From Michigan to Minnesota

The staff at SSI-MN 2017

Guest post by Christiana Nuñez 

Let me preface this by saying, I love this program which God has been radical enough to allow me to run, and I have never felt so blessed as I am to be in God’s country, otherwise known as Minnesota.

If someone would have told me two years ago that I would pick up my life and move to a colder state than Michigan and that I would be working for SSI again, I would have said something along the lines of, “Too cold and are you serious?” But here I am, living the dream out here in snowy Minnesota!

Almost a year ago I took a weekend trip to visit my SSI friend and fellow “former” (I say “former” because nobody is truly ever former with SSI) admin out here in the twin cities. We hadn’t even left the airport when she jokingly told me her boss had asked if I would be willing to take the soon to be vacated position of Programs Coordinator for SSI MN. Before she even finished speaking, I said, “I’ll do it,” and the rest is history.

Coming into SSI MN was both familiar and foreign. I was all set to spend my first year as admin catching up on how Minnesota’s legislature functions differently from Michigan’s, working on adjustments to SSI, or getting ready to launch another track the following year. That was a comfortable position for me since that’s basically what my job as the Programs Director for SSI in Michigan was. But God had other plans, as He often does, and comfortable is not in His vocabulary. Shortly after starting at SSI MN, through an unexpected opening, I was presented with the opportunity to grow into more of a leadership role than I had expected.

Having been an administrator for SSI in the past, I thought I knew pretty much everything you can know about how SSI functions. I knew why certain scheduling was imperative, why others were flexible. What to do in an emergency, and who you need to call when your speaker falls through last minute. Being on the other end of this and being the one who schedules, recruits speakers, and does promotion has been eye opening. They don’t tell you how hard it is to wait for answers. They don’t tell you how excited you feel when you have commitments set in stone. They also don’t tell you how amazed by God you constantly feel. I thought I understood miracles before this year, but I really didn’t. It’s a miracle when a long shot of a connection comes through or when much needed reinforcements are suddenly available. The grace of God, although always amazing, seems to be that much more when you are constantly praying for things to come together. Or maybe I just see them better now.

For SSI MN we are so looking forward to this summer! We cannot wait to see who God brings for our House, Senate, and Media tracks, and how He works through our amazing speakers, students, and staff! We’re constantly looking towards what God has planned for us both in the short term and the long, and we invite you to pray alongside us for the upcoming summer!

Learn more about SSI Minnesota at www.mfc.org/about-ssi.