Camping. It begins!

What a great bunch of people!!!! Ryan and I had such a great time last night and this morning camping with these student friends of ours. We hung out, tossed some football, played some crazy human knot game and prayed for each other. What an amazing way to start the semester!!!! Please for us and them as we begin fall '12 tomorrow!!! Woohooo!!!!

Work

Today I prayed over Ryan regarding his work. I thought it was kinda ironic since just a few days ago we met with our Nav shepard (a trusted leader in the Navs that meets with us right now while our regional director is on leave) to do a Bible study on work, lazyness and the balance.

I've always had a hard time resting. I think because I have zillions of ideas that I just NEED to start. Ryan however, I think understands the weight of starting an endeavor and so he patiently waits before starting any new thing. I on other hand care am so fixated on starting something that the thought of what the finished product would actually look like...doesn't even process in my mind. This plays out in almost everything in our marriage. I start it, Ryan finishes. Even in our garden! I literally plant the seeds, but it's Ryan who waters the plants. Now I'm not making any claims to Paul or Apollos, BUT what I am saying is that our roles and wiring are very complimentary. Unfortunately, another word for complimentary can the be the word aggravating.

I keep wanting Ryan to start things and he just wishes I'd focus a little more. We work differently, that's all, right? Praying through this chapter though I began to remember the need for Ryan to finish things AND start them. To work hard and rest well. To know when to engage in work and when to disengage. Our work and our lives can at time be so wrapped up in one another that it can bring challenges into our marriage. I know that Ryan works hard, he teaches me how to rest and helps me remember how to say "no." But I pray that God would continue giving Ryan wisdom in these areas, because it's not easy. It's not easy for any man to balance work and life. And that is why we pray. Because only God can give us that balance.

Ecc 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

Lord, continue to give Ryan direction and wisdom as we navigate the different seasons of life and work. Show how to balance the two for your glory. 

Prayer: The Ultimate Love Language

With the season change, collegiate ministry focus changes. There are still a handful of students here, but during the summer our focus shifts, putting our ministry partners in a more prominent role. I'm excited for these two and a half months to hear what God is doing in the lives of each one of you. To swap stories of God's provisions, love, and comfort even amidst heart-ache. We could not do this ministry at SDSU as effectively without your prayers and support. God uses you in a mighty way.

While thinking and praying for my ministry partners, I easily tend to forgot to pray for my most prominent ministry partner. My husband Ryan. That being said, I really want to use this next month to cultivate my prayer life for him and our marriage so it will weather the trials of life and ministry come next fall. I encourage all of you wives out there to join me this month as we pray for our husbands.

When I first got married I was given this book. "The Power of a Praying Wife". However, it looked so out of date that I never gave it a second glance. However, one year I was visiting my old roomate Becca in Denver and I noticed this same book in her living room. I asked her about it and she mentioned she had just started reading the book, but it seemed to be a pretty solid read so far. (not her exact words, but that was the main gist). At this time ministry and life had begin hacking away at the 'honeymoon' period of our marriage and I really trusted Becca's insight, so I decided to give it a try.

WOW! I cannot communicate in words how thankfully I am to the Lord for Him showing me this book as a tool for strengthening our marriage. That being said, I would strongly recommend this book to any women no matter what stage of marriage they are in. Like all books, I don't agree with every sentence and thought, but God has used this book in a big way to show me the power of prayer, no matter how cliche that sounds.

That being said, I began this 30-day journey through this book this morning. The line this morning that spured me on is as follows:

"The point in all this is that as husband and wife we don't want to be taking separate roads. We want to be on the same path together. We want to be deeply compatible, lifelong companions, and have the love that lasts a lifetime. Prayer as the ultimate love language, can make this happen." -Stormie Omartian

I'm excited as I begin this month long journey, and I hope some of you wives will join me in this jouney as we pray for our husbands, our marraiges, and us as wives.

Pr 31

A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

"I believe the most important "good" a wife can do for her husband is pray. Shall we?"

-Stormie Omartian

Flowers

              

Life of flowers

This is why I do what I do.

This is why I roll over to answer phone calls and texts at midnight. Why I eat sodium enriched Panda (which I'll later regret) while scorching in the heat under at patio someone forgot to put a roof on. Why I show up to a Bible study where everyone forgot to text me that they can't come. Why I invite students to talk about important subjects that make them feel uncomfortable when they'd rather be on facebook. Why I toss and turn at night over poor decisions my student friends make. This is why I gave up teaching music for a time and let God move us to SDSU. Because these flowers remind me SO much of the women God allows me to minister to. When I meet them, I only see a glimpse, a bud of who God created them to be. But as He allows me to see deeper into their lives, as He allows His gospel to penetrate their souls, as he tills and harvests character into their stories, these buds blossom and flourish in ways I could never have imagined. Each one unique. Each one blossoming in it's one time. I see these flowers, in their beauty and they remind me of His women at SDSU. The beauty he has created them into, and the power of His Gospel as it transforms them. I pray I never forget the beauty of every flower bud as I wait for God to begin to open its bloom.

Soul Thirst

Psalm 63:1 "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. "

This verse is my prayer for the men and woman at San Diego State University. The world dries our souls out, yet we look for refreshment and nourishment in temporary fixes. We are dehydrated children satisfying ourselves on the frivolous comforts of soda and coffee rather then the life giving water we actually crave. Whether these students are starting their journey with God, beginning to get curious about Him, or have been walking with him for years, my prayer is that they would find their true satisfaction in Him and Him only. I pray that the Holy Spirit would lead them to Himself on a daily basis to read, mediate and apply his Word to their lives. That they would openly and earnestly talk to Him in prayer. I know of no other comfort as life giving as my daily time communicating with God, my Husband and lover of my soul. The world will always strive to wear us down but I pray for these students that in the end they will be able to whole heatedly agree with the Psalmist "If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" I pray these students will delight in God's law, His Words. Will you join me in this prayer?

Fall 2011 Start-up!

Thank you all for your prayers.We had a very successful camping trip this weekend! About 15 people showed up early from summer vacation to join us, which was a major answer to prayer! These students represent the core of students that we will be starting with this Fall.We were able to spend some time in God's Word together, pray together for the upcoming school year, and re-connect after a summer apart. We also got a lot of planning done for events that we will be inviting students to come to. This year is a little bit different than other school years for start-up because Valerie and I are going to be the only staff people on campus. We will be relying heavily on the students that God has blessed us with to come along side and serve with us.

School starts tomorrow! Which means that we will be going onto campus to meet new students and see who Jesus brings into our midst. Please pray for us that God would:

• protect us from the enemy
• Give us courage and strength during the next couple of weeks to be intentional with students
• bring the right amount of new students into our sphere of influence
• unite our current students in a Spirit of unity and purpose 

We are excited for the new school year to be starting up, but also a little nervous since this will be the first time we are going solo (staff-wise) for a Fall start-up. This is an incredibly important time of the school year because how the next couple of weeks go often determines how the rest of the school year will go. So please keep us in your prayers and ask that God would do BIG things on this campus!

Camping

Hi Friends!
Could please pray for us. We are taking some students from SDSU camping tonight. We will be using this time to re-connect with each other and with God. Our goal for this time is to discuss the new school year and brain storm ways to meet new students. I can't express in words how grateful we are for your prayers and support!!!

Trust is a Good Thing

A blog by Ryan P Buss.

This last school semester was quite a ride for me personally, and for Valerie and I as a couple. Now that summer is in full swing I have had some time to reflect and see what it is that God is doing among Valerie and I. I would say that the biggest, most front and center thing that He is growing us in is our trust in Him. Trust. We trust and depend on a lot of things on a daily basis. In fact, you could say that we humans are very needy and dependent as a whole. I would invite you, for a moment, to think through all the things that you depend on and trust in every day.

Do it. C'mon, do it! 

Did you do it? How many things did you come up with? Probably less that you really are depending on because we are so prideful in our feelings of our own strength, intelligence, skills, or of other people telling you to do things. If I sound kind of mean, I am not trying to be. I just want us to stop for one moment and think about how we are REALLY dependent and needy people.

The question that Valerie and I have been asking ourselves a lot recently is not what we are depending on, but WHO are we depending on?  If we look around at our lives it can be pretty easy to despair or let fear in and enslave us all over again. So where do we look for provision when we feel as though we have nothing? Who do we turn to when our sin and guilt overwhelm our fragile hearts? Where do we look for truth about the world and who I am when all I see is confusion and darkness? Where do I find strength when I am helplessly weak?

...Jesus.

He MUST be the One to whom we look, all other places fail. I will fail. Valerie will fail. Family will fail. Friends will fail. Jesus will never fail. He who did not fail when, knowing the pain and anguish and rejection He would receive, He went to the cross. He went, willingly, obediently, humbly, lovingly to His death and resurrection three days later. That we might know Him and be reunited with His Father, the Creator and God of all the universe! Since He did not fail in this, He will not fail if I trust Him with my life. He will not fail if I trust Him with my marriage. He will not fail if I trust Him with our finances. He will not fail. Not ever.

That doesn't mean that He won't allow hardship or troubles or afflictions or persecutions to come our way. But it does mean that we have a living hope that He will guide us through them, sustain us in them, and remind of Himself because of them. We have a living hope that when we finish our time here on earth we will be with Him for eternity where there is not death, nor tears nor pain, and where we get to hear the sweet words of our Master "Well done,thou good and faithful servant."!

                           

                             O! to hear the Master say "well done" is the desire of my heart

                             To see His smile and to feel His arms embrace my weary soul.

                             I cry to You, faithful Jesus, when the waters surround me

                             For in You,and You alone, is all my trust and victory!

Who are you trusting in with your life? I hope it is Jesus.

Last Week

Can't believe it's my last week working with this guy. Excited for his next stage of life and especially his upcoming trip this summer to Japan. However, crazy sad I won't see him much around campus. He's become a pillar in our ministry and a pioneer in creating epic emails that students actually read. God has used him exponentially in the lives of students and even more so in Ryan and my life.

"Dear God,
Thank you so much for creating this man in your image. For allowing me to be his sister both physically and spiritually. Thank you for letting me work alongside him these last couple years as you molded him more and more into your image. I love him and will greatly miss working alongside him. However, help me to make the most of this last week with him. In Jesus name....Amen"

Rest

 

Rest...

Something I feel I'm constantly learning. 

This last week we experienced spring break, and it is always amazing to see God work during these times of seemingly inactivity. God has answered so many prayer requests this week, BIG requests, and I think it's to remind me that He doesn't "need a bull from my stall or goats from my pen." (Psalm 50) The world does not stop when I rest. Rest is good. Rest is needed and God works even when we rest. Sometimes I feel like He works even more when I rest because then I can get out of His way, sit back and watch His handiwork. I still struggle with the concept of rest, but my friend Kariann I think summed it up best, she described it as a time to renew. To renew my walk with God, with my husband and friends. To laugh, sleep, read and just be. As the the Psalmest reminds us: "Be still and know that I am God, I WILL be exalted among the nations. I WILL be exalted in the earth." (Ps 46) Nothing can stop God from being exalted. He will do it through me, or without me. But HE will do it! His command to me to rest reminds me of that, "Find rest Oh my soul in God alone, my hope comes from Him." (Ps 62) Rest is a very, very good thing.

Countdown

2 days and counting until our students come together for our annual conference. Collegiate Navigator ministries from all over California, Arizona, Hawaii and even Utah will be joining together just 40 minutes east of San Diego to learn about and worship our great God. Every year God has spoken to me in a very powerful and tangible way. I can't wait to see the things he will do in these students lives this weekend. Will you pray for them with us for their time at the conference?

1. ALL Obstacles keeping them from attending would be taken away
2. Protection from the enemy that would try to keep them from coming or engaging with Him or one another
3. Unity among the students that would bond their hearts towards one another
4. Humility and teach-ability would reign in their hearts in preparation
5. Each student would be touched in a dramatic way by God's love and truth

Success

I love my job. But...It's so easy in this stage of my life to look around at all my friends and peers and wonder if this is where we are REALLY suppose to be. From the world's stand point, I just feel like we missed the boat somewhere. There seems nothing about our life that even hints at any kind of success. This causes questions to begin running through me head, like "Should I have stayed a music teacher? Should we have started having kids earlier? Should I have gotten my Masters? Should Ryan have gone down a different career path? Should we have stayed in Arizona? or at least moved somewhere less pricey?" But then I come back from nights like this night and I KNOW in my very soul that we are exactly where God has placed us and wants us. I think for me, success in life is being faithful to where God has placed you and being joyfully content for the things He's placed in your life. And if that is success, then I feel like he's pushing me in that direction.

I love being with these college students. I love laughing with them, talking with them, playing games with them and even crying with them. I love telling them about Jesus, praying with them, praying for them, watching them grow, and being there when they fall. I love them so much that I feel I'm beginning to understand a little bit about how Paul felt when he told the Phillipian church that "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." My prayer is that this affection grows between us and them but also between the students themselves. Our prayer for the ministry this semester is that their hearts would be knitted together for the work of the Gospel on the campus at SDSU. If God would do that, then I feel we could look back and say we had a pretty successful semester as a ministry. But as for me personally, I want to continually strive for faithfulness and joyful contentment. Only then, do I feel I will be able to stop comparing myself to others and see that the only success that matters is what Christ already did on the cross. Everything after that is just...small potatoes.

Fruit of the Harvest

Freshman Bible Study in the dorms

Freshman Friends

Over the summer Valerie and I began to pray and ask that Jesus would give us a community of freshman men and women who would desire to know Him and who would make Him known in the dorms. These students are the answer to our prayers!  Each of these students are pursuing Jesus and getting grounded in His Word. We normally meet in their dorm for the Bible study, but the night of this picture we had them over to our house for hot chocolate, cheesecake or pie, and really focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was a special night of bonding, discussion, and fun after with a Nintendo Wii! 

Not only are we meeting as a community, but Valerie and I have the privilege of meeting with each of these students one-on-one to help them grow deeper in their walk with Jesus. They are eager to learn and to apply what they learn. We haven’t seen this kind of community at SDSU in a long time, and we are incredibly thankful to God that He is forming this community for His glory and Kingdom! 

We are also thankful for Jesus allowing us to be with these students as they struggle with issues of faith and hardships in life. We see the gospel of Jesus coming into these areas and transforming them to bring glory to Him!

A Big Ask and a Big Thanks

We would like to thank all of you for your support, both financially and prayerfully. We would not be able to have this ministry without your faithful and loving support!

However, we have a budget gap that we would like to ask you all to help us close this year. Because of this gap we both have part-time jobs, and though this helps it takes away from our availability to the students we feel called to minister to. We are currently only part-time with the Navigators and deeply desire to be full-time!

Would you prayerfully consider giving a special year-end gift by 12/31/10 to help us close our budget gap and return us to full-time campus ministry?

We are trusting God that He will provide for all our needs, and we are so thankful that He has given us such wonderful friends and family to support us! THANK YOU!!

As the Lord leads you, please visit www.navigators.org/us/support for on-line giving options or click the link above.

A New Harvest!

Well, a new school year has started and we are on the ground running! What a month it has been so far; exhausting, yet encouraging. Over the summer we had been praying that the Lord would form a community of freshman men and women who love Jesus, want to know Him more intimately, and who desire to share Him with those other students around them.Over the course of this month we have seen the Lord begin to answer those prayers so faithfully! 

It started with one freshman man, who we will call "Tommy", whom the Lord brought through one of our returning students. As we started to get onto campus and recruit students, it became clear that God wanted to use Tommy as a seed from which this little community would grow up. Jesus began to bring us to students who lived in this man's dorm hall, and who wanted to know more about Him. During the first week of school, God gave us open doors into 3 dorms; so we went up with some pizza into those dorms to see whom the Lord would bring us. After that night we all had met just about everyone on all three of those dorm floors where we were at! It was an amazing night of meeting students and planting the seed of the gospel in those dorms. After that, we decided to have our first Bible study in Tommy's dorm. We felt that the Lord was leading us to go through a study called  The Story of God, which follows the redemptive thread of God in Christ through the whole Bible. It was a smashing success! The freshmen loved to talk about all that God had done, and His relationship with human kind. They are learning about the dignity of man because of how God created us in His image, the utter sinfulness and rebellion that we as human  naturally live, and the ridiculous mercy that God shows us all the time! The study has grown from just one man and a couple of women, to a few men and several women, recruited by the students as well as from us. Some know Jesus, and some do not yet know Jesus.

Our desire is to see these freshman men and women come to know Jesus, walk with Him daily, and make Him known in their dorms and lives. God has been so gracious to give us theses students to love and care for, and we are so grateful for the privilege to be sharing the gospel and the Word of God with these students! Even though this last month has been really tiring, we are very encouraged by what Jesus is doing on the campus, and in the lives of these particular students.

TONIGHT!

Tonight is our 1st Bible Study in the dorms. We invited over 20 students, so we'll see what happens. One of our students (Erik) has really stepped up to bat to get this thing going and we're so excited to see him going in there and starting this thing up. 

Prayer Requests

• Students will show up both Christian and non-Christian alike
• Erik (student) and Ryan will to lead well
• Sean (student hosting) will be bold in inviting his friends to come
• All of us would be able to connect well with students
• Students will be open to the message

5th Day

Grabbed some great time with some students over coffee. It has been so encouraging to hear their stories and to hear what God is doing in their lives. Was able to read the Bible with a student and showed her how to do a quite time. Another encouraging moment when was Gabe and I both ended up at the same lunch spot with different student without knowing beforehand. It's really comforting to be reminded that I'm not the only one doing this. So, even though we ate lunch separately, it was really encouraging to see one of my best friends over at the next table engaging with a student for God's glory.

Later that night we had a bonfire over at Fiesta Island and a handful of students came that probably have never opened their Bible up ever. It was so cool to see our students conversing with them and showing the love of Jesus to these new people. Also, just the fact that these new students felt comfortable enough to even show up was awesome! I'm so proud of how all the returning students have been really engaging these new students.

Today we will be doing more tabling at the the tailgating for our 1st football game. Most of us are feeling pretty tired, so please pray that this last activity of the 1st week will really be worth the time and effort. Even if God brought just 1 hungry student to our table today, I would say that it will be worth it.

4th Day

Yesterday and today are going to be more times trying to meet-up with students. Listening to their story, seeing how how they're doing and, Lord's willing, opening up the Bible with them. Last night we went to a carnival on campus put on by the school. It was overwhelming to see the sheer number of students that go to this school. It's like a small city! My friends and I were standing inline for one of the rides and were able to talk to one particular student for 30 minutes or longer. We talked about spiritual things for a little while but then the topic swayed elsewhere. However, for me it was just a great reminder of how confused these students are. Many of them truly are seeking direction, purpose and peace. Please continue praying that we will be able to engage in deep conversations with students more and more as the days go by.

3rd Day

Ryan, Gabe, Dave and I (Val) had some great times with students over coffee and lunch today. My friend and I did a prayer walk on campus this afternoon and it was super encouraging. I love these students!! I feel like we're meeting more and more students everyday. Now, we have to just have to be diligent in continuing to pursue these relationships. We also had our BBQ today which in past years was the big recruitment event. However, this year I felt so much pressure released when Ryan reminded me that tonight was just many of the events we planned to meet students at. Unfortunately, I had to work beforehand, but Ryan said the house we had the BBQ at had students coming in and out all night. But mostly it was just nice to hang out with all our student friends. Tomorrow we'll be grabbing pizza with students and then going to a carnival sponsored by the school. This will be the 1st time Ryan and I actually go to this carnival cuz it's so late at night, so we're not sure what to expect...so I'm sure however you pray...will really help! :)

2nd Day

I forgot how fun it was to meet new people...and how tiring. :). We might have some contacts in some dorms...maybe Chappy, Tenochca and UT. Please keep praying that we keep building relationships with these students. We brought in pizza into these dorms and it seemed to go pretty well. Excited to see what else happens. Ryan's going to be reading the Bible with a guy tomorrow and I'm going to be getting to know more of the ladies over coffee and such. Please also pray that we'll ask the right questions and that God's love would just flow out of us onto these students.

1st Day

We finished our 1st day of tabling today and God gave us a number of contacts on the guys side! That is so encouraging because it always feels like pulling teeth to get any interest from the male student body. Ryan was also able to take some students to do some evangelizing on campus. So far, this has been a great start, but please keep praying for us. We invited some students to play board games at one of the student's houses, so please pray that we begin to develop our relationships with these new students. Tomorrow will be a big day for tabling, so please also pray that we faithfully pursue each student that walks by our table. So in conclusion...

• Praise: Tabling went well
• Praise: Opportunities for the gospel were opened
• Praise: Guy students signed up for Bible studies
• Request: God would give us more contacts tomorrow
• Request: We'd develope relationships with students tonight
• Request: We'd faithful pursue students tomorrow