Yeshotsav
At the end of May, I (Kaitlin) had the incredible experience of serving as the local coordinator for Yeshotsav, a national retreat for Hindu background followers of Jesus. The planning team was made up of Campus Crusade and Bridges International staff and several Hindu Background Believers (HBBs). I was invited into the teams as the Dallas connection, helping arrange food, airport pick ups, child care. etc. It was an incredible weekend of hearing from the 60 HBBs from all over the nation (most who came from South Asia originally as international students) talk about how they were drawn to Jesus and the cost they have paid to follow him, many being ostracized from their families and more because of their decision to follow Christ but all of them saying that following Jesus is worth it. Several of them, who have attended the conference since it's beginning 4 years ago, said that the Yeshotsav group has become family to them, giving them the encouragement and admonishment they need to continue following Christ well.
These HBBs are key in reaching out to other Hindus and sharing the gospel with them.
- Would you pray for these HBBs as they faithfully share Christ with their Hindu family and friends?
- Would you pray that the Lord will draw more Hindus to himself?
- Would you pray that we at the UTD BSM would be able to build trusting relationships with Hindu/South Asian students on campus and that many would come to Christ?
Whirlwind Texas Travels
The summer is a time where our BSM team works on logistics and planning for the next school, raises support for our salaries and ministry budget and spends time meeting incoming students at freshmen/transfer orientations. Our team has been traveling here, there and yonder as we've been meeting with many about partnering with us in ministry for the next year.
As Mark and I have crossed Texas, we have been so blessed to spend time with many of you, catching up on what is happening in your lives and getting to share about the ways we are seeing God work at UT Dallas! God has been faithful through these meetings, and I'm now 79 percent funded for the next school year! This is a 20 percent increase from the last time I sent you an update!
- Would you pray that the Lord would provide additional funds so that I will be fully funded by August 1 and ready to serve new international students full-time this next school year?
- And praise God too as Brady, our associate director, is now fully funded and Jourdan, our cross-cultural specialist, is very close to being fully funded. We have one additional staff member, Grace, who is still working to be fully funded by Aug. 1. Would you pray for Grace to reach these goals as well?
We are so thankful for you and for your partnership. This is YOUR ministry too and we want you to know that you are making a difference at UTD.
Blessings to you! Until next time,
- Kaitlin and Mark