Jeremiah Smith

            My name is Jeremiah Smith. I am currently a senior History major at the University of Buffalo.  As one of the four peer ministers, I currently lead a small group called “Living the Questions.” This group provides students with a time to come together and have faith discussions about any and all questions they are struggling with.  (A few examples: Does God really have a plan? How does a loving God judge? Why did Jesus go to hell?)

            As you may or may not know, Nick Stroczkowski, Pastor Steve Biegner and I recently were part of a mission trip to Haiti. On this trip I was faced with a number of questions. Mainly questions about how and why don’t we do more to help and how does Haiti fit into God’s plan.

 Haiti is a beautiful country with large numbers of people in poverty and pain. However, even with the great strife felt by most people in Haiti, what was truly overwhelming was the amount of laughter, smiles, love, joy and hope that I was a witness to. As I reflect on all that I experienced on this trip, I thought about this verse from Isaiah.

             “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

            I strongly feel that my trip to Haiti was a clear example of God continuing to shape and mold me. The time I have and will continue to spend with Campus Ministry has been a true blessing as I live the questions that arose not only in my time in Haiti but arise in each of us when we are in transitional periods of our lives.

Haiti is still rebuilding from the earthquake. For their foreseeable future, they will be in a time of transition.  Instead of bringing faith into question or wallowing in self-pity, the people of Haiti are filled with hope for the future. Everywhere we looked in Haiti, there were people rebuilding and coming together to help one another.  People were joyful and filled with love for one another and for God.

            Campus Ministry is also rebuilding. We continue to do God’s work with our hands as he works with us. I can at least speak for myself and say that I know Campus Ministry is helping to shape who I am. I thank God and you for your continued prayers and support. I left Haiti feeling filled with hope for their future. Campus Ministry helps to sustain that hope in me as we all work together to continue to build God’s kingdom here on Earth.

Katie Steffan

Hello!  As one of the peer ministers of Lutheran Campus Ministries, it’s probably a good idea for people to know who I am.  My name is Katie Steffan, I’m a junior at Canisius College, with a psychology major with minors in Christian thought, history and ethics, clinical psychology and child, family and community studies.  With all these random minors I one-day hope to be a therapist for people with eating disorders, or for children.  My campus ministry cultivation group is called devo’s with Katie.  The first Wednesday of the month there is always dinner, worship and then my group.  I try to think of a devotional that parallels the worship message, as a way to reflect on what we’ve just talked about.  As campus ministries grows, I hope to do devotionals once a week, so that there is always something going on at the house.  My hope is that we will continue to grow and that we will become an active group in the Lutheran community.

Mary Grace Fehskens

            As I sat this weekend surrounded by enormous quantities of delicious food, comfortable furniture, a large television and people who openly love me, it was very easy to feel thankful. As we went around the table expressing what we were thankful for, these things came up numerous times, but what I found I was most thankful for was this journey I’m on and where it has been leading me. The journey to a closer relationship with Christ is never ending and can be the loneliest, but when God puts people in your life to walk beside you on this path it can be amazing. Growing closer to others in Christ and in turn growing closer to Christ with others is one of the most beautiful displays of a relationship. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve met so far through Campus Ministry and thankful for those I have yet to meet. I’m so excited to see where we can go together, what we can create and the relationships that will emerge. Journeys don’t have to be lonely. Let’s do this together.

Nick Stroczkowski

Nick likes ultimate Frisbee, writing and playing music.  He has worked at the Lake Chatauqua Lutheran Center.   His music interests range from A to Z; i.e. the Akron/Family Band to Zakir Hussain.   Nick is a graduate of Finger Lakes Community College and is now enrolled at Buffalo State.  

He is working on a video project aimed at young adults of collage age.   In reaching out to those without a close relationship to the Lord; the main point would be, "I don't know who or what God is to me... and that's okay.  Organic Campus is a place where we are all exploring God together."