Recent Comments ARCHIVE - Love writes a letter to Hate - 19 things I want RUF to be about - Time to Start - Casa Hogar 2 - Casa Hogar 2 - Casa Hogar 1 - End of the Semester Report - A poem by Nicole Rowlette - Mexico - Poem by Anthony Plopper - My Poem - Patty Griffin Rocks My House - End of the Decade - The Gospel by Tim Keller - Sex by Marva Dawn - The Interviews - Becky Robertson - The Interviews - Katie Willis - The Interviews - Ian Puffenberger - The Interviews - The Moyni - The Interviews - Chris Schaefer		The Interviews - Malisa Baker 9/7/09 Malisa showed up as a freshman and she knew she was going to do RUF. It was actually a little bit rockier than that, but I always appreciated Malisa's willingness to be open with me and share into her life and heart. She's a National Merit. She did a brief tour of duty with me as a emcee. She fell in love and got married last October, and now she and John live in Hawaii, which I'm sure is rough. We miss her. 1. How did you first get involved with RUF? I grew up in a PCA church that supported an RUF ministry, so I knew about RUF before coming to college. I decided that going to RUF was something I wanted to do once I got to OU, and it especially helped that Colleen Farish, who I have known all my life, really took me under her wing my first semester and introduced me to people from RUF and helped me feel really welcome. 2. What was/is your favorite part about RUF? At the time that I was at OU, my favorite thing about RUF was that it was a laid-back, honest, biblical ministry. The people I've met through RUF are so kind and loving, but they're also great for spiritual accountability and telling you what you need to hear. Also, I liked that there were lots of fellowship opportunities, and summer conference was so much fun! Now in retrospect, I would say the best thing about RUF is that it's such a great and active group of believers that is easy to get involved in and to learn from. Out here in Hawaii, there aren't as many churches and ministries, and I've realized how much I took the convenience and accessibility of RUF for granted. 3. How would you describe your RUF to people interested in coming? RUF is an extremely inclusive ministry. It is so laid-back. There's no pressure to do or believe anything you don't want to do, but there are always open invitations to learn more and get more involved. There are all types of people at RUF, and everyone gets to know and be friends with people they might not initially think to befriend. RUF is very honest. It's not "fluffy" or just a weekly moral pep-talk. It definitely teaches the gospel and provides accountability and wisdom for students. 4. What traditions did you have at RUF that meant the most to you? I definitely liked Girls' Lunch my freshman year. After that year, I had class at that time, but I loved it when I had easy access to the caf! - Do you have a favorite RUF hymn? What is it and why is it your favorite? My favorite RUF hymn is All Must Be Well. If I remember correctly, it actually ended up being the last hymn I sang at RUF before I moved away. As much as I liked it back in Norman, I like it even more now because it is so encouraging to me as I'm going through a new and somewhat uncertain time in my life. 5. How did God use RUF in your life? God used RUF to bless me in so many ways. I made some great friends there, and I also learned a lot about God and about myself through the large group Bible study and through Doug and Brittany's guidance and friendship. 6. Did RUF help you in your understanding and love for the church and for community? How so? Yes, RUF helped me in my understanding of what church and community should be. At RUF and also at Christ the King, I saw so much love and fellowship and genuine caring for others. It helped me realize how much Christ loves the church and how, even though we are sinners and flawed, the church is an important thing, and we should love it, too. 7. What are you doing now? Where are you in church? Now, I'm living in Hawaii with my husband John and preparing to go back to school to be a nurse. It's going to be a longer process than I expected to get my degree, but since I've been out here, I've felt God calling me in that direction, so I'm excited to see where that goes! I currently am attending Trinity Church Central Oahu, which is a PCA church only about five minutes off-post. I was so surprised to find that there was a PCA church so close to where I live, since it's not that big of a denomination, and Hawaii doesn't have nearly as many churches as Oklahoma does. I'm very thankful that Trinity Church is so close, and I'm hoping to get more involved in the near future. 8. What is the gospel and how is it operating in your life right now? The gospel is the good news that even though I'm a sinner, Christ loves me and is constantly sanctifying me, even when I don't realize it. In my life right now, this is very encouraging because the transition to life in Hawaii has been more difficult than I expected. I'm so glad that even when I'm unhappy or frustrated, God is working for good in my life and will use the experience to draw me closer to Himself. Name: (optional)