaders.  It makes me so excited to think of the year ahead and the relationships that the Lord is forming between them.

Me and Jenny with some of the girls at Sports Day!

Thank you so much for your prayers!  It is incredible to see the Lord move here among the students.