Hello,
You may be wondering what ministry during a pandemic has looked like. Here are some of the phrases the come to mind: So many Zoom calls, chaotic because my kids are almost always in the background of whatever I’m doing, trusting and believing that God is still moving, looking for new and creative ways to reach people that don’t know God, waking up extra early to spend time with God before my kids get up, reading through the Bible in a year plan, I’ve spent plenty of hours planning and thinking through what ministry is going to look like this fall. So many unknowns and yet so many possibilities. I know that God is not surprised by my current situation. Even though I often feel unsure and a little overwhelmed by the unknown, I’m also excited to begin a new school year of ministry.
Student Leader Training: Instead of our usual spring weekend getaway to train our upcoming leaders, we had a series of Zoom calls in June. We had 43 students representing 8 leadership teams from campuses across Nebraska. On Tuesday nights we had guest speakers talk about leadership and loving God. Later in the week we broke down the group into campus leadership teams for discussion and application. I got to spend time with students from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Wesleyan State University. I was encouraged to hear how God is preparing each student to lead in the fall. One of my favorite conversations revolved around the Strength Finders Test that every student took. We got to process how God has designed them and the unique ways they can contribute to reaching their campus for Christ. It was such a fun conversation.
Saying Goodbye: One of my roles on our team is to coach and train our staff women. I LOVE this role so much. I love watching women gain confidence in ministry and life. This spring our team sent off 3 of the women that I’ve trained and become friends with. Aime has been working with International students. She is planning to get an engineering job with the hopes of moving overseas to use her career to connect with and reach people for Christ. After two years of interning on our team, Stevielee is joining staff full time and has been placed on the Portland team allowing her to be closer to her family. Leslee is getting married and joining the South Dakota team where her husband currently serves. I’m going to miss these women a lot. We have gained one new staff gal to replace the 3 that are leaving. We are thinking creatively about how to use our time to replace what these 3 women were doing with fewer people.
Thanks for all your prayers and support! I’m so grateful for you and our partnership!
–Nikki Tetschner