Over the past month or so, I’ve seen this to be so true. Being here for my second year, I already have established relationships with students, and how do you continue those once the students aren’t in your class anymore? Well, I have them over for food.

I’ve created a calendar where I track my hosting and feeding of students (mostly for intentionality with tracking expenses and using well my funds 🙂 ) and it has blown my mind how so much of both my budget and my time with students revolves around eating.

AP Chemistry students, late night study session the night before a test… BROWNIES OBVIOUSLY… ministry 🙂

Those same goofy senior boys who keep finding their way to my house… No Bakes. Always. Only. They’ve already been over twice in the last month specifically for no bakes. Tomorrow, they’re coming to learn to make them for themselves since they don’t have football practice on Fridays… ministry 🙂

My AP Chem ladies from last year? The five girls in a crew of 20 guys… dinner is the choice. A couple weeks ago, it was meatloaf. Tonight I made pad-thai from a recipe from a dear friend of mine… ministry 🙂

We started our mentor meetings during lunch, sharing a cafo lunch, but we’ve graduated to Thursdays after school, tea time at my house! Of course I’m going to pull out of the freezer my pre-made cookie dough balls to pop in the oven for an after school snack while we chat… ministry 🙂

An escape, the need to just rest. The desire for some Korean food to remind her of home, but cooked in my kitchen! She brought the ingredients, I brought the pots, oven and everything else… ministry 🙂

A place for all the single staff members on campus to gather each week for dinner? A chance to catch our breath from a busy week, a chance to chat about life with a little bit of adult interaction? Wednesdays. My front porch… Ministry 🙂

A Friday night camping trip, roasting marshmallows and popping corn over the fire. Early morning coffee and chai in the same popcorn pot, little sausages warming on sticks… ministry 🙂

A Sunday afternoon rap on my front door- two girls come to see if they can steal some cilantro from my garden for their “fancyramen” they’re attempting to make… ministry 🙂

Caring community, a group of 10 kiddos I have the privilege of hosting once per month as a weekend activity till the end of the year. What do we do? Turn food into a competition. Mangoes, pineapples, tree tomatoes, onions, limes, tomatoes, avocados- who can make the best salsa?! Ministry 🙂

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Each of these things starts as a way to fill their stomachs with something not-so-food-servicey. The cafo does the best they can, but on a budget feeding 500+ per meal, I mean, there’s only so much you can do- and so, ministry is born.

Sometimes it happens so fast I don’t even realize there’s been a shift. One minute, they’re squealing over the explosion of garlic, ginger, lime and peanuts in their mouth, telling me about the totally unexpected boy one of them is suddenly almost dating, the next, they’re asking, “How did you know what to major in at college? How did you know that was what God wanted you to do? How do you maintain friendships when you don’t live in the same place anymore?”

First, we’re complaining about AP Bio, then we’re talking about perspective and growing in appreciation of a teacher working their butt off to help support students in a hard class the teacher has never taught before, learning to see more than one side to a situation.

What starts as studying for a test in the chem lab becomes conversations about family relationships and loving others as standing by me at my desk, they see pictures of my siblings and their significant others on my desk.

Sitting around the fire, one minute we’re talking about the new classes, new dorms, new routines, then we’re talking about the struggle with depression, anxiety, body shaming, chronic illness, and the faithfulness of the Lord in it all.

We’ve finished dinner and I simultaneously turn on the hot water kettle for tea while going to the freezer and pulling out the ice cream. We laugh some more, we giggle lots, our smiles are big. Some of the conversation stays light and fluffy, some digs deeper, but it’s all ministry.

At 6:55pm I kick them out so they make it back in time for their 7pm curfew at the dorm. They don’t realize I can hear through the windows.

“I always feel so refreshed walking off this porch. It’s so good to have dinner at Miss Galloway’s.” I hear one of them tell their friend after I’ve shut the door. I take dishes to the sink as I listen to bits and pieces of their conversation the smiles in their voices evident my own smile growing on my face and in my heart as I hear their voices fade.

I truly believe I have the best job in the world and I’m so thankful these teens are part of it.

Prayer Points

• Please pray for my students, these seniors especially, who are facing big decisions and are wondering how to make God honoring choices as their futures loom before them.
• We’re getting towards the middle of the term. Please pray for the staff as many are tiring, and for students who are in the midst of the grind. Also, there’s been a cold sweeping through campus so lots of people are kinda sick… yep. The common cold is back folks.
• I have many letters of recommendation for college applications to write. They usually take 30min-1hr each, and I had just decided I’d said yes to my limit (7) when I got another email from a student… I love this kid too! How can I say no?! Please pray for wisdom and time management in getting them written, and saying yes at the right time to the right students- it appears my list might keep growing… and I haven’t even found time to start on any of the ones I’ve agreed to in the last week or so yet!