Moved!

Hi guys,

I know it's been FOR-EV-ER since I updated this, but if any of you are still reading or are subscribed, I wanted to let you know that Lindsay and I have relocated our blog - and are actually writing on it! You can find us at www.randyandlindsay.com, which is set up under blogspot. Thanks for following us!

Randy

Our Team in Haiti

I started this blog in hopes that it could be a sort of link between the members of this ministry team, hence the name team connect. In the spirit of that, I would like to share with all of you about something that has nothing to do with me or the ministry I'm doing, but rather something from one of our teammates.

All of you have no doubt watched from afar the devastation of Haiti in the wake of the earthquake that ravaged this small poverty stricken state last Wednesday. I became aware late that night that for some of us, this won't be merely tragic images on the television screen or a news website.

Amanda is a friend of mine from DC that I met through my beloved small group and joined this team last summer. She is a nurse in the Navy, arrived yesterday in Haiti as part of the US's relief efforts to that afflicted land.

Please keep Amanda in your prayers. Here are a few suggestions. I'll see if she has anything more specific to share and let you know.

• Protection: I'm told that many of the aid workers in Haiti are having to travel with armed guards.
• That God would use her medical abilities to ease the suffering of the Haitian people.
• That Amanda's faith would shine through continually among the victims and aid workers alike.
• The sale of her Texas home for a fair price, and that this concern would not weigh her down.
  

Lord, hear our prayers.

Why Reach Studnets?

Sometimes it can be helpful to take a step back and remember why we do the things we do. I just found this on the the national XA website (www.chialpha.com) and thought I would share it with all of you:

why reach students?

To connect with individuals who would not otherwise encounter a Biblical message of Jesus Christ. A high percentage of those deciding to become followers of Christ though the efforts of students and staff in Chi Alpha have had no previous exposure to the Gospel of Jesus or a Christian church.

To impact our world's most influential institution, the college and university campus. The social, scientific, and spiritual theories of today's campuses will become the accepted norm for tomorrow's grade schools, businesses and television programs. What America is and what it will become is directly related to what happens on its university campuses. As a nation's campuses go, so goes the future of the nation.

To reach the 700,000 international students studying in the United States. Historically, we see an increase in the blessing of God when we focus on reaching the peoples of the world. George Barna says international student ministry is an "opportunity of a lifetime." International students speak English, want to make American friends, and want to learn about our culture and our religion. These students are at our doorstep.

To protect the investment that the Church has made in our youth. An education at a Bible or Christian College is a great choice for many students. However, a significantly higher number of Christian youth will attend a secular college or university. The Church invests too much time, money and prayer in its youth to not protect and empower that investment during the critical transitions from home to campus and the campus to the marketplace.