Urban program, Concerned black men tutoring program

IV students from St. Mary’s and other campuses helped in tutoring at the Concerned Black Men tutoring program over the week of spring break while other students help in elementary schools and immigration center in Alexandria VA.

Multiethnic staff conference 2012

Staff from the Mid-Atlantic region that attended the ME staff conference.

Winter IV Ball 2012

InterVarsity invited the campus to come and join us in formal alcohol free safe dance party. It was a big success!

Winter Retreat 2012

20 students came to winter retreat compared to 11 students during the fall retreat.

Urban Program during spring break

Alternative Spring break, Urban Program South East D.C. St. Mary’s students

Urban Program during spring break

Alternative Spring break, Urban Program South East D.C. St. Mary’s students and other campuses.

Are you serious?

Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening!

There is something powerful about time being a linear concept. The present becomes a vertex  where the past is a strong premises for the proof needed to reach a better future. Simply said, our past is a strong argument for a better tomorrow. In one of my favorite bible stories, Jonah, when in desperate need of God’s help,  says ” When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD….” Jonah started to recall the past and how God had behaved and delivered His people. Based on those recollections, Jonah made the conclusion that “Salvation belongs to the Lord.”  Only after this conclusion was he spewed out of his stress and desperation to live and see a better tomorrow.

As I reflect on the past semester, it is beyond amazing what has happened and how God brought us through all of it. We never anticipated we would help students move in and out of different living situations four times. We never anticipated there would be a cruise boat with students living in it.  Yet through all of it, our students were there to help without any complaining. Families from the community opened up their homes in an overwhelming amount. 

Although non of their offers were taken, it was amazing to see how the Christian community responded to such desperation. All in all, God gave us a huge opportunity to love our neighbor, and the students and church community responded very well.

And then there was the vigil candle night walk to speak against all the injustice that is taking place either in the world and even on campus. It was overwhelming to see students, mostly the Christian community on campus raise their voice and walk across campus on a windy and cold night.

InterVarsity students at SMCM on a candle vigil night walk

This was a great opportunity to show the campus how much Jesus cares about the real-time issues of today and his loving response to all that is wrong with our world.

It was also an eye-opening experience for those of us in the Christian community. It showed us how apathetic and unresponsive we sometimes are to the injustice around the world. We are convinced that God is calling all of us to love Him with all our heart, mind, strength, and soul, as we are also called to love our neighbors like ourselves. We don’t do any of these things to get approval from people. No! We do them because of God’s call.

On a personal level, I have seen God provide more partners and more resources for His ministry at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. We started the semester with handful of partners and limited resources, but since then we have had more churches and individuals join the movement. Based on what God has been doing so far, I have no doubt in my mind He will show up again next semester and complete all the remainder of our needs.

I am so serious when I say that God is alive and active in this world. More active that we ever imagined and ever thought. I am so eager and on the edge of my seat waiting for next semester to come so that we can see how marvelous God is and how he will transform us and our campus.

Take God seriously and seek Him earnestly this holiday season. I implore you!

In His name

Esrael Seyum