Finding a home in Texas

Hi there! I’m Alison Ryu, one of the #IgniteTexas2017 co-chairs! About two years ago, I went to Ignite as a camper. I remember being pretty nervous about the whole thing. High school to college is a huge transition, and coming from out-of- state, I didn’t know anyone going into UT. It’s a scary thing to feel like you’re leaving everything you know behind, and I was pretty terrified that my freshman year was going to be lonely. However, after going to Ignite, I realized that God wasn’t going to let that happen.

Ignite retreat only lasts for three days, but that’s really all it took for me to know I wasn’t going into college alone. My counselors were some of the most incredible humans I had ever met, and in them, I saw a group of people whose love for each other was so clear. They welcomed me into a family, one that reflected the deep care and compassion of Christ. And on top of that, they showed me that being away from home could be FUN. We had dance parties, played strange (and hilarious) games, and sang our hearts out in worship to our Lord.

Over the next few weeks, I really did feel like I found a home at UT. Sometimes, that sense of home came from something small, like seeing so many people reppin’ the signature “Ignite Texas” shirt on campus. But more often, it came from knowing that the Lord was walking alongside me on the Forty Acres. God is bigger than a place, and His goodness didn’t end when retreat did. Ignite helped plug me into campus ministries, a church, and a rich community of Christ-seeking friends. I had been so worried about coming into college alone, constantly dwelling on what I was leaving behind. But God provided in the mightiest of ways by showing me just what I was gaining: new friends and people who pointed me in the right direction.

So if you’re unsure about signing up for Ignite, don’t be – because I promise you won’t regret

the decision to come. I had zero friends coming to Texas, but over the course of three days at

Ignite, I gained a family. Christian community is rich, deeply loving, and unlike anything else I

had ever experienced in high school. Through Ignite, God provided all of that and more, even

before I set foot on campus.

So sign up for #IgniteTexas2017, and we’ll see you in August!