More Than I Asked, Just What I Needed

“‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!’ - Psalm 133:1

(NIV)"

Change is a frightening thing. As I transitioned out of my familiar world of

college life this past spring, the feeling of worry and anxiety in my heart was oh so

prevalent. Graduation came and went, and with it, everything I had known for four

years. My friends who lived footsteps away, rich campus ministry communities, busy

routines of class and marching band rehearsals, and the overall comfort of

familiarity. This season did not last too long, but I carried questions, what-ifs, and

countless fears into late August. But God, did not leave me there to figure

everything out on my own. He walks beside us and ahead of us, promising hope and

a future for you and me (Jeremiah 29:11). My “hope and future” was found in the

Pittsburgh Fellows.

From the very beginning of the program, my cohort and I swiftly moved from

acquaintances, to friends, to now something that feels almost like family. There is no

way to explain this besides our amazing, kind, generous God. He intentionally

planted each of us here for such a time as this. He knew we needed each other. This

community is faith-centered, and one thing that has really been moving me in our

living is “Sunday Evening Prayer.” Every Sunday evening, we gather for Scripture

reading and group prayer. We pick a Bible passage and a memory verse each week

to be at the forefront of our mind, as we serve through work. Following this, we pray

together and assign “prayer partners” (this is where we write our name and prayer

requests on a post-it note then put them in a bowl and pick someone for the week

to be praying for). It is a way to dive deeper into God’s Word, practice habits of

discipleship, be vulnerable with one another, and encourage each other in our

struggles. While we navigate our busy lives together, we grow, we learn, and we

chase Jesus through it all.

This community is just what I needed to start life in “the real world.” I am united with

my brothers and sisters in a new way. I am reminded daily that we were never meant

to practice our faith alone. We were never meant to do life in isolation. Faith is to be

lived out in fellowship and love. I prayed for a community, but God gave me a family.

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Written By: Emily Migliorisi, Pittsburgh Fellows Class of 2026

Emily attended Penn State University and is working at Light of Life Rescue Mission as a Pittsburgh Fellow.