New Ministry year begins…
The new class (“Basics”) are coming into the United States Air Force Academy tomorrow from all over the country! Tomorrow is “I-Day” which stands for In-processing Day but it is so much more than that. It’s an exciting day for all these young people as they begin a new chapter that will define much of their life for the next four years and beyond. With it comes not only excitement but some fear and worry about leaving home for the first time, living in a place so far from what they have known, and engaging with people and a lifestyle that is foreign to most of them. During this time they will be challenged and broke down as well as being encouraged and built up (they probably feel like this happens at a much lesser regularity. They will struggle through their time in “Basic Cadet Training” and will make friends that will last for the rest of their lives. It is one of the most transitional periods in most people’s lives and young people who choose this place will become a different person by the time they graduate.
It is at this point in their lives that we get to join them in this journey. By “we” I mean the Baptist Student Union and those who serve in this ministry. What an awesome privilege it is to be able to walk with some of them as they take on so much. We will get to know a few of them during what is called “resilience hours” - an hour and half period on Fridays where they can engage in their religious beliefs.
Pray for these incoming people - many of them have no idea of what they are stepping into and very few of them understand how much this period will impact them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray for peace as they walk through this time. Pray for opportunities for them to connect with others that will be encouraging and life-giving. Pray for those who know Jesus to have opportunity to share where they gain their strength and peace from. And pray for BSU, and the other SPIRE teams, to be able to love on and care for them in the moments that we get the chance.
This blogging is a new idea. I will be putting my regular thoughts on this page and will also add BSUAA newsletters when they send them out. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to give feedback - I’d love to hear from you.