I am now back in Colorado for Christmas break. It feels sooo wonderful to be back in this beautiful state! I don't think I will ever get tired of looking at the majestic mountains dusted in snow.
The past few weeks in Winona were a whirlwind of grace-filled festivities. I apologize for being so behind on updating... first time I've broken my two-week update commitment all semester! Here is a quick recap of the exciting events since my last update (pictures below):
November 16th: Thanksgiving Dinner party for students (Mine and Mary's house)
Our FOCUS team planned, cooked, and hosted a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with all the merriment of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. We were expecting/planning for about 40 people but ended up having about 55, including a priest, a nun, and our campus minister. Somehow, we ended up having enough food, enough place settings, and--after some quick thinking--enough seats/table space. This will hopefully be the start of a warm FOCUS tradition at Winona State.
November 18-20th: Newman Center Fall Retreat (Pine Creek, WI)
The Catholic Newman Center put on its annual fall retreat at a nearby Catholic school/church. Us FOCUS missionaries attended to form closer bonds with our students and to assist where needed. We had about 15 students total, with about five who were new to the Newman center community and began forming foundations for strong friendships with others. Many also grew deeper in their faith that weekend and the fruits are continuing to show!
December 2nd: Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
The Catholic Newman Center hosted its annual Christmas party before finals week. Over 30 were in attendance donning very ugly Christmas sweaters! My teammate Mark and I tied for first for the ugliest outfit (pictures to come).
December 3rd: Women's Afternoon Tea Party
Mary and I hosted a lovely afternoon tea for the women in our Bible study groups and the Newman community as a way to serve them before finals week. We had all the lovelies of a classic tea party (scones, cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, tea sandwiches, cupcakes, and tea of course) and many women used it as an opportunity to get all dressed up. Mary and I also gave a talk on true femininity and being women in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of Christ.
December 5-7th: FOCUS Team End-of-Semester Retreat
Our FOCUS team went to a retreat center near Red Wing, MN to recap the semester and plan for next semester. It gave us a wonderful time to reflect on all the happenings at WSU thus far and determine where God wants us to proceed when we return in January. It also gave us some nice time together as a team before leaving each other for a month.
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| Thanksgiving Dinner Party (Table 1) |
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| Thanksgiving Dinner Party (Table 2) |
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| Newman Center Fall Retreat |
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| Tea Party-- post-tea |
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| The biggest boot in the world!!-- in Red Wing, MN at team retreat |
Since I'm off campus for the next four weeks, I won't be doing as frequent updates, but I might be doing a "semester reflection" post sometime over break, so keep an eye out!
May God bless you and your loved ones as you continue to prepare for our Lord's coming during this Advent season!
~Emily
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior." -Luke 1:46-47
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