Staff Post: Carla Terry

I am the office administrator here at the Louisiana Tech Wesley Foundation and I’ve worked here for just over 5 years. I attended Texas Tech University and was involved in the Wesley Foundation there in Lubbock. The TTU Wesley is also where I met my husband, Garrett. We’ve been married for six years now and we have three spunky boys, Carson-4, Cameron-2, and John Carter- 7 months. When students ask me what I do here at the LA Tech Wesley, I explain that I do the bookkeeping and administrative tasks, but that I basically keep the building running as well as I can so that the rest of the staff can focus on running the ministry. I’ve also acquired several other titles in my time at the Wesley; The Guidance Counselor, the Financial Advisor, and Mama Bear, just to name a few. I love getting to make connections with the students and staff here. I do work in the back office and am not as involved in the ministry aspect of Wesley as the rest of the staff, but each year I am blessed with a few students and interns that I get to truly connect with and pour into their lives as they also care for me.

As many of you can imagine, being a mom of 3 young boys can make it quite difficult to have any sort of consistent routine for spending any time, much less quality time with God. For example, I finally get up EXTRA early to get in a quiet time, only to sit down and have the baby start to cry and my four-year-old already coming down the stairs ready to start the day. My intimate times with the Lord are rare in this season of life and I’ve been having to learn how to take advantage of any alone time I get. I treasure the fleeting moments alone in the car where I pour out my heart to God in prayer, worship at the top of my lungs, or sit in silence to hear what He is trying to speak to me. I am always reminded that this is just a season of life, an incredibly hard and beautiful season, and that someday I will once again be able to have quiet and refreshing times spent in the Word and with God. In a season such as this, I am blessed to work for such a wonderful ministry where I am constantly encouraged and challenged by the staff and students alike. This place is a beautiful reminder of God's remarkable faithfulness and provision and I feel that working at the LA Tech Wesley Foundation has been one of the Lord’s sweetest and most unexpected gifts in my life.

What I love most about my job at the Wesley Foundation is seeing the Lord’s provision! Each year I watch the overwhelming support flood in for our students as they raise money to go on a month-long mission trip. There have been times where an unexpected refund check comes to the Wesley just before we must pay to fix our air conditioner for the umpteenth time- If you have been around the Wesley enough, then you know just how often things need fixing around here. I’ve seen the students in our ministry come together to raise funds for another student who is struggling financially. I’ve witnessed miracles and healing take place in students and staff members’ lives here. God’s provision, whether monetary or other forms of support, for the Wesley Foundation and the people who serve here never ceases to amaze me. I am grateful to witness and to be a part of the faithful work of Christ being done here at this quirky, but wonderful, campus ministry.