Tuesday, July 2, 2019

June was a month to remember!

My friends! How are you?!

June was a great month full of exciting stories and students growing in their capacity to lead & share their faith. Every year we sent a group of students who have shown interest and growth to SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry). SICM is a week-long ministry training intensive week in Bellingham, Washington. This year we sent over 30 students to our June SICM from Collin College, SMU, and Richland College! It was a blast to get to see the students connect with each other and grow in the Lord.

I remember when I went to SICM back in 2009, I was blown away by just how empowering the conference was to me. I learned that even I have what it takes to make disciples through the power of God in my life. I learned that Christ desires a relationship with all of his children and he is calling us to pursue those that he is guiding toward him. It was wonderful!

I hope that you are all encouraged by the photos below - June was a very encouraging month and was very special to me to get to share it with the students in my life in addition to the staff. I hope that the pictures below are encouraging and a faithful reminder as to how much your support means to me and what it is going toward! Enjoy the photos below:

Our SICM group praying for one another toward the end of the SICM conference week. Our students are so grateful for the CCF ministry staff who made the week such a blessing!

My host family from last year (Brady & Shirley Bobbink) and I got to catch up on the past year and pray for one another. Love these people!

Our SICM students hanging out at our FOCUS student house! It was a blast!

From Monday through Friday, the students gathered to learn from campus ministers who have been involved in college ministry since the 1970s! Our students were engaged and excited all week - SICM is such a blessing to our ministry. 

Our 2019 June SICM group from TX! These are students from our Collin College, SMU and Richland College ministries!

Kristin Sale (far left, standing) coordinated SICM this year and she did an amazing job! Kristin is an alumna of UNT and has been a long-time friend of FOCUS. She is on staff w/ CCF in Bellingham, Washington and did an amazing job coordinating SICM!

Our students enjoying their time together in Seattle. Before we head up to Bellingham, we spend a day sight-seeing in Seattle. Our students loved it! 
Getting to hang out at the end-of-the-week BBQ! I was blown away at how close our students welcomed each other into their lives even though they are from different campuses. 


Thank you so much for your support & partnership! Our students are eternally blessed because of you!

When we got to Bellingham, we got to watch Brady Bobbink, the CCF ministry director for the past 30 years, pray over Geoff Mumley the new incoming CCF staff director. Both Geoff and Brady have impacted our FOCUS ministry in Texas greatly and we are thankful for them!

Thank you so much for believing in what we get to do on campus. Your support and partnership mean the world to me. Please pray for me as my wife, brother, and mother & me fly to Ethiopia and enjoy our time there for 2 weeks. My entire family is from Ethiopia and I have never been back so I am very excited! 

Your brother & campus missionary,

Sirak