End of Year Party

Wednesday night was our end of year party for ministry teams.  This is always such a good night!  We play volleyball, enjoy a good BBQ dinner, and then recognize and honor our team leaders and the graduating seniors.  For the past several years we've had 3-6 graduating seniors, but this year there were 10!  And many of them have been involved for several years, it's weird (and sad!) to think that they won't be involved next year.  It was a very emotional night as students shared about how these seniors have impacted their lives, and some of the seniors shared as well.  There were lots of tears, and I was glad I wore waterproof mascara!  But the night was so, SO encouraging too!  We got to see firsthand how discipleship is being lived out through The Well.  Many of the seniors have led the juniors in small groups, who are now leading sophomores, who are leading the freshmen!  And many of these students lives' have been radically changed by the Lord over the past few years.  You can't see things like this and not recognize God's faithfulness and grace - His faithfulness to draw students to himself through the ministry of The Well, and fact that he lets us be a part of it!  I'm so thankful.  Nights like Wednesday night always remind me why I do what I do.  

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. Psalm 71:18

A beautiful evening in the mountains of East Tennessee :)

Eliza, my wonderful, awesome 12:13 co-leader!

Me and Hannah; I led her in Bible study when she was a freshman, and now as a junior, she's leading freshmen in the same study!

Wesley!  I'm gonna miss this kid guy.  Wesley has been involved with The Well for the past 5 years, and we actually served together on ministry teams when I was still a student.  He was our intern my first year on staff, and we went to East Asia together last year with The Well.  Wesley has a huge heart for East Asia.  He minored in East Asian studies, and started a ministry team specifically to reach out to those students on campus at ETSU.  He's going back with The Well again this year, and then returning there later this summer for grad school!  I'm so, so excited to see how the Lord uses him!