Refuge (LSF) at NIU

We were the only team to get a 10/10 on a category

All hail our wacky weather ! College Bible study is still on for tonight , in person and on zoom ! If you need a ride let me know . Pastor Marty

Had an amazing time at the leadership conference

No place we would rather be on Tuesday nights!!!

Calling all Alums! NIU homecoming is just over a week away! we will have our traditional Alumni gathering on Saturday October 14th following the football game. We'll be open and ready by 5pm, even if the Huskies haven't sealed up the victory yet. There will be tons of food to fill you up while catching up. Bring your family, all are welcome! We'll meet in the college lounge and enjoy the major makeover the room has seen in the last couple of years. I look forward to seeing alums from over the decades and catching up with you all! - Pastor Marty

The peer ministers are ready to begin another year of ministry !

Glad to be back

Amazing trivia night. Went from 8th to 3rd place!!!! Go college students

Meet some amazing people at the Leadership conference.

We had an amazing time attending the Ministry Leadership Conference in Indiana.

Came down to the buzzer but we did actually make it out

Second week; second Bible Study.
Followed by games.

Shalom family,

I wanted to inform you that I have resigned as a peer minister to focus on my academics and career. However, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for Mr. Marty Marks, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, and it's community, for playing a significant role in my spiritual journey. The activities we did together, has revealed to me the depth of God's love and have given me a sense of purpose in following His path.

I am truly grateful for Mr. Marks and Emmanuel Lutheran Church for their guidance and the impact they have had on my life. I pray for their well-being, continued opportunities to teach and inspire.

To God be the glory.

The first of this new semester. New semester, new students to share and learn the with. Thank you Jesus.

Peers ministers dinning out together after church.
And then setting up the lounge for the semester.
So grateful for what God has been teaching us through His servants.

As the semester is coming to an end I wanted to share some more of how being committed with has impacted my college and personal life.

Tuesday's Bible studies:
Bible studies have given me the heart and taught me how to be open in conversations (conversation starter) with others when it comes to sharing ideas, comments, suggestions, etc. all in Christ's harmony.

As an African individual, being committed to Refuge has left a beautiful American belonging that has always paved a light in my heart and mind. I share this same love to others. The team makes me feel that I belong to the flock 🐑 of Jesus despite my ethnicity.

I believe that it'll for sure do the same to other Africans who are to come as well as other students who'll put their heart and mind to being a part of the team to serve God.

Ever since I've been involved with Refuge, I've learned the aspect of sharing Christ's precious love to everyone through activities, events, etc.

That's me opening in prayer when we were on our Fall tetreat at Walcamp Outdoor Ministries and Retreat Center with the team.

Yesterday evening, we had another incredibly diverting and spectacular moment (our Patry) together.

👇🏾
We ate lots of food.

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We participated in Charlie’s (one of our peer ministers) true/false Questions which brought lots of laughters.

👇🏾
We opened gifts…..

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We also had some Bible group discussions from Mr. Marty and after passing them, he mentioned that we were now ready to face Christmas.

👇🏾
and played other various and fascinating games.

Look at this incredibly time.

Here is how our Event went:

We( ) had a blessed, joyous, and remarkable moment with full of wonders (👈🏾these words are not enough to explain the incredible joy we had) moment with other Immanuel Lutheran Church and Student Center~ DeKalb, Il 's stuff members in engaging and serving the community and celebrating together in Christ's love and harmony.

These kind of deeds through the love that Christ worked in us today, are what moves God.

Moments like this where the Spirit of God is working through togetherness of a church and community never ceases to amaze me.

Please just look at our gigantic smiles and tell me, do you think these smiles are enough to express the incredible joy that God poured amongst us all today?

Today will remain a remarkable day to remember.

A shout to my Lord God, please we need you to pour more of your loving deeds to the community through our service to give you thanks through these events.

Too much to express about today as well as giving thanks to God, pardon, but I'll stop here.

Just feel the tremendous joy these photos bring to our hearts.
Oh Lord Jesus.

Some preparation today as well before the Thanksgiving dinner.

Enjoy these photos.

Here are the photos of our Thanksgiving Dinner preparation.

Hello family, just a reminder that

👉🏾we'll be preparing for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow (Saturday) at 10Am.

👉🏾And our main Thanksgiving Dinner event will be this Sunday at 4Pm.

For Thanksgiving prep tomorrow:

👉🏾Please if you can, arrive a bit early to meet fellow members, check out beautiful things in church and learn some of our traditions.

👉🏾Also, please come and don't forget to bring friends and family members(anyone to spend time together with) if you can.
This is going to be a loving and remarkable time together, family. Just like it sounds, Thanksgiving Dinner. Please, we will love to have you join us.

Location: Immanuel Lutheran Church ( 511 Russell Rd A, DeKalb, IL 60115 )

Praying and hoping to see you all there, family.
Stay in the love of Jesus!

Today we had an incredible and loving time with some of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Student Center~ stuff members.

We volunteered at (Feed my Starving Children) which is a Christian nonprofit organization that empowers volunteers to pack meals for orphanages, schools, homes, etc. in undeveloped countries.

Guess the results.??

We (all the volunteering communities) packed 470 boxes with 101,520 meals which was estimated to feed about 278 children in one year.

We did this with the hope to break the circle of poverty. As Jesus would still say, “ whenever you did this for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me” (Matthew 25: 40).

Things I love about Refuge at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Student Center~ DeKalb, Il are that, it offers (us) /all students 👇🏾(these are just some of the things I have gained so far from God through Refuge.)

🤍 resources and tools to strengthen our faith through the Word of God; through , trips, etc.
👉🏾to learn about Jesus and His upcoming Kingdom through activities and the nature there is Beautiful.

🤍 develop leadership skills and examples from the Bible that help us walk in our everyday college life with God's word (peer Ministering level [🤚🏾 ]).

👉🏾spend our precious time playing games with other students as well as [ the world's okayest pastor] Mr. Marty.

👉🏾met many christian students and folks from different backgrounds through Sunday services and student hangouts.
...etc.

Look at me holding a stone at Walcamp Outdoor Ministries and Retreat Center that says "Jesus loves you".

Indeed, He does.🤍

Yesterday, we had an awesome time together doing for can goods and gathering food.

👉We gathered food from homes for donation.
👉We laughed watching our brother in his costume, chasing kids around.
👉Ate lots of food
👉Spent an incredible time with the World's okayest pastor; Mr. Marty.

Everyone looked happy and stunning, you can say.

Highlights from the amazing weekend.

Highlights from an amazing weekend.

Got to love walking in the creek to pick up trash. One person may or may not have wiped out and fallen into the water

Great cooking day. We like food

Hiking trip #2. Where are kinda made our own path and found out some of us like steep ledges and some of us don’t