Praying for Erin

Right now I am laying in my assigned dorm bed in Bowling Green State University in OH. I am here for our annual regional staff conference where we are learning skills in chapter planting/building, getting to know other staff better, and shaping some plans for the coming semester. It has been a good couple days and I look forward to the next 2.

I would like to share with you one instance that has almost nothing to do with why I am here...but then again it has everything to do with it....

A group of us came a day early for new staff orientation, meeting each other, and getting familiar with forms and policies. Last night we ended our evening in prayer and hung around the lobby of our dorm just talking. Mike (one of the new staff) asked me about my enjoyment of anime and mangas. I began to explain to him what they are, when a student that was sitting at a computer across the room perked up and yelled "what do I hear about anime?!" She was instantly intrigued by the conversation. So we began yelling back and forth at each other asking questions, until I finally decided to get up and grab a seat beside her. We began to talk about our favorite shows and video games, and so on. It was just a fun conversation to have. As we shared she began to open up to me about her boyfriend who she was talking to on the internet (and had me talk to him on her phone lol). This progression then started hinting at a hard childhood and feelings of being overwhelemed with school (as she is coming in as a freshman in the band). I asked her if I could pray for her, which she welcomed, but before I could she began to talk about issues she sees in the christian community, and began to share some deep personal wounds of her past. Unfortunately we had to part ways which ended our conversation. This morning I was sharing with some of the staff a little about our conversation, when Mike laughed and made the comment of how he loved how God orchestrates things. He then share with us that when we were praying that night, he was praying for Erin. And then She and I began to talk! How great are those moments!

I did get Erin's contact number, so tonight I called her up and asked her if we could get together, to which she welcomed. I met her in the lobby, and she shared with me her tough day, and we watched some fun videos, talked about random things, and she let me listen to her play her flute and piccalo. Time was getting late and so I asked if I could address some things we were talking about the night before. So we talked about family, God, and some tough issues, once again cut by time.

I have really enjoyed getting to know Erin at such a personal level so quickly. She is a fun person to be around (to which we discovered many similarities between the 2 of us) and enjoys having all kinds of conversations at various levels. We are planning on meeting up again possibly tomorrow night, so I would like to ask that you would pray for me and for Erin that we will continue to have good conversations, that I am able to answer wisely and lovingly, and that some very hurtful wounds in her soul can find a begining place of healing.