SWOSU: new beginnings

Last fall was a difficult semester for our students at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Over the course of the semester they experienced a significant drop in morale, a decrease in students involved, and the loss of one of the student leaders. Then in the spring, just as things were getting started, one of the students involved was killed in an auto accident. The year ended up well, though, with nine of the students going on summer projects to Missouri, California, and Italy.

At the beginning of this semester we weren't sure what to expect, but we knew that we had a great leadership team and were excited about them and optimistic about the year. We started the year with a retreat for our leaders and went out to SWOSU's organization fair a week later. At the organization fair, about 6 students helped with the FSK table at which more than 300 surveys were filled out. Later on, after discovering that their old meeting place would no longer be available, the ChiAlpha director offered for the students to use their building, and eventually the Lord provided the ballroom as a place to have the weekly meeting. It's bigger than the old room, and there will be plenty of room to grow. Generosity everywhere!

On the Sunday following the FSK table, after calling all of the contacts, the student leaders got together to talk about the semester and about 15 extra people showed up who wanted to be more involved. They all then went out and chalked the campus to advertise for the first weekly meeting. So, the next day, they had the first weekly meeting with free pizza like they have for the past few years. Usually they order about 15 pizzas, but Ty, our student director, called me sometime during the meeting to let me know they had ordered a few more, 31 in total, not because people were hungry, but because there were nearly 300 people there! The meeting was outside so they played some games and all stood around a talked. Ty said that as he went around to the different groups of people, he saw at least one Cru student greeting people in each group. At the end of the evening, James, one of our student leaders, shared about the vision and mission of Campus Crusade with all of the people there. All in all, it seems like a pretty incredible start to the year! I told Ty that although we had talked about rebuilding last semester, it seems that the Lord may have been at work building in people's hearts all summer long.

Please pray that both we and the student would be good stewards of what the Lord has done so far and wise and Spirit-filled in the following months as we work help all those students get plugged into the movement at SWOSU. Oh, and there is also a basketball player who has been on an AIA summer project who has become involved and wants to do some things to reach athletes at SWOSU. Pray for multiple movements!