Hey Friends,

In my email to you in December, I asked you to pray for a retreat we were planning to hold for college students. The retreat was held last weekend, and I wanted to quickly let you know it was a great success. 45 students from 15 different colleges and universities attended. We had students from as far away as Georgia and Tennessee make the trip, along with four Canadians who added some international flair. The sun was out, the snow was glistening, and it was beautiful.

In addition to having a ton of fun outdoors, we also spent a few hours indoors encouraging one another in our shared work of caring for God’s earth. Every student got a chance to share (and be applauded for) their sustainability projects on their home campus, such as starting a recycling program or installing a native plant garden.

We worshiped God together on Sunday morning and reflected on The Hope we cling to amidst the brokenness of the world. We affirmed the full arc of the Biblical narrative -- beginning with the good Creation and ending with the Restoration of All Things.

I am grateful for the strong turnout and the abundance of laughter, but also for the deep and meaningful conversations that took place over the weekend. There is a need for this type of support for our college students, and multiple students expressed that they were leaving feeling encouraged, connected, and refreshed.

Your support makes events like this possible, so thank you.

On behalf of all of us at Au Sable,

Jon Terry