Early Edition

In April I attended the Internship/STINT Kick-Off Conference in Ontario, California. This was an exciting weekend as people from all over the Pacific Southwest Region (California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii) gathered to receive instruction on how to prepare for an internship or STINT (short-term international missionary trip) with Campus Crusade. I have many GREAT memories from that weekend. As I was in the middle of packing and moving this afternoon I was reminded of one realization I had that I wrote down in my journal. This thought stems from the fact that at the front door of my hotel room the daily newspaper was placed each morning. Here is what I wrote:

Seeing the newspaper at the front door made me think about "Early Edition", a TV show where the main character got tomorrow's paper each day so that he could read it and reverse some of the terrible things that were going to happen throughout the day. I find this to be interesting this morning because, in a sense, I too get tomorrow's paper and tomorrow's paper tells me that human souls last for an eternity. . .keeping this in mind will help shape my actions today. To a degree I know what awaits each day, eternity awaits and the Lord has allowed me (and you!) to partner with Him in the ministry of reconciliation. What an exciting blessing!

That morning in April the Lord gave me a dose of eternal perspective and this is something I am excited to share with students. Being mindful of the fact that our physical lives on this earth are fragile and temporary while our souls will live on for an eternity. . .whether it be in Heaven or Hell. . .is enough for me to want to be a light for Christ in the world til the day He takes me home!

Whoever sows bountifully. . .

As I am in the process of raising both prayer and financial support for the coming internship it is a joy to experience the Lord and His Word in new and fresh ways. As a team of supporters is beginning to form I find myself going to 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 often. Each verse is packed with wisdom and I know that the Lord will reveal more when needed but I'd like to blog a couple of posts throughout the summer about the little bits of knowledge the Lord has offered to me. Starting with verse 6 which states: The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Thus far, the people that I have had the opportunity to talk to about going into full-time ministry, and the needs that lie before me, have been so encouraging. I am learning through my prayer and financial supporters what it means so sow bountifully. I am challenged by their hearts to see the Gospel furthered on the college campus, and ultimately world-wide. It is a crazy blessing, one I hardly feel worthy of, to be in this position. I have asked the Lord to increase my faith. Therefore, He has put me in a situation that will require an increase of faith in Him. To God be the glory for the ways in which He is using you to teach me what it means to sow bountifully. My weekend at home was an awesome chance to talk to many about the Lord's work, thanks to the many who the Lord are using to increase my faith in Him during this time.

Summer in SLO

I will be spending most of the summer in San Luis Obispo however my address will be changing several times. Here are my soon to be former roommates standing in front of our lovely little house on Lincoln Street. Sadly, our lease ends at the end of this month so I will be moving on very soon. Starting July 1st my address will change and I will be living at that location for 1 month. Then, my lease on an apartment for the coming year starts August 1st. So I'll be hopping around a bit but if you would like to get ahold of me through snail mail then please email me at arijaan.bulk@uscm.org and I will pass on my current address. Let's keep in touch!

Heading Home for the Weekend

I will be going home to Oakdale this weekend - a decision I made yesterday afternoon! I was suposed to start nannying for a family in SLO but that has been postponed and I realize that I need to make the most of my time. So, since yesterday afternoon I have been calling lots of people from my home church, Oakdale Community Christian Reformed Church (check out their website, it's linked on the right), with the hopes of setting up support appointments. At this point I have 6 appointments set up with the possibility of a couple more. It will be a busy weekend! Pray that I may tell of the Lord's work in my life and in the lives of college students on the central coast in an effective manner. Pray that I would keep the right perspective - knowing that God is in control of each situation and that He ordains every step we take when we walk acording to His will for our lives. Have a wonderful day!

Cal Poly Graduates!

I present to you the graduating class of 2007! Here I stand, third from the right, with some of my closest friends on Saturday, June 16th, 2007. Jaclyn, Emily, Tiffany, Stacie, and Kristen (and many more!) have been a huge blessing in my life during the past 4 years of my college career. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Liberal Studies (Cal Poly's teacher education program) and a Multiple Subject teaching credential. I had no idea when I came to Cal Poly that I would experience such an intimate relationship with Christ. It is with joy that I say I will be putting my newly acquired college degree to work on the mission field here at Cal Poly. The thought of serving Him full-time in San Luis Obispo just blows me away! Thank you for partnering with me in this new stage of life that will soon begin!

A New Adventure!

Thanks for checking out this blog! I will be diving into full-time ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ, at Cal Poly and Cuesta, in San Luis Obispo. My start date will be August 29th and I have until then to prepare for the year ahead. One of the things I mean by this is the need to prepare financially as Campus Crusade has no central funds and requires that I raise all financial support needed before I report to my assignment. Praise God that I am currently at 11% support! It has been a joy meeting with many who are excited to see the Gospel take root in the hearts and lives of college men and women. Please join with me in prayer - it is a scary and exciting challenge. What a neat opportunity to grow in my walk with the Lord and see others do the same as we trust Him to accomplish His will in each of our lives! In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 it says, "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." I feel without question that God has called me to be a part of this ministry to college students and am excited to see Him "bring it to pass" in the coming months. Please continue to check this blog as I will share with you how the Lord is at work in this new adventure. . .and keep me posted on your adventures, new and old - life with Christ is never boring!