September update

Happy Fall, family, friends and supporters!

I am so excited that the school year is in full swing, and I am very grateful to get to hi light some of my favorite memories from the beginning of the school year so far.

Our first student testimony of the year comes from a guy named Michael who is a part of our UTD ministry. Please take a moment to read his story!


Welcome Week
Meeting new students!
Typically during the first week of the school year at Collin, we will have one week of events to meet new students on campus and invite them into our community. Side note: we also do this throughout the whole year, it's just in a more concentrated way at the beginning of the year. This year we got to spend the first two weeks of school doing outreach events like Bad Tattoos, Football Bowling (fowling, or footbowling), and Where's Waldo just to name a few (pictures will follow). My favorite thing isn't necessarily the event itself, or the amount of people that come to FOCUS because of it. My favorite things are overhearing phrases like "Wow, its the first day of school and I already made friends" - said by a girl who played board games with other girls. Or this phrase from a foreign exchange student "Thank you so much for getting my number. I have friends here, but I don't have any of their numbers". My favorite thing is knowing that by these kids are making their lifelong friendships. My favorite thing is knowing that these kids by the end of the year will have their lives changed by friendship that is rooted in Jesus. This is the stuff that is exciting to me. Thank you so much for making our mission possible. 
Our staff and leader team praying over the new school year



Fall Camp
This is our first retreat of the year for our students, and it's coming up quickly. This is a 24 hour, weekend retreat where our students, play together, pray together, worship together, and ultimately solidify the friendships they have been making together. Please be praying that the spirit of God would be moving in them and they would be responsive. Pray that everyone would arrive and depart safely. Pray that everyone would be inclusive. Your prayer is incredibly important to our ministry, and we are so thankful that you are apart of it. 

Most our student leader team!

Thank You
I appreciate all of you so much. I would also like to invite you to join us for a Thursday Night Fellowship sometime so you may see what it's like! I have the privilege of preaching on the 28th of this month, if you would like a recording of it, let me know so I can email you! If you would like to visit, let me know so we can sit together. I look forward to seeing you all!

In love and Christ,
Shayla

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