October Update

This update is long overdue.  I'm sorry for not being good about updating!  I will be sure to do better in the future.

     October was a busy but really fun month.  The weekend of the 17-19 was our NYC Metro Fall Retreat.  Around 90 students and staff all trucked up to beautiful Warwick, NY, and enjoyed a weekend of rest, fellowship, and learning with the theme of “A Hero’s Heart”.  Our speaker, Holly Shelden, shared with the students what it means to live a life devoted to the kingdom of God.  The weekend was really helpful for students to reestablish their goals for ministry on campus.

    This month I got to visit the Campus Christian Fellowship at Marist College for the first time.  The student leaders (Jordie, Janice, Monique, and Victoria) are all super excited to be discipled them and get leadership training.  The CCF has a weekly Bible study and regular campus outreaches and prayer walks.  Please pray that God would orchestrate lots of great gospel conversations as they take part in an interfaith discussion with the other religious clubs at Marist later this semester.   

The Wagner Christian Fellowship is also planning an interfaith event.  They will be having a 30-Hour Famine in February, and are inviting the Catholic Club, Hillel (Jewish club), and Middle Eastern Students Club to join them for 30 hours of fasting and prayer.  (30-Hour Famine is an international event organized by World Vision to raise awareness and money to end child hunger in the world).  This has the potential to be a powerful tool for building bridges between these clubs on campus, and presents the opportunity to have great spiritual conversations. I can’t wait to see how God uses it!

     The WCF has been having a weekly small group meeting with a few members of the Catholic club on campus to talk about spiritual issues, study scripture, and grow in their faith together. They group has been growing and there is increasing interest in small groups of this type on campus. They are considering starting a second group to bring more people into the discussions.  Praise God for this partnership!

      This month Josh will be going on a mission trip to Mexico with his father, we have a regional staff conference just before Thanksgiving, and the team at Wagner has a Thanksgiving outreach planned.  Thank you for your prayers and your partnership in the gospel!  Please let me know how I can pray for you this month.  Laura.LaRock@uscm.org

Let's get to know each other!

Hi partners!

I am so excited that you have decided to join me in making disciples of New York City's college students.  Some of you I know really well, and some of you I have never met face to face!  But I want to get to know all of you better, so please take a few moments to email me some information about you and your family.  These are the things I'm interested in learning...

Your:

• Names (You, your spouse, your kids, even pets, if you'd like!)
  
• Mailing Address
  
• Email Address
  
• Home Phone
  
• Mobile Phone
  
• Family Birthdays
  
• Anniversary
  
• Church
  
• Profession(s) (you, spouse, kids)
  
• Hobbies

You can send this information to me at Laura.LaRock@uscm.org.  I would also love to have a picture of your family, if you have one to email to me.

I am so looking forward to doing this ministry with you!

Grace and peace,

Laura

SEPTEMBER 1, 2008

Hello dear supporters!

     What a summer it has been!  Josh and I spent nearly all of July traveling.  Two weeks in Texas with his family, two weeks in Maine with mine.  It was wonderful to visit with family and loved ones, and also to get a respite from the city.

     Still, there was plenty of work to do.  I have been raising financial support for my ministry full-time since May, and Josh has been using the summer to get a bunch of painting done.  He worked on a portrait of our niece while in Texas, a seascape while in Maine, and several still lives once we returned to New York.  The painting of the oranges below is one of his most recent works.

     It has been a faith stretching summer for sure.  The support raising process has taught us both a lot about trusting in the Lord: trusting in His sovereignty, His provision, and His character.  Time and again I have seen Him come though in ways I never thought possible.  Whenever I have felt hopeless, He has proven Himself faithful.  He is so good!

     Two weeks ago the New York Metro Staff Team had our annual staff retreat at Eddy Farm, a Christian retreat center in Port Jervis, NY.  It was an encouraging couple of days.  We spent time bonding as a team, planning for the upcoming semester, and praying for God to inhabit all we do.  The photo below shows almost the whole team standing by the delaware River just before we departed to start this new year of ministry.  I am so excited to see how He will bless the ministry this fall!

     At the retreat we also discussed our campus assignments for the coming year.  I have been assigned to two schools: Wagner College (my alma mater!) and Marist College.  Wagner is on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.  Marist is in Poughkeepsie, NY, so I will mainly be serving that campus as a long-distance coach for the student leaders.

     Though the fall semester has already begun, I have not been able to report to my assignments as I have not finished raising my financial support.  New York City is an extremely expensive place to live; taxes and cost of living are very high.  I still need about $1000 per month to cover the rest of my benefits and ministry expenses.  I am confident that God will provide the remaining funds so that I can begin the work of making disciples soon.

     Thank you all for partnering with me in this mission to renew the world by reaching the college students in New York City.  To God be the glory!

     Grace and peace to you,

     Laura

PRAYER REQUESTS:

     Please pray for...

Me, that my support goals will be met by September 15th.

The Students, that they will grow in their faith and in boldness in the gospel.

New York City, that God will bless the work of His church in the city.