The B from a (recent) Freshmen perspective by Alisa Lim

             Before arriving at UT, I knew I would visit the BCM.  My brother had been involved with the B when he attended UT, and had shared stories about his involvement with my family.  However, I did not know how involved I would become.  The first event that I went to was 4th meal and 4 square where I met some BCM people there.  But, like any other first encounter with new people at a large gathering, I did not remember all the people I met.  Even at other Welcome Week events, it was overwhelming.  Although everyone was friendly at the events, it still did not feel like home for me.  I was also struggling emotionally because it was the first time I was really away from my parents after shadowing them during their missionary trips.  I really felt lonely.  At that time, I remembered the stories my brother shared of how he hung out at the B when he wasn’t at class or studying in the library.  
      On the first Monday that we had classes, I decided to visit the B and see what it was like on a day when nothing was happening.  I was scared and nervous because I constantly worry about intruding on other people.  All of those worries were blown away after I met some of the people who were in the building at the time and some of the residents.  They were not only friendly, but also very welcoming. 

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After getting to know the people who always hung around the B, it became more like home.  The loneliness that I felt when I first moved to UT vanished.

     I became friends with the people I met from the B and they became the kinds of friends I could share my struggles with. As a result, I started attending events more regularly, hanging around the BCM, and becoming closer with some of my friends who I could spend late nights talking about real life and our relationships with God.  These friends not only pushed me closer to God but also shared with their struggles.  In Proverbs 27:17-18, it is written, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who cares for his master will be honored.”  The older girls that I met at the B took me under their wing to disciple and encourage me.  At the same time, I got to encourage them through my growth.
 
     Through the BCM, I received many opportunities to go serve God and the B.  I went on my first mission trip which was a time of learning: how to step out of my comfort zone along with brothers and sisters in Christ, the importance of prayer, and its power.  Simply believing that God can move people’s hearts and asking Him to do it has been one of the biggest themes for me.  He even moves our hearts when we worship Him.  I ran lights for TNT during Spring 2017, and have seen and felt God move when everyone is genuinely worshipping Him.  Through the formation of friendships and seeing God work, I knew that the BCM was the ministry for me.  Now as the next school year approaches, I look forward to seeing my BCM family again and to meeting all the new people.  

I look forward to pouring out what God had poured into me through the upperclassmen.
 See you soon!
  Alisa Lim UTK '20