September Update

I’ve been officially serving Epic Movement at Cal Poly Pomona for around one month now. Already God has revealed challenges and blessings along the way and I’m sure there are much more to come. Firstly, being able to do in person ministry again brings me great joy and we’re so blessed to be able to operate as a ministry with both online and in-person options. Here at Pomona, we’ve just started our fourth week of school and I’m beginning to settle into my role. The past four weeks have been filled with planning and setting the foundation for our students to lead. There have been various unforeseen difficulties and there are so many ways in which I have been shortsighted but as I have continued to learn there is grace and mercy.

So far, I have been primarily serving Epic through serving the student leaders. As for many of them, this is their first time serving through Epic, there are many ways in which they are all learning for themselves what it means to lead. As the large majority of students are stepping onto campus for the first time this year, there are many small responsibilities that I assume the students are aware of. Generally students have their first couple years to learn the ropes from the upperclassmen; however, in this unprecedented time, the students are blazing a trail for themselves. This is a blessing because traditions that had lost their meaning are being replaced by genuine hearts that simply desire to serve. I am specifically coaching the bible study leaders as well as the connections (in-reach/outreach) team. So far coaching has been a vague role that I am still discerning how to handle. Because I was so recently a student in the ministry, I find that I am accustomed to fulfilling the roles/responsibilities that are no longer mine. I’m learning to balance how hands on to be and trying to be wary and mindful of respecting the leaders and their space while still pouring into them and being present for them.

In this past month, the highlight of my time has been simply walking with my brothers. This desire to grow and steward these relationships has been strengthened by being able to physically see one another. It’s almost been overwhelming seeing how many brothers have a desire for community and an awareness of their need for Jesus. Theres so much to be excited and hopeful for with these brothers but before I run around doing things I’ve been trying to stop and really acknowledge God’s hand in all of this. To remember that he planted the seeds in their hearts and that he is the one who waters them and to ultimately thank Him for these things.

ALSO I apologize for how ugly the website is but I’m working on it! Next update will contain very cute pictures of all the students but I lacked the foresight to take those pictures prior to this post. For now heres a picture of my two adorable disciples/roommates Evan and Nicolas. Thanks for reading!

Support Raising Update

Personal Update

Summer 2021

It’s a bit of a long one sorry but scroll to the bottom for the tldr

Prior to stepping into ministry, I believe I was aware of the weight and responsibility that I would carry. Living this life that has been almost fully funded by people around me and with my sole work responsibility being serving God through this ministry has made it clear to me that the weight of my role is much greater than I anticipated. I am so often in a state of restlessness and my thoughts are clouded and filled with uncertainty. The greatest trial I have found in ministry has been within my own heart. The shame of sin is greater when I think of my position and remember how miraculously God worked to place me where I am. My imperfections not only as an intern but also as a friend, roommate, and brother have cause me stumble back into lies that I don’t belong in the place God has placed me. Although it has only been a month, and I’m sure there are many more trials to come, I am beginning to understand the consequences of failing to abide in Him. Daily, I am reminded of my shortcomings and the weakness of my flesh. There is no getting around or escaping this blinding truth. Therefore, only by daily resting in his forgiveness and mercies that are new every morning can I be set free. Free from the futile struggle of self righteousness, free from the works of my hands, free from the shame of my sinfulness. While the shackles of these struggles are real, the love of Jesus is eternally victorious. My desire is to be constantly empowered and strengthened by his grace. My hope is that his grace would fill and fuel me to obey his commands and enable me to serve Him. Before I continue, I wanted to share a small testimony in which God sparked said desires and hopes ^^

During the process of support raising, I found myself caught up in working and doing. Blinded by a financial goal I attempted to move forward solely by my own hard work. The problem was, it was working. I was steadily approaching my financial goal and the people around me continued to shower me with love and prayer. Despite the fact that I was slipping further into my sin and into feelings of inadequacy, God continued to provide. While I should have been grateful and in light of that grace, turned back to his arms, I instead was filled with crushing guilt and insecurity. I felt that I had somehow manipulated people or that they gave to me because they falsely thought I was good. I thought maybe church members only gave because they saw me serving at church or maybe family members only gave because they felt pressured. Maybe students and their families only gave because I put on such a good act within Epic.(In reflection, I assumed people thought i was good what a prideful thought lol). This changed specifically through one woman who supported me. For the sake of anonymity she won’t be named but I didn’t personally know her at all. I later found she had some connection to a family member but regardless, she didn’t know who I was. She has no idea what Epic was and the extent of my works in it. She doesn’t know how consistently I have been attending church. She doesn’t even know what my voice sounds like. Despite these things, she gracefully gave. She gave in faith. Faith not in me but in Him. As these realities began to settle in my mind, my heart was broken and the lies and failed expectations I had built for myself were torn down. I began to see that all these people who had given placed their hopes on God and not on me(kinda obvious now but im dumb). While the reality of my weakness and shortcomings did not change, the posture of my heart was shifted and I could only sing his praises. God in his wisdom not only humbled me, but he did it while continuing to provide for me and allowing me to serve Him in the way I desired(Epic).

All this to say, I will continue to be flawed and make mistakes throughout my time serving this ministry. I will try my best and strive day by day to run the race, but I can rest in Him despite my imperfection, for I can confidently say that at the very least, I am and will always be a living testimony of his mercy, his grace, and his love.

It’s a bit late but I wanted to announce that I am fully funded by the grace of God!! Thank you all, not only those of you who gave financially, but to those who have lifted me up in prayer and spent time caring for my heart. You are all a part of my ministry! I will do my best to faithfully update this blog and keep you connected to all the amazing things that the Lord is doing here. God Bless 🙂

Stephannie Bruno

Stephannie is a light at Morey’s Piers. She’s a local, and a social butterfly that makes the international students feel welcomed and loved. You would think that being on missions, I would have reached out to her, but she found me. During a more difficult day at work, I found myself in the break area by myself, shoving a quesadilla down as fast as I could before my break ended. In my hunger and weariness, I lost sight of my vision, and had tunneled on the food in front of me. I intentionally sat alone, so that I wouldn’t feel burdened or guilty for not interacting with coworkers. And this is when I met Stephannie. By simply sitting down and saying hello she tore back the curtain on the disgusting selfish desires of my heart. From that day on, she served as a rebuke and reminder of how badly I needed God to love people.

Stephannie and I developed a fun and surface level friendship quickly, but God began to show me how he was working through international cafe. I invited Stephannie to our event and she arrived promptly at 8:00 as we opened our doors. I went through all the evangelism tool games you could think of. I saw that there was clear brokenness in her life but she was closed off and unwilling to share. As the night came to a close and she returned home, I felt as though I had failed, as if I was the one in control of her faith. I couldn’t stop thinking to myself, “What could I have done differently? What could I have said? Why couldn’t she see the good news the way I did?” I truly felt I failed but isn’t that so prideful?

The following Monday, for reasons I’ll share in another post (hit me with that follow :D), I was doing a water only fast for those 24 hours. In this time, God allowed me to truly take captive of seemingly every thought and bring it to Him in prayer. One of these passing thoughts was seeing Stephanie. During my shift, I can see everyone who walks by to the break area and I enjoy greeting my coworkers. But on this day, when Stephannie walked by, I like to think that God broke my heart the way that His does at the sight of one of his lost children. I couldn’t help but to cry out to Him and ask Him to soften her heart. It’s been difficult for me to ask things like this of the Lord. I am merely a stroke in his enormous painting, so how could I be so bold as to ask Him of things? But when God really touched my heart, I remembered that I am his child that can BOLDLY approach his throne, for Jesus died and the veil was torn and it is finished. I can speak these requests to Him in confidence that he is listening, as a Father patiently listens for his child’s first words. And not only does he listen, but he responds.

Later that night, Stephannie returned to international cafe. She already knows plenty of my teammates and was enjoying time to socialize with them. After welcoming her in I, spent time meeting some international students. But the next time I saw her, she was in tears. Through a small ice-breaker activity, she was reminded of her late father. And in that, the door in her heart for our heavenly father flung open. After my friend Makoto and I were conversing with her and comforting her, we took her through the KGP(Knowing God Personally) booklet, a tool to assist us in concisely and accurately presenting the Gospel. It was a slow process and I couldn’t stop praying for God to work in her heart, that she would not grow bored with every new page, that she would fight to understand rather than blindly agreeing, but ultimately that she would desire the Savior I so desperately wanted her to see. When I flipped to the page that states, “You Can Receive Christ Right Now Through Prayer”, my heart was beating out of my chest. I was so so excited, but so unreasonably nervous, that somehow her heart would harden on the final page. And while there were lots of questions on her part, and even more explaining on mine, as of July 30th (it had past midnight) Stephannie gave her life to follow Christ.

In the week following this day Stephannie has been reading the Word daily, and not only that, but she has new questions about it for me every time I see her!! Please pray for her heart as she is surrounded by nonbelievers and that God would use her as a light that shines for Him in this community 🙂 Welcome to the familia

I’m sorry for this drawn out story that could have been stated in a sentence and I’m sure most of you didn’t write an 72 page report and flex on everyone with your similar experiences, but I cannot help but to share the entirety of this story because I desire to truly and fully share the JOY that is in my heart. God is so so soooooo good.