Monday, November 12, 2012

Bigger and Better

  On the cusp of a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Washington (a trip where you get to pray for 27 Elmira students), Campus Life has been a busy place on the Elmira Campus. Dodgeball season, A Sadie Hawkins Dance, and even a bible study is in the works to be added to the club schedule. Every event with the intent to minister into students lives.
The busyness took the shape last week in the form of a game called bigger and better. This is where students start with a paper clip and must go door to door trading for something "bigger and better" than the object they currently possess. My group set out with the task with much gusto. This year I did not drive my jeep so I told the students not to aim for bigger, but to aim for better, as we did not have much space for big items.
  I am often amazed by the conversation topics of students. Upon receiving University of Oregon memorabilia  the talk of what the students could do with the money came up. Did they want video games, food, clothes...no one students stated he wanted a hooker. A WHAT? This student was obviously joking, but in his heart and the heart of his friends some contemplation did take place. They started to agree and debate about the subject in earnest before I interjected with why that was a stupid idea. The one Christian student in the car spoke up a bit as well. The conversation weaved a few different directions with myself trying to point students towards less self centered thinking and more Christ like thinking.
  Why do we do events like this? So we can have relevant conversations in the lives of students, even ones centering on what to do with money. The night continued until we had acquired a mini-fridge, gun case, white board, and ceramics. I grew a bit closer to all the 4 students in my car and we won (though the old Noti school slide was definitely the biggest object).
 

Nothing is bigger and better than Jesus! The things he is doing are awesome and always amaze me. I am excited to see what he does in the lives of students in the coming weeks and throughout the school year!