What a way to end a semester!

As I sit and type I am still amazed that our first semster at Sac State working with Campus Crusade is finished! (Well, minus all the planning the staff team has next week that is...) I have been thinking of how to sum up our semester in a nutshell, and I think the best way to describe it is to share a story from our CRU Christmas Party.

Fourty college students were packed into the Douglas' adorable new home. Some had on ridiculously ugly, but hilarious, Christmas sweaters. One student even had on a singing "Christmas Tie". Classic Christmas carols filled the air along with several conversations, mostly about trying to solve a Christmas themed puzzle Greg had passed out moments before. I was nestled next to Greg on the floor near the fireplace busy chatting with several of our students, when our attention was called to the middle of the room.

Once the room had quieted down, two students began by saying thank you. With sincerity they explained how much we as the staff team have meant to them this semester and how happy they are that we are on campus. They then gave each couple (Greg & me; Jacob & Caellin) a gift card to a yummy restaurant, movie tickets, and a heartfelt card. The message described the impact we have had and the gratitiude of our students. It also encouraged us to take the gifts and have a date night, since we have spent so much time on campus in the last four months. Wow!

At that exact moment I knew why God called us to this campus, and it was because God knew the calliber of students we would be working with. Fall semster was busy, exciting, and even frustrating at times, but that moment of gratitude made the tough times fade into the background. God has an incredible plan for Sacramento State and the students there, and He has graciously allowed us to be the staff that gets to experience it. And that, is the best kind of nutshell explanation I could ask for.