Wow. Second semester freshman year has come to a close, and with one door closed, another opens! CR10 is here! Time to be all-in 24/7!
In less than 24 hours, we’ll be across the pond, making our way to meeting in an infamous Starbucks within Berlin’s airport. Our flights are booked, bags are packed, and I’m one sleep away from meeting these incredible leaders (and hopefully soon-to-be best friends) in Europe!
When I found out that I got to be a part of CR10 nearly five months ago, I was so so ecstatic about getting to be a part of this experience, and Europe always seemed like an exciting, but distant adventure. Even up until finals, it seemed far away. But now, as we are hours away and I’m thinking about the flight, it’s all becoming super real.
With this reality, I have some goals for this trip. First, I want to be ALL-IN – creating lifelong, deep friendships with everyone on CR10. I know this is possible.
Funny enough, I was reading through a journal entry from my mission trip to Kenya where I went with 30 other high school students from my church and one of my takeaways was how I was all-in from the beginning in investing in those relationships. Investing in deep relationships from day 1 was one of my goals for that trip, and at the end, I felt I accomplished it. No matter how tired or sick I felt on that trip, I did my best to give my all – love all-in – and I want to do the same on CR.
This was one of my goals for freshman year that I kinda let slip with the sheer number of friends I met this year – total regret not being all-in and so sad I only looked back on this journal entry now! But now is the time to be absolutely ALL-IN, because these people on this trip are incredible!
Incredible could even be an understatement. I was trying to tell my mom about everyone going on this trip, and wow, y’all are AMAZING!
Here are some of my goals:
- Be ALL-IN and fully invested in making deep relationships
- Learn about each of the cultures we are immersed in
- Adventure!
- Be more comfortable in unknown situations
- Understand how to balance my extroverted and introverted sides
- Express my deep love and appreciation for people and situations
- this is big! so people know how much I deeply care for them ❤
Shortly after being selected for CR10, I realized how much of a Familia each of the cohorts are. I want CR10 to be Familia. Family so close that we would do anything for each other, understand the strengths and weaknesses of one other, encourage and empower one another, and lead each other on. This possibility of Familia has become so much more real, and I’m so excited to fully invest in everyone! Bring on the early mornings, late nights, strenuous hikes, nerve-racking jumps, and confusing maps. Every situation brings an opportunity to grow closer with one another.
I hope through CR10 I will better understand my strengths and weaknesses, learn how to balance my introversion and extroversion, and practice how to best love others the way they want to be loved. I want to bring back Familia to TCU – a bond so tight that together we will lead on together because we stand together, pursue one anther, and push each other to excellence. I want to learn how to be all-in always – following God’s will, all-in to build His kingdom – and knowing when and how being all-in involves taking time for myself to reflect while doing life in community.
Berlin here we come and I could not be more excited to do life with this Familia! Look forward to lots of pictures and memories to come!
With love,
Lauren Rasmussen
(selfless promo – follow @texaschristianuniversity on Instagram, we’ll be doing takeovers :D)
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