New Semester

New year.  New semester.  Today was the first day of the Plaza Prayer Station for 2016.  I was delighted to be able to sit outside since it was 50 degrees and sunny.  A little chilly, so I needed my coat and scarf and a blanket for my lap, but I managed not to wear gloves.  Each new semester the students' schedules change, so a whole new batch of them are walking by me at my appointed time.  Clearly there were some who had never seen the station before.  My favorite was a young man who stopped and read the sign, said, "Hmm.." while scratching his chin, and then went on his way without looking at me.  I didn't get the feeling that he approved.  I chuckled to myself and said a prayer for him anyway.  Several students waved as they went by, and a few regulars checked in on their way to lunch.  For the first time, one of the students who came by for a prayer asked when ECM meets and then actually came to our meeting!  He's part of a different campus ministry but wanted to get to know his brothers and sisters and Christ from other traditions.  What a blessing to us, and I hope to him!

One of the Canterbury students, Sam, is studying abroad in Scotland this semester.  She usually stops by the prayer station, so I missed her presence today, but she is keeping a blog about her travels, so I am able to follow where she is and what she's doing.  A very cool thing to be able to view Scotland through her eyes. 

After the prayer station, I went over to a local elementary school to help St. Stephen's with a new
food pantry project.  Local churches are working together with the food bank to offer food, including fresh produce, to families of students at the school.  Each family received a grocery cart full of food, including fresh pineapple, pears, potatoes, onions, greens, and sweet potatoes.  There was also meat, canned goods, juice, and cereal.  My job was to walk with a family around the room "shopping" for food and then to go with them to help load up their car and then return the grocery cart so the next family could shop.  The first lady I helped asked me if I would take a tip.  I told her no I wouldn't, that my gift was that I got to meet her.  She gave me a big hug.  She works at the school and said she had never needed to do this before.  We had so much extra food at the end that we were able to offer it to teachers at the school as well, and several of them took food to their rooms to be able to give out to their students.  We're going to be doing this once a month so I'm hoping some of the CNU students will join me.

Helping with the food pantry project and sitting at the prayer station today made me think about feeding people.  How many stories do we read about food in the Bible?  Jesus was all the time feeding people, both with food for their bellies and spiritual food.  What a blessing it is to be able to participate with him in that work.  There are a lot of hungry people in the world.  I know we need to address the issue of how they have come to be hungry in the first place, both physically and spiritually, but in the meantime, it feels good to be helping to provide the sustenance.  May God continue to bless these ministries and to bring the people to us who need them.