Matthew Strautmann - RCI STInter

Rewarding and challenging….that is how I would describe my time so far in Cote d'Ivoire. My name is Matthew Strautmann.  I studied engineering at S&T in Missouri and now I am serving on the CRU Stint team in Abidjan. My journey to get here started about two years ago when my staff leader in college invited me to spend a year of ministry with him in Cote d'Ivoire, Africa, and so here I am reflecting on these first two months, actually living out my dream of college ministry in a foreign country. 
 
The most encouraging thing about ministry here is the relationships. The students are very welcoming and friendly. I have also experienced great freedom to practice my French with them. They really enjoy listening and correcting my very broken French, which has given me great encouragement in sharing my faith, building friendships, and learning how to be a bigger part of the culture.

The most difficult thing is not knowing where the Lord is leading our ministry. With the biggest public university closed this year, we have not had the luxury of focusing on one campus.  Instead, the Lord has stretched us to figure out where the students are and how to find where He is working already. This requires a lot of patience, but I am learning to leave the details and worries of how we will reach students to Him and moving forward with what He reveals to us.  While on this journey, we have sought the Lord to show us what doors He has already opened that we do not yet know and trust that He will be guiding our every conversation and interaction. His plan is good; His plan is bigger than anything I could ever dream.