Merry Christmas, Nina!

You know those white elephant gift exchanges–the ones where you bring a gag gift and it goes into a pool and everyone picks out a lame gift at random and then opens it in front of everyone?

Well, they just did that at UNC Chi Alpha, and they caught the funniest gag gift I’ve ever seen on tape. See what Nina got for Christmas! (a 40 second movie in Windows Media Player format)

It’s not obvious on the video, but the gift is indeed a live rat.

My commendations to Brad Novosad for his most excellent discipleship of these students in the ways of merriment.

Chi Alpha In Kansas

Chi Alpha at Wichita State University got some press recently:

Kayleen Hallberg, 22, said her spiritual life got back on track after she joined the roughly 60-member Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship.

Last week, she staffed a booth for the Christian group that drew her interest three years ago after “backsliding” from her Christian upbringing.

“I was the typical college student: partying, once I got away from home,” said Hallberg, a fifth-year senior studying management and finance.

Chi Alpha “gave me focus and direction. There’s a lot of focus on character and integrity.”

(source: Wichita Eagle, 8/28/2004)

Way to go, Chi Alphans!

XA in Arkansas is Tearing it Up!

This news from University of Arkansas Chi Alpha leader Ronnie Hoover. They’re building a ministry center, and are having great success at raising the funds:

Hey everyone,

Many of you know that I gave away $1600 to our students after reading to them the parable of the talents. I gave away 50s, 20s, and 10s. The students were to go out and multiply their talents just like in the parable. Well, they brought back just over $10,000 last Wednesday night. PTL!

They did so many so many cool things like investing in clay and making pottery, investing in bike parts and putting together a Mt. bike, hosting a bake sale, selling a CD of P&W songs, Selling cookie dough, suckers, and so much more.

We also hosted a Fund Raising Banquet on Sat. night and our goal was 50K. We brought in $51,900.00 in one night. Praise the Lord. All of this money of course goes to build the new house. Please just take a moment and thank God with us.

I just had to tell,

Ronnie Hoover

How cool is that?

LSU Chi Alpha Student Healed of Asthma

I just heard this wonderful news from LSU Chi Alpha:

“One of the best things God has done for me,” said Zechariah Brewer, a sophomore at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, “is heal me of asthma.”

When Brewer was in the 10th grade, he began using an inhaler because of occasional breathing problems. Within a year, he was put on daily medications. Over the next few years, the dosages were increased.

By the time the business administration major, who accepted Christ when he was 15 years old, entered college he was resigned to the fact that he was going to have to cope with asthma for the rest of his life. But, early in the fall semester he decided to try something he had never considered before.

“I went to a Chi Alpha prayer meeting after work and asked Campus Missionary Nick Callaway to pray for my healing,” said Brewer. “He gathered a few other believers, and they laid hands on me and began to pray.”

The next morning, Brewer went out for a run and to his amazement his lungs were healed. From that point on, he has been walking around breathing more freely than he has in years. All it took was a simple prayer of faith.

“I told God, ‘I know You’ve healed many people, and I want to believe that You’ll heal me,’ ” Brewer said. “That was when my prayer was answered.” (source)