Peace is Flowing like a River

Peace is flowing like a river,
Flowing out of you and me,
Flowing out into the desert,
Setting all the captives free.

We used to sing this song right after the sign of peace growing up. I always thought the words were pretty; they'd conjure up images of a river and a desert and rain and green plants. And while this imagery is beautiful, singing this song again after a year of campus missionary work, a whole new set of images and meanings came to mind.

Rather than just an abstract idea of "peace" that is somehow flowing out into this idyllic, almost mythological "desert", I thought of campus and the students there. I wouldn't say that the college campus is the typical place I would go to if I were looking for peace. But, we're always called to be peaceful, even at college. One of the ways I am blessed to be part of the New Evangelization is by sharing what it means to have peace in one's life, even amidst the stress and business of everyday life.

I like the idea of peace being like a river. Rivers seem to make such a happy sound. Just so, peace brings happiness. Those who have peace in their lives are joyful people! Rivers don't try to flow where they shouldn't. They are bound by the rules of gravity and erosion. They can't climb up a mountain, no matter how hard they try. Rivers are made to run from a high point to a low point. We work in the same way. There is a natural order to our existence. God has a plan for our lives, and when we follow that plan, we are filled with peace and joy. When we don't, when we try to carve out a path that isn't meant to be, we lose that peace and joy.

It's amazing how noticeable peace is, too. There is something about those students who are able to face the common stresses of college life with a calm courage and joy. They aren't caught up in their grades. They don't become overwhelmed and anxious at a long paper or project. Instead, they are able to adapt as necessary, and maintain focus on what matters most: their faith in Jesus Christ and His Church.

As a missionary, I hope to spread this same peace to the women in my Bible studies and on campus as a whole. Many students who seem to lack peace in their lives don't even realize it's missing. It's like they've been living in a desert for so long, that they don't remember what a river looks like. Sometimes they can be suspicious of trying to integrate peace in their own lives. After centering their lives on grades or friends, it's hard to see why changing their focus to Christ would be important, or how it would even be possible. Sometimes, on the other hand, they do see the importance and possibility of change. They see how peace can bring them happiness, and strive to make changes. It's never easy. Just as water flowing in to a desert doesn't cause growth overnight, having the desire for change doesn't cause change to immediately occur. But without that desire, peace will never come. Peace cannot be forced into one's life, but it can be invited in.

Seven Quick Takes, Vol. 8

--- 1 ---

From January 2-6, over 6000 college students attended the national FOCUS Conference, SEEK2013. It was the largest nation-wide event that FOCUS has ever hosted. Students from all 74 of the campuses where missionaries are stationed attended. There were also many more students that I had expected from non-FOCUS campuses! For example, the University of Miami brought 14 students, which is almost the same number of students we brought. It was so exciting to be surrounded by so many young people who were on fire for their faith, and interested in growing deeper in their relationship with Christ.

--- 2 ---

16 of those students were from the University of Mary Washington, an incredible turn-out for a first year campus. We had 9 women and 7 men come from Mary Washington and the near-by community college. It was amazing to see the friendships transform throughout the conference. Many of the students hadn't met before coming to SEEK, and they got to know each other well. We hope that these newly-formed relationships will remain throughout their college experience.

Most of the UMW women at SEEK.

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It was an amazing experience! None of the students who attended had any regrets about coming, and all of them hope to return to a national conference, and bring along friends! One of the women from my small group even sent me a text message after we got back, thanking me for the invitation to attend conference and  the financial help that enabled her to go. It was a such a rewarding investment, to see her excitement and joy at SEEK, and knowing that the friendships she formed and encouragement she received will last her a lifetime!

--- 4 ---

There were some amazing speakers, from Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS; to Matthew Kelly, an internationally known Catholic speaker and bestselling author; to Leah Darrow, former contestant on America's Next Top Model who has an incredible testimony about her re-conversion to the faith. For the three main days of the talk, the men and women were divided into two groups by gender. It was awesome to hear a Catholic perspective on true womanhood, and how we can live a feminine life in a world that often tries to tell women who and what they are. I particularly enjoyed the session led by Helen Alvare, a law professor at George Mason University. She was a practicing lawyer and mother of two who offered great advice about how to be a wife, mother, and working woman. She encouraged us not to let anyone else define our lives for us, but to keep our sights focused on Christ and walk in His path alone.

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I roomed with three of our students at the beautiful Swan and Dolphin Resort in Disney. I didn't know them particularly well before conference, and so I was excited to get to know them better. Unfortunately, I came to recognize that I was definitely more of a morning person than all three of them. While it was lights out for me around 11 pm, and wake up time was around 7 am, I'm not sure the students were ever in before midnight, and I had to make sure everyone was out of bed by 8:30 am, so we would make to mass by 9. But, it was great to hear their reactions to the talks, and I was able to have some conversations with the girls that I wouldn't have been able to have if I wasn't their roommate.

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For the first time in months, I was able to reconnect with all the missionaries I went to school with and met at New Staff Training. It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces, and to hear about the work the missionaries are doing on other campuses. I especially enjoyed catching up with Ryan and Samantha. The three of us all graduated from UW-Madison last year, and were good friends in college. I also got to eat lunch with Kourtney, my very first Bible study leader!

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SEEK2013 was an incredible experience, so full of hope! From seeing all the students gathered in one place to celebrate Mass together, to hearing about the excitement of growing Bible studies on the many FOCUS campuses, to seeing all the priests and religious men and women who were available to the students and missionaries throughout conference. It was such a joyful week, and I can't wait to get back to campus to share that joy with all the students who weren't able to attend!

Two sisters join a group of students in a friendly game of basketball.

Three of the freshmen from my small group Bible study all dressed up for the 20s-themed swing dance!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Year of Faith

Today is the first day of the Year of Faith! My roommate and teammate Susie is in Rome right now, and went to the opening Mass, celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The Year of Faith will help support the New Evangelization, provide resources on the celebration that is the Mass, and help each Catholic learn how to make the faith more personal. It will help promote a re-conversion of every soul to Christ and help us to be better witnesses to the faith in our everyday life.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom […] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:16-17).

Read the whole address given by Pope Benedict at http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/popes-homily-at-opening-mass-of-year-of-faith#ixzz290HBtVUk