2024 XA Thanksgiving Treasures

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Our North Texas XA leader, Dick Herman, asked XA directors recently on our monthly zoom call, 'What are you most thankful for in campus ministry?' Each director's 1-2 minute response would outline a fantastic chapter in a book!

As my turn came, I couldn't help consider the ebbs & flows with highs & lows of my 37th year in campus ministry. Even so, I  effortlessly recalled many precious 'Kingdom treasures' that the Lord has allowed me to have proximity with from here in Austin... students & ministry colleagues alike... Each person's story for Christ emerged with gemstone & precious metal quality! 

We are so grateful for your love & support that positions us to mine for 'treasures' as Chi Alpha missionaries! Your timely messages, generosity & thoughtful gestures fueled our hearts to serve the Lord in 2024 at this strategic missionary assignment. Thank You! 

Enjoy a hot chocolate as this update reflects on a sample of 2024 stories of Longhorn XA friends (old & new Kingdom treasures) who fill our hearts with thanksgiving.

Brent & Anqi

Congratulations to both of these dear brothers who finished doctoral programs at UT in 2024! Brent arrived to Austin five years ago after being heavily involved in XA in MT; Anqi arrived six years ago as an atheist from China. Both became impactful leaders for Christ in our community and will be missed as they transition! (Read More)

We met both men soon after their arrival. Brent quickly began serving selflessly without a title & emerged as a leader in our community. Anqi enjoyed our XA Discover America group & then joined a small group in his first month.

One month later, Anqi began his life-long journey to follow Jesus and was ravenously hungry for the things of heaven... In the following 18 months, he had been baptized in water & the Holy Spirit, read the Bible entirely twice and positioned himself to be small group leader.

Though these men came from two different worlds, I had the joy of watching their love for one another & the XA community grow in my small group. Both men were fruitful small group leaders & elected by peers to represent the community to UT as XA presidents.

Through the past few difficult years in XA, Brent generously shared his home... even with 3 XA guys as housemates! He was a faithful leader who served this community tirelessly... If Brent saw a need, he did something about it! Brent has recently taken an engineering job near Denver, but our hearts are grateful for the deep impact he made for Christ!

Anqi defended his dissertation this month and was offered a job the same day (which he accepted). Anqi moves to CA in January and will be a Post-Doc researcher in an excellent lab at UC Santa Barbara. He feels called to make a difference for Christ in academia among students and with his field of expertise in medical applications.

Congratulations to both Brent & Anqi in their respective new seasons! I am personally grateful for both men. These men are true treasures & are deeply loved by Longhorn XA!

Cici

Cici: A young man involved with XA on another Texas campus had a burden to connect his younger sister studying at UT with us. Cytclaly (Cici) was connected & got serious with her walk with Jesus; she's currently one of our amazing female small group leaders!

On a week long missions trip serving a Denton church, Cici cheerfully did what leaders needed us all to do... She shampoo-ed carpet, removed insulation from a ceiling, and smiled while digging a 100 foot long trench in 100ºF TX summer day. In Longhorn XA, Cici serves her small group girls & her XA community with gladness! Patricia & I are deeply grateful for Cici... She's a precious gem!

Matthew

A little more than 3 years ago, in the middle of significant Longhorn XA transitions, Matthew connected to Longhorn XA. Despite much ministry upheaval in his freshman year, Matthew commited to be a leader in this community and has not looked back... He now senses a call to full-time ministry! I am so grateful for this heavenly "diamond"! Read More...

All who know Matthew... love Matthew! Everyone will eventually see pictures of his beloved nephew in San Antonio; all will hear about the latest San Antonio Spurs news; and, inevitably you will likely be exposed to his favorite movie of all times... wait for it... 'Speed Racer' (insert anti-climatic sound effect). 😂 

How is it possible for Matthew to barely be 20 years old with such high EQ, solid character, deep love for Jesus and sincere care for people?! His heart beats for pleasing Jesus and making a difference with his life and the resources he's been given.

Matthew is extremely smart and exceptionally humble... No wonder he grew so much in his freshman year!! Anqi (mentioned above) was his small group leader! Now, like Brent & Anqi, Matthew is serving as an amazing small group leader and our current Chi Alpha president! 

Matthew will graduate THIS year and from everything that we know at the moment, he intends to position his life toward full-time ministry and plans to attend a Chi Alpha internship program next year... He & I have begun investigating potential CMIT programs that would be a fit for him. Matthew believes that the Lord is calling him to become a Chi Alpha missionary and return to Longhorn Chi Alpha as full-time staff in 2026 after the internship year!

I sure wish there was a way to replicate this young man's hunger for heavenly things, faithfulness, kindness, fun-loving spirit, generosity, Spirit-anointed leadership and desire to find the lost ones for Jesus... Oh wait! There is... Jesus calls us to make disciples who make disciples and Matthew is committed to this for Christ! 

Jada

Jada (Pothina) arrived as a 17 year old freshman at UT. As a National Merit Scholar, she could have attended any college in America. Jada felt equally called by God to UT & to become a missionary. Longhorn XA was blessed to have her as a freshman, student leader & volunteer staff. I am grateful for her Jada's friendship and treasure having had her elite gifts on my staff team as a full-time XA missionary for over a decade. I celebrate that Jada was recently appointed the National Chi Alpha's Cross-Cultural Missions Director.

 

Haley

I want to extend a special thanks to Haley, Denton XA Director, who came with 3 of her amazing leaders as a guest speaker for Thursday night & for a special 3-day Longhorn XA outreach for our ladies in the first week of school (when she could have been reaching her campus)! What a sacrificial treasure! I am most grateful for you & your encouragement to our women!

Dick

Dick & Lisa Herman are longtime friends & the Texas State XA Directors. In his 'spare time', Dick additionally, graciously serves us as our North Texas District XA leader! I am blessed by every chance to spend time around you & most grateful for the treasure of your friendship & leadership in this season!

YOU

As 2024 ministry partners, you helped us impact UT with our weekly efforts to... Make disciple-makers in small groups, gather for worship & inspirational teaching, and "table" to meet new friends.

You helped us with these Fall 2024 special events: Round-up retreat before classes began; XA Girls' weekend; XA Altitude fall retreat; 30th Annual XA TopGolf Fundraiser; Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle week-long outreach; Convoy of Hope's FeedONE banquet & more!

Without you, Longhorn XA could not accomplish its mission at UT to 'Know God. Love People. Change the World.' We treasure YOU... your friendship & partnership!

Patricia & I give thanks to the Lord for the joy of sharing life together in our family! We love having Grammy & Tia (Kelly's mom & sis) only a 10 minutes drive from our home! Please, pray for Patricia's mom as her health & quality of life in Argentina continues to decline.

Noah just turned 14 years old this week and he continues to love playing sports & video games with friends, riding his bike & snuggling with his dog 'Scout'. Noah can't get enough social time with friends!

Sammy is now an 18 year old highschool senior; he voted in his first presidential election; he is college bound in 2025 and proudly taller than Papa. Sammy is tender-hearted, a deep-thinker and continues to enjoy playing tennis and watching Man-City soccer.

Both boys love Jesus & are active in the youth group wanting others to know Him too.

We echo this famous hymn's declaration in this Thanksgiving week, 'All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided... Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!'

Kelly & Patricia Brown
Chi Alpha Missionaries