A cold, icy Thursday

Yesterday, I went out to clean my sister's windshield off because it was covered in ice. I was just being a nice sister. Another student and my self were cleaning off her car, then we were going to clean off his car and go back inside where it was warm. Luckily, he had the great idea of turning this into a ministry opportunity. We started on the car beside my sisters and continued on to the rest of the parking lot. That lead to a few other joining us and pretty soon we scraped almost every car in the parking lots windshield. Some people were headed to their cars with a pleasant surprise waiting for them, others came to their car and we hadn't gotten there yet, so we stop the car we were doing and did theirs while they searched for their ice scrapers to help us. One of the people that I enjoyed helping was a lady who's car wasn't very covered at all. It took me about two minuets to scrape what little ice that was on it off. She was telling me that her husband was on HWY 65 and that he was stuck there and that they had a Christmas party that night and she wasn't sure what they were going to do especially since the weather was so nasty. I enjoyed hearing her story while she went to find her ice scraper that mysteriously eluded her. She tried to give me money after I did so little work, but that's not why we were out there. I was just trying to be a good neighbor and help people out. I know how much I hate scraping my windshield, especially after it's been a long day and I can't find my ice scraper. Oh, note on the subject of not finding and ice scraper, my roommate never seems to have one or can't find it in her car and she used a cd's jewel case. It tears the case up, but it works if there isn't a lot of ice. I hope all of the people we scraped windshields for got home safe and next time it's icy, help someone else out after you have scraped your own windshield. Have a great Christmas and stay safe as the weather gets nasty.

International Banquet

The29th annual International Banquet and Show took place Saturday, November 10th in the Plaster Student Union. The Baptist Student Union was among the organizations that help facilitate the event. The BSU contributed 64 cakes for desert, and several students from the BSU volunteered to be buffet servers.

The festivities at the International Banquet and Show consisted of performances, music, and food from eight countries, all hosted by the Association of International Students, reported the Missouri State Standard.

The menu included kabobs from India, tomato salad for France, rice pilau from Kenya, rice and chicken from Costa Rica, and Ivory Coast chicken. The entertainment included performances from the Asian Pacific Islander Organization, a fashion show, standup comedy, and other international performances, writes the Standard.

Sharing your light

I would like to start this little story with a very strong passage which is the main reason why some Christians share their faith. In Matthew 28:19-20 we see where the great commission is given by Jesus Christ to his disciples. This is how my story has its beginnings. Everything started a cold Saturday of October when I was called by my friend Patrick Shawhan to help as a translator in the activity called Make a Difference Day. When you are blessed by God with the gift of knowing another language besides you native one you sometimes underestimate the possibility of being used by God in His work. Everything was going normally at the activity until I was called to help with a language problem at the Family Entrance tent, and I thought “Well probably I'm going to help with some words and that's it” but my big impression came when I had to talk a person about the plan of Salvation, you know it's weird how the word training has an influence in every activity of the human being, well for the ones who are getting a little bit lost about what I'm saying, is that in the Christian life sometimes if you don't train you become very weak in certain aspects of your Christian life and that means the part where you have to talk about Salvation to someone who does not understand anything about it. Returning to my story, I was there with a lady called Teresa Santos whom I didn't know and I never talked before, I guess that's how God works in our lives if we think we don't have anything to do He will bring things to our lives. I started talking to her and explain her about how Jesus came to my life and how He gave me the give of Salvation, also how we through His mercy are saved and can approach the Father through The Cross of Jesus, how we through the understanding of Jesus' love we can be saved and forgiven, at that moment she started to cry, I couldn't understand at a first thought the why until I remember the moment I was saved, and you know folks, when we make Jesus a just thing we lose the meaning of our lives and the reason of why, because after a lot of mission trips and a lot bible studies we think we know everything and we are holy enough to not worry about read the Bible every day of to pray twice a day. Jesus is not a daily thing that you pick up to go like your cellphone of your shoes He is the all in all, the alpha and the omega. Jesus is not religion, is not just a moment in our lives that is and the is gone, Jesus my friends is life, light, salvation, love, mercy, radically changing the way some of us see Christianity and driving crazy the ones who don't understand what real Christianity means. Now Teresa Santos know about that Jesus and she is saved for the glory of God. As a last thought I give the glory and honor to God which the creator and author of everything I have in my life.

Women's Retreat

Over Missouri State University’s Fall Break the Baptist Student Union continued to reach out to students. 11 ladies from the University gathered together on Thursday for an over-night women’s retreat. Along with a great dinner, a devotional time, hours of conversation and a Twister tournament, special guest Emily Foreman from the Missouri Baptist Convention joined us with a message out of Philippians 3. We spent time discussing the meaning of counting things as loss for the sake of Christ. I truly believe that we were all able to become closer to each other and to God during this time. It was a great time of fun and fellowship.

Guy's Retreat

A walk with Jesus

When you think about a retreat you think about staying late at night and probably getting up early, at least that's what I thought. For the beginning I wasn't sure about going to the guys retreat probably mainly because I related it with some experiences I had before, but at the end I decided to go and see how was it. Since the moment i arrive to the place we were suppose to meet I knew this was going to be a totally different retread. One of my friends Luke was loading the van a making space for the food (very important) while the other guys where doing some tasks to get ready, there was no worries and no thinking in something else than have fun and spend a good time with friends and God. The time was correct and the guys were ready just us and the road no need of maps...hummmm...maybe a few mapquest but just to make sure, it is funny how you talk and behave while you are with your friends and mainly when all are with the same passion. During the trip we talked about everything, some stories about buying swords in a gas station, being scare about blonds with Ford Mustangs and other thinks that just guys know and talk. When we got there it was already dark and finding the cabin was one of the funniest experiences in my life because was hard to see and our driver Patrick hasn't driven the van with people in it, which make think about it a little bit, but hey if something is going to happen you have your friend with you. That night we cooked camper stew which is one of the best things I ever cooked in my life and by the way a suggestion if you are planning to cook camper stew make sure to add not a lot of carrots and potatoes and enough BBQ sauce. The night was gone and the day was there and we where ready to start our breakfast with the Luke and Patrick cooking. The breakfast was awesome and the guys were ready to explore and be wild at their hard, no doubts of what to do or how to do it just follow your instinct. We went to explore and do a little bit of vine swinging which was awesome. During the meals we got to share some portions of God's words with our bodies and talk about a little bit which make you see different points of view. All this great adventure took place at Billy's parents cabin which is in the middle of the wood and make it very cool. Overall we had a great time and breathed fresh air, and the most important we spent time with God.

Freshman Suprise!

Every October, the Freshman Surprise takes place. I am not sure how much of a surprise this year's was; everywhere we announced it, we called it the Freshman Surprise, but unofficially, we called it 'the bonfire'. That's what it was, by the way.

Six or seven weeks before it happened, the Freshman Council was told that they were to plan and execute an event. We had to figure out everything, what would happen, where it would happen, why it would happen, what its purpose was, what would be the reason people would want to come, what would the entertainment be, etc., which was new to us. Fortunately, at the first meeting about the Surprise, we did figure out that it would be on the 12^th, and it would have music. After that, we just went little bit by little bit.

My family played a big part in the bonfire (someday soon, I plan to go get a Thank You card for us who want to sign and send it to them). It took place at my grandparents' house and they were excited about it, especially my grandma! She called the day before and asked if she could buy anything like, maybe soda, for it, even though we were the ones who were supplying everything except the location. On the day of the Surprise, Heather Easter and I arrived early, about 2:30 (it is my grandparents' house, after all) to a yard full of tables covered in orange tablecloths. All Heather and I had to do was go get the roasting sticks and help move the heavy picnic table over by the garden. We had some down-time between when we got there and the rest of the Freshman Surprise people were supposed to arrive, so we watched some “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” with my grandpa. When other people began coming, though, we had no time to be bored. We were too busy setting out food and setting up the sound, milling around, playing volleyball (I had no idea anyone could do that in the dark!), and finally getting to go home to sleep!!!

Honestly, I don't think I ever heard an official count of how many people were there. I (as the most horrible estimator on the planet earth- don't listen to me, ask someone else) would guess that there were maybe forty-five..ish people there. Despite our seeming disorganization, the Surprise went extremely smoothly, almost... Surprise-ingly smoothly! We had no glitches with the sound equipment, except for a little feedback during the devotional, the fire went all night, no one was sitting around in a huge awkward silence, and we had enough roasting sticks and hot dogs! On top of that, just about everybody involved enjoyed themselves. And I am including my family as well. My grandparents loved having a whole bunch of college kids at their house; they like anything that gives God a chance to use them. My dad had fun with the fire (yeah, all those crazy guys that kept making the fire bigger? That was my dad, my grandpa, and my boyfriend). And of course, we all had fun with the bonfire, the hanging out, (cough the cookies cough), the worship and of course, the free meal!

Getaway Weekend

This past weekend a group of students traveled to Tan-tar-a Resort in Osage Beach for an amazing weekend of spiritual awakening and rejuvenation. The weekend retreat is called Getaway, and we go to it every year, along with other BSUs in the area. Just to give you an idea of what this weekend was like, here is what some students said about Getaway.

Regan Kelly said:

In the midst of an ever changing world, 300 students along with Pastors, teachers, mentors, and friends, from all across the state of Missouri, decided to break away from daily life and gather together under one roof and for one God. The place? Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, Missouri. The occasion? Getaway 2007.

38 fun-loving students, myself included, from Missouri State and OTC, traveled together to experience a God-filled weekend amongst our peers. In almost no time at all the vans, we had traveled in, approached our destination. I could feel the excitement grow and bubble all throughout the van. I couldn’t help but feel a little of it myself. “This is it. This is what people have been talking about for the past several weeks.”

Soon we were gathered together with the others and the worship began. When the music started I began to feel the usual pulse in my core that only music can bring. The whole room was filled with praise for the one and only God of the universe. It went on like that for several hours, worshiping, praying, laughing, listening and conversing with God. It didn’t matter that we didn’t finish until 11 pm or that the students from the BSU stayed up and kept talking together until 1 am.

The next day as our group split up and we each decided which sessions we were going to, I realized that I was getting out of my comfort zone. I didn’t care if I wasn’t with all of my friends. I was okay with going to each session by myself, because in all actuality I wasn’t alone. I was there with and for God, and so was everyone else. It’s an amazing feeling when you remember what it feels like to never walk alone.

Saturday night was one of the most spirit-filled nights I’ve had in a long time. I had been stagnant and holding on to things that I hadn’t realized I had been holding on to so tightly. That night helped me shake off the rock on my shoulders and remember that no matter what went on in my life God would be taking care of everything. I was literally flying. I still am. I smile and laugh more. I’m a little more upbeat in everyday life, and I know that it’s because I have a better grasp on God and what he wants for my life. I have great friends that will help me and hold me accountable. I will never have to walk alone.

Kayla Cook said:

"Overall, it was a good wake-up call for all of us. The main speaker was Thomas Young, he has a Web site called thomasyoung.com, and he was very honest. One of his quotes was "Life is a mission trip, and you should be mission-trippin' all the time." We really learned what it means to be a disciple. Jesus only had 12 guys following him, and he invested time in each of them. We learned that instead of spreading ourselves so thin, that if we invest in just a few people's lives it will make a huge impact if they disciple others. It was a big freeing worship experience. I think a lot of us got to that point of letting go and worshipping God without holding back and being ashamed and thinking about what other people thought of us. It was a good, relaxed spiritual vacation. Just worshiping God without it being hard. In the 'real world' there are a lot more challenges and here we didn't have to worry about things. It was a good place to learn and worship and not feel pressured to be everything to everyone. I just belonged to Jesus and I didn't have to be a student or an employee. I wasn't responsible to anyone but Jesus. I was just there to be a worshiper."

Keep watching for more posts from students on their experiences from Getaway and other
activities here at the BSU.

Regular Activities

Ok, so now that you have a taste of what has gone on around here at the BSU we can talk about what we do here on a regular basis. These are the activities you can count on each week (except for on holidays of course).

Wednesday Lunch
Remember that dollar lunch we mentioned in the last post? Well, in case you didn't read the last post or you somehow missed the information, we have a lunch each Wednesday that's only $1 unless it's your first time, and then it's free! What could be better on a college student budget than home-cooked food from some nice people at a local church for next-to-nothing. The serving starts at 11:20 and ends at 1:10, so come check it out sometime if you have a break between classes. You won't regret it!


The Life
The Life is our weekly worship service that takes place right here in the basement of the BSU, right across from MSU campus. This is a great time to come together and give praise to our Father through song and message. If you are just needing some encouragement or needing a break from the hectic world we live in, nothing can help more than giving praise to God and spending time in prayer with other believers wanting to pray for you in any way they can. If you are hurting and know there is something missing from your life, please come join us and let us show you the love of Christ as we worship together.

P.S.-You don't have to be Baptist to come either. Or even a Christian for that matter, we just want to spend time with you and show you the grace and love we have received through Christ.


International Worship Gathering
There is now a worship gathering for international students on Sunday nights at 7:30 in Strong Hall room 001 (down in the basement). The Christian organizations on campus are working together with international students to really get this thing going and you can help. Know any international students that are Christians or interested in learning about Christianity? This is a great place to bring them to meet other international students curious about the same things. We are really excited to see what God is going to do through these students. He has brought so many nations together right here on campus. We have such a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with students from around the world and be blessed by the relationships we make with them. If you are interested or know someone that may be, please come join us or let us know how we can help.

-We'll get back to you with more details about what goes on at the gathering soon. And by soon, we mean Monday.

Week 1 Activities

Ok, so we're going to back-track a little bit here. Since we just got his blog up and running, we need to catch everyone up on what we've done so far this semester. So here it goes; starting with Week numero uno.

Week 1
This week we had a different activity each day for new students to come and learn more about the BSU and meet some other students with the same passions and beliefs. To start the week off we held a Sunday morning worship service at the BSu, followed by lunch at a fantastic Mexican restaurant. On Monday night, we had dinner and a movie here at the BSU and on Tuesday night was Guys'/Girls'night out. Wednesday we had Free Hot Dog Day for lunch (we always have lunch on Wednesdays hosted by a local church that only costs $1 and is free your first time, but we'll get to that later). Thursday night was our first worship service at the BSU with free food and local church information. And lastly, the week concluded with a Game Night on Friday night.

We are always doing something new along with our regularly scheduled activities, so keep checking in to see our upcoming events. If you're looking for a fun place to come meet new people and worship God, then this is the place for you!!

Welcome!

Thank you for vising our new blog! We are still in the construction process, but please check back shortly for more updates. You can also visit our Web site at springfieldbsu.org for information on our upcoming events and ways to get involved. We would love for you to come join us!