“We fear men so much—because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man’s terror scares you—turn your thoughts to the wrath of God. ” – William Gurnall

Want to know about what’s happening boots on the ground? This is where you’ll find stories, reflections, and what I have been reading on.

Personal Update

I hope this email finds you and your family doing well. It’s hard to believe how quickly time is flying by. Between our little boy already trying to stand at just 7 months old and juggling multiple ministry projects, the days seem to blur together.

We had a challenging start to the year. I was sick for several weeks, and our daughters came down with Norovirus, which left us all quite drained. We’re so thankful our son was spared. As always, the workload has been heavy—more students than ever, and fewer hands available due to increased academic demands. Adding my own full class load (reading over 200 pages a week), weekly papers, ordination requirements, and our regular evangelism efforts has kept us stretched thin.

Please don’t hear any of this as complaining. My heart is simply to give you a transparent glimpse into the real work happening here—the good, the hard, and the eternally significant. You have played a vital role in making this ministry possible, and I want you to see the lives that are being touched because of your faithful investment.

The work is demanding, but deeply rewarding. I hope to share more in May once the semester winds down, but I wanted to take a moment now to highlight a few things from the past two months that have encouraged us amid a world that often feels chaotic and discouraging.

A Bright Spot – QC

One meaningful connection this semester has been with “QC,” a young African graduate student in her final semester here at MTU. She first approached us at our Hot Cocoa outreach. While I was meeting with another student, Sion was able to sit with her. QC shared that she attends a local church with a large African student population that is struggling with significant sexual immorality. She confided that some of the young African women are being pressured by men to offer sexual favors in exchange for basic help, such as rides to the grocery store.

We immediately encouraged her to stand firm and not give in to that pressure. I reached out to the pastor of the church, and we’ve connected her and other women with ladies from our church who are happy to provide rides and support. QC was initially drawn to us because of my “You Are Loved” hat, and I’m thankful we’re still able to bring that simple message of Christ’s love to students who often feel emotionally isolated on campus. She has since attended one of our main meetings, and we’re praying we can help her and other African students find a safe, godly way out of this harmful situation.

The Challenge of “No’s”

On the other side, I’ve met with roughly six other students this semester who initially came seeking help, guidance, or encouragement. After spending time together, each one ultimately chose not to follow through. At first I felt discouraged, wondering what I could have done differently. But as I reflected on their situations, a clear pattern emerged: a strong spirit of individualism.

Several young women were encouraged by others (or themselves) to simply watch their church services online and focus solely on schoolwork. Two young men said they would come to our gatherings but never showed up. One young lady has essentially disappeared after joining a sorority—she won’t even respond to messages from fellow students.

Time and again, students find us, open up for an hour or more, receive encouragement, and then slip back into the comfort of online church or friendships that don’t point them to Christ. It’s a sobering reminder of how easily the modern generation can treat the local church and committed Christian community as optional. My prayer is that God would shake this comfortable individualism off our generation and restore a deep hunger for genuine, embodied fellowship and accountability in the body of Christ.

Encouraging Fruit in Our Core Group

Amid the many “no’s,” we’ve also seen real encouragement in the students who are pressing in. Since the start of the semester, we’ve handed out roughly 4,000 cups of hot cocoa through our outreach — a simple way to open doors and show Christ’s love on campus.

In the meetings I’ve been able to attend, our students have been remarkably attentive and tender-hearted toward Sion’s teaching. He has made meaningful headway with them, and it’s been a joy to watch. The group is growing in spiritual sensitivity — they are very mindful of the ways we can so easily ignore God in daily life.

I’ve been especially encouraged by Jeremy, who has brought a friend to every meeting this semester and often stays afterward to talk with me long after everyone else has left. Ty and Emily are also a steady part of this group. Ty reaches out to me almost weekly with thoughtful questions — his most recent one centered on our understanding of God’s suffering. He has a tendency to want to know everyone’s stance on every issue, and I’ve been gently pushing him to anchor himself in clear truths from Scripture while still relating graciously to others. He’s responding well to that challenge.

Moments like these remind us why we do this work. God is quietly shaping hearts.

Gratitude

None of this work would be possible without your faithful partnership. Because you pray and give to this ministry, we’re able to show up consistently on campus — whether it’s handing out thousands of cups of hot cocoa, sitting with students like QC who are facing difficult pressures, or investing in young believers like Jeremy, Ty, and Emily who are hungry to grow in Christ. Your investment is directly helping us reach isolated students, confront sin in the church, and build real, committed community in a generation that often prefers comfort over commitment. Thank you for standing with us as we labor here at Tech.

Prayer Requests

Here are a few specific ways you can pray with us in the coming weeks:

• Wisdom and boldness as we walk with QC and the African student community; pray that God would bring real freedom, healthy church relationships, and safe practical support for the young women involved.
• Breakthrough with the students who have said “no” — that God would stir dissatisfaction with comfortable, individualistic faith and draw them into genuine, life-giving community.
• Continued growth in our core group — that Sion’s teaching would continue to bear fruit, that Jeremy, Ty, Emily and the others would deepen in their walk with Christ, and that more students would join them in wholehearted discipleship.
• Focus and faithfulness for me as I finish my heavy class load, weekly papers, and ordination requirements amidst the work and meeting with students.
• God’s leading for the long-term vision — that He would raise up more committed laborers and lay a strong foundation for decades of ministry on this campus.
• For our Grant Applications for funding for the Campus House.

We’re deeply grateful to labor alongside you in this generation. Even when the work feels slow or difficult, we know the Lord is building something lasting. Please know that your prayers and support are making an eternal difference in the lives of these students. We look forward to sharing more stories of God’s faithfulness when the semester ends in May.

Until then, may the Lord bless and keep you and your families.

In Christ

Brandon Charbonneau & The STK Board and Staff

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