One Week Until I Get To Be A Dad, and Christmas with College Students

Mauricio rarely smiles in pictures but he's a joyous guy, and this last weekend was his birthday. A collection of people from FOCUS and our church got together to celebrate him and play soccer, his favorite game, at River Legacy Park. It was a perfect day, and I was so thankful Mauricio got to experience a community of people who love him like Jesus loves him.

Isaac and Jacob up front are brothers and Isaac (who is holding Jacob) had just won a full scholarship to winter retreat because he had memorized scripture verses all throughout the semester and successfully recited them to me before every TNF. Every verse memorized was an entry into a raffle. I'm glad he won, because I know that God will use winter retreat to continue to help form him spiritually and become a better friend to others as he and interacts and learns and worships together with 400 + college students from all across the metroplex.

From left to right: Austen, Luke, Blaine, Carson, Alan, and Garrett at our recent FOCUS Christmas party. Getting to know Austen more this semester has been a treat. (Who would've thought we would have so much in common?) Austen loves disc golf and this year he has been wanting to learn so much about Jesus. He's one of our most consistent guys to core and TNF and he is now studying the bible one on one with one of our core leaders and is coming with great questions!

From left to right: Chris, Manny, Kamal, Jay, Jared, Alphonse, Vincent, and Hart. A few weeks ago Chris and Manny said that this year in FOCUS has been the best year of their lives. When I asked them why, they said that they're learning about God and making such good friends. I'm thankful that you provide a place for them to come and experience that!

Vincent, Josh, and Hart are three of our student leaders this year! They all ask heartfelt and insightful questions whenever I get together with them, whether it's how to love God with not just your head, but also your heart, or how our identity is not rooted in our appearance but in God's love for us, or how to date in a way that results in healthy, God honoring relationships, these men are growing into mature disciples of Jesus who are rooted in His purposes for their lives. I can't thank you enough for your investment in them.

Hayli is 39 weeks pregnant! We are one week away from meeting our first daughter, Lucy. I know she will be beautiful and loved by many, but most of all by Hayli, myself, and her father in heaven.

Thank you for helping us to have a home where we can raise her to know the Lord and to resemble him to others, and please pray for us as we move into this new chapter of our lives. Pictures coming soon, I'm sure! Don't forget to check out the student testimony below.

In Christ,

Austin

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Learning From the Wise

Dear Friends, Thank you for taking the time to read this ministry update. This winter season has been particularly encouraging and I am excited to tell you about what is coming up soon! The month of December began with a celebration. The school semester was coming to a close quickly so we threw our annual Focus Christmas party in the first week of the month. Talk about Christmas come early. The event was filled with sweet memories, worship, and funny skits put on by the various weekly core groups. Watching those skits is always a highlight of the year as everyone in the core often participates and everyone gets to see each others silly sides. A couple of guys at the UTA Focus Christmas Party. In the bottom picture, one of the roommates couldn't make the event so the rest of the guys thoughtfully chose to find a way to include him in the picture, no matter what. Once the semester was over and the students went home for the holidays, I had a lot of time to read. Over the ...

Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again; Rejoice!

A lot has been happening this month, in the ministry, in the lives of our students, and in my own heart as I continue to learn what it means to be a missionary and a minister of the Lord. I can't wait to share all of it with you. I pray that you find it encouraging and ultimately that God is praised and exalted because of it. Ephesians 3:20-21 " Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." These are just a few of the guys in my core group that I get to lead every week! Peter, Jacob, and Saurav. I love each one of these guys dearly and I so enjoy getting to meet with them every week and hearing their heart. I meet one on one every week with Jacob, we've been reading through a book called "Experiencing God" this semester recently and it has been very helpful in aligning our ...

When Miracles Are Common and Pizza Theology

A student shared this at our most recent Thursday Night Fellowship and I thought it was so beautiful that I wanted to share it with you. "In Focus, Miracles are happening all the time. People are becoming saved, like I was a year ago, through this community, and equally miraculously people are becoming more like Jesus, like I'm still learning to do. But God is using this community to bring about those miracles. And I know that this all can feel common to us, especially those of us who have been around for a while, but if we are in a community where the miraculous is common , we should thank God for that community." That was shared by a student named Josh Krause who I have the pleasure of studying the bible with over the duration of this school year. I have been so encouraged by his willingness to keep learning about the grace of God and respond by living out of that reality. And I was doubly encouraged when he shared such a beautiful and praise filled sentiment with th...

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