Spring is Gone, Summer is Here

Spring Semester is Finished

May 4th was the last day of classes for most students at UNCC. It has been a wonderful year and God has moved mightily on the campus. Throughout the past academic year, the staff at UNCC have seen 20 students make professions of faith in Jesus Christ. It is humbling to see the gospel's transforming power at work in their lives. The picture to the bottom was of our end of year cookout. There 50 of us celebrated what God has done, ate good fun and had a ton of fun playing games in the yard and watching a movie outside on a projector. It was a great way to end the school year.

As many of you know, our staff team participated in a conference called "Together for the Gospel". This was a tremendous gathering of 7000 pastors and ministers of the gospel in Louisville, KY to hear some of the leading evangelical teachers of our day. I wanted to share with you a message that particularly impacted me from Dr. David Platt, entitled: "An Unadjusted Gospel in an Unreached World: Connecting Gospel Theology with Urgent Missiology" . If you have time, it is worth a listen!

Summer is Fast Approaching!

Though we are still very disappointed that we will not be leading a team of students to Johannesburg, South Africa this summer, we are looking forward to spending another summer in Myrtle Beach with our Summer Beach Project. While many students are pursuing internships, jobs and summer school; a group of over one hundred students from all over North Carolina will descend upon Myrtle Beach to do one thing: grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. We have the privilege of being a part of this! At the conclusion of the 2009 spring, there were only three girls who were going to attend the Summer Beach Project from UNCC. This summer, there will be two dozen students from UNCC pursuing God. During our time at the SBP, we will be leading and teaching one of our training packets: Biblical Stewardship, giving a seminar on Godly relationships with the opposite sex leading the student team leaders and investing in the students from UNCC! What a summer we have ahead of us!

Prayer Requests:

-Pray for the students from UNCC who will be attending the SBP that they may grow deeply in their relationships with God.
-Pray for us as we lead and help shepherd the student leaders on the project.
-Pray for us as we teach important Biblical principles

Cross Cultural Project Update

Friends, thank you for praying for our retreat two weeks ago. I wanted to give you an update on everything. Amy & I unfortunately have some disappointing news: _we will NOT be leading the Cross Cultural Project to South Africa this summer_. During the course of the recent retreat, three of our seven students decided to not to go this summer. As a result of that, it's not going to be financially possible to take Amy & I, in addition to the other CCP Leader, Bill Moore. The remaining four students would have had to raise over $10,000 each to cover our costs, which would not be possible. The good news is that there are still four students who are committed to going and making disciples in Johannesburg, RSA this summer. We are confident that God is going to do great things through this small team. We are very disappointed in not being able to be with the team that we have invested so much in this summer. We are hopeful that we might be able to lead the 2011 CCP, but we know and trust that God holds all things together for us & in His timing.

So what does that leave for us this summer? Where God shuts one door, He opens another. Because our summer is suddenly freed up Amy & I will be able to be apart of the Summer Beach Project in Myrtle Beach, SC once again. We will be spending 2-3 weeks helping to lead project, teaching training packets and sharing our faith on the beach. Between Amy & I, we have combined to spend all or parts of 12 summers at the Summer Beach Project. It is a place that God has done tremendous things in our lives and in so many others' lives time and time again. We are looking forward to being a part of God's great work.

We would ask that you pray for us in the upcoming days. We have not had the chance to notify the remaining CCP participants that we will not be going with them this summer. Those will be difficult conversations as our team has grown close over these last 3.5 months in preparation. Pray for us as well, there is still a large part of us that longs to be in South Africa leading the team. Pray for contentment, trust and faith that God has us in the exact place that we need to be. Pray for the CCP team as if we still going. They need your prayers.

To God alone be the glory...