About six weeks ago, I was feeling very alone in the world. Since I hadn't been to church in, well, months, I decided it was time I started going back. So, I went to a student church called The Embassy. I didn't know anybody who would be there, and because of that I almost didn't go. Anytime I've ever gone before I've gone with friends, we've shuffled in and then immediately shuffled out at the end, only ever talking amongst each other. Occasionally I'll see a few people I knew from camp and I'll awkwardly catch up with them for five minutes. But that has always been the extent of it. So I wasn't expecting much.
I was really intimidated at first. I chose a seat in a row where nobody was sitting yet and I sat right in the middle. Then some guy came and sat on the very end of the row on one side and another guy came and sat on the other end. Goody, I thought, pretending to read the book I happened to have with me. I figured I'd be sitting alone all night.
But then! Then a girl and her friends came in late and for some reason they all split up. She sat near me, and at "mingle time" (that awkward hand-shaking time that I usually loathe) we really hit it off! She introduced me to her friends afterwards and I ended up meeting like nine people that night! I stayed for an extra hour or so meeting various people! It was excellent.
And now, long story short, I'm going to be one of the leaders in The Embassy Student Association (ESA) at the University of Waterloo come the Fall. I'll be one of three people in charge of the missional aspect of the ESA, the mission being to serve the students of the univesity emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Among other things, we're going to attempt to set up communities of students, where everyone who wants to participate will be notified of the other students in their area and we'll all have an open-door policy towards each other. And we'll be intentional about using that open-door policy too. The focus will be to do life together - boring life, like eating and reading and studying and fixing stuff and making stuff and whatever! As well as doing exciting life together too, obviously. The goal is, more or less, to set up Christian communities (where people who aren't Christian are also very welcome) who live out redemption together. We're kind of basing the idea off of this sermon, which, though long, and slow to begin, is totally worth the time it takes to listen to it.
To me, this is pretty exciting, because my friend (coincidentally the head of the ESA) and I want to start a Christian community house the following year, so this is very much a step in the right direction for that!
I've also met another girl at church passionate about homelessness. We've decided that this year, every week we're going to find someone homeless and take them out for lunch. I love it!
In conclusion, I'm really looking forward to the Fall, and the explosive potential of everything I'm getting involved in.
There is also much more that is new with me, but that would take a lot to type out.
Ta ta for now!
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