Tag: university

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Mattie: A Student’s Changed Life

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 Mattie’s Story

In high school Mattie was involved with drinking and drugs. Raised in an agnostic Muslim home, she hated herself for her rebellious lifestyle, especially when her mother died of cancer in Mattie’s senior year.

Mattie started attending church with some friends and gave her life to Christ that same year, but she still struggled. Mattie explains:

“My relationship with my boyfriend eventually ended…. My entire sense of worth came from him… so at that point my only option was to turn back to God.  I had to figure out God’s love for me as well as how to love him back.  But I didn’t know where to start.”

Mattie joined a Bible study with Cru at Boston University in her freshman year.  This past spring break she attended our Big Break Conference in Panama City, Florida. While there Mattie heard a speaker describe God’s love: “He spoke of Jesus [washing] his followers’ feet. That picture made so much sense to me…They didn’t deserve this or earn it.  Rather, this was how much he loved them.”

“We woke up the next morning, and went to talk with people on the beach. … I saw a girl [who] was hopelessly drunk and … had cuts on her hands, sand all over her face, and vomit streaked throughout her hair. Her name was Sydney. Continue reading “Mattie: A Student’s Changed Life”

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Josh Is Working on a Master’s Degree

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If you’ve been following our family news, you know that Josh was let go by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions in early 2011. Josh had just completed all his nuclear materials on-the-job training, but (for economic reasons) the company let go of 25% of their employees.

After more than a year job-hunting, Josh’s friends recommended he switch gears and apply to get his Master’s in mechanical engineering. This past August he started taking classes at the University of Central Florida here in Orlando. Josh is also a research assistant, working in a laboratory with a group of graduate students who are investigating turbine and energy generation, including biofuels. Continue reading “Josh Is Working on a Master’s Degree”

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Ben and Family Visit – Oct. 2012

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Ben, Bonnie, and Patrick came to visit for four-and-a-half days. Here’s a few highlights.

Good friends of theirs were getting married in St. Petersburg, so we were Patrick’s  babysitters Friday night while they were gone. (Check out our photos!)

On Saturday, family friends dropped by to see them and to play games. What a fun day! We played Kubb, Settlers of Catan:Traders and Barbarians, and Big Taboo.

Sunday afternoon, we all went to Stetson to take Jenn back to school.  We decided on Tony’s New York Pizza for dinner, which was delicions! Afterwards, Jenn gave us a walking tour, stopping at the fountain in the center of campus.  Patrick was fascinated by the splashing and changing colors.

Continue reading “Ben and Family Visit – Oct. 2012”