Hello Friends! Austin, Texas here!

It's been a while since i've heard from you guys, so I figured I had better check in. Brooke - it's great to hear from you! those pictures are all sooo awesome, seems that your semester has been an incredible one. As i write this today i'm encouraged by the thought of you all, knowing that we're all fighting this summer together, one in mind and purpose. This morning i was energized by the fourth consecutive life changing morning at the Austin Stone Church, and was moved by the faithfulness of the Lord; as i look back on my life, there are so many places where i can definitely say i "set up an altar" (like Abram in Genesis) at a time when the Lord came through for me. This entire summer is already shaping into one of those times.

Last night I was encouraged and challenged by something I read, sitting at Mozart's coffee shop, enjoying my ginger-peach iced tea. In 2 Corinthians, Paul encourages the church in Corinth with the knowledge of their "new creation" in Christ, and through his blood. Check out chapter 5, verses 16 - 21...

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

With that said, I'm sure you would all agree that the semester can't get here soon enough. No doubt, we're looking forward to a year of incredible growth, and hopefully one that is blessed by the Lord working through us. I'd like to follow up that passage with another one though, that will hopefully serve to be a foundation for the mission; that we might continually read it, be encouraged, and forever motivated with a passion that burns, to spread this beautiful Word. 2 Corinthians 8: 10-12 -

"And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."

Intense, right? I think we've got the willingness, and my prayer is that we will carry it out, throughout the summer, and the next two semesters. One day at a time. Thanks for tuning in today guys, hope you're all doing well!

From Far, Far Away,

- Trav

p.s. - starting a good summer playlist... check out all the live bands playing from Bonnaroo right now on NPR, especially this one...!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127132792