(I've intentionally not included names..sorry..)
High Expectations on Thursdays:
It start right after Spring Break I guess. There were now 4 full time staff on our team (me, Jeff, Alana and Justin) and we hit the ground running after the week break. We were all meeting with likely too many people, but having great appointments and highly encouraged.
Jeff had been meeting with a guy he'd been meeting with for a while. He was clueless about Christianity but super intrigued. They studied the book of John together and over the course of a lot of Thursday afternoons, the student described his hesitancy,"its like I'm becoming a Christian" He was already growing and learning and trusting, but still not ready to surrender everything.
Each week Jeff asked us to pray by name for him. One week in particular, the burden was voiced in Jeff's prayer request to intercede on this student's behalf. It was as if he was ready. We as a team did and I suspect individually as well. All day I couldn't stop thinking about him. I kept asking the Lord to move in his heart so we'd have another brother in Christ--praise be, because He did! That afternoon, this clueless frat guy passed from darkness into light. He is now going through follow ups. Jeff gave him his first Bible and said he is treasuring it, as the Word should be treasured.
The next Thursday, I was meeting with a weekly appointment I meet with on Thursday. I'd been meeting with this student for a shorter period of time but the convo was no less great. She was new to the Christian culture and I thank God for that--she hadn't been struggling to find truth that was hiding in culture, its actually a blessing. She often apologized for her background and I often praised God for it.
That afternoon it seemed like there was no better than to go through the gospel in its rawest form. I got out a piece of paper and started writing things out. By the end of our convo, I had written a handful of phrases, verse, drawn a few pictures and lines connecting everything. The most evident thing on the page though was a picture of the cross and a gift next to it. I explained that Christ dying on the cross was a free gift to take away our penalty and in order to make that true in our life, we have to receive the gift. I asked a simple question--what are you want to do with the gift?? She said, 'I think I want it. I've heard parts of this but never all of this and now it all makes sense. I take the gift so I don't have to pay the penalty' And right then and there, this sweet student shared the gospel back to me.
She is growing like a weed. She calls me with questions and reads anything and everything I ask her to. Pray her hunger for truth continues. Praise God for one more...
The next Thursday it was Justin. He was meeting with a student on the quad. I don't know as much about this story but what I do is quite amazing. I know that this student was challenged surrender his life to Jesus and walk with Him daily and he answered the call. I believe he has a background in the church and had walked away through following the desires of the flesh. Justin has been tracking with him since then...
So three Thursdays in a row our team saw fruit from intentional evangelism and spending time with people who don't know Christ as their Lord. It was amazing. Pray for these students and pray that our staff and student would not grow weary of doing what is right and what we are called to do!
New Life Baptism
I could write about this for a while, but I know you're eyes are already weary. Two years ago I met two of my dearest friends in Tuscaloosa. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know of them. Lucy and Jenn. They come from China and have tender loving hearts.
Early in our friendship, I was able to just serve them. No one helps international students, so I helped them get adjusted to life, find a place to live, move (and thats a story in itself) buy furniture, pay bills, you name it. Anything you have to do in America to survive, I was blessed to help teach them.
In addition, I was able to share my whole life with them--meaning I got to share my faith. They were always asking why I would help them for 10 hours on a Saturday or why I would help buy them furniture, why teach them things I don't have. The answer is simple. Love. Nothing in the Bible is telling me to do it to earn love but rather it says if I truly love my God then I will do things for others out of an overflow of love. I was praying they would see that love.
Weeks went on and we kept coming back to that topic--God. There is much I must leave out, but the short story is by nothing short of a miracle, Jenn became our sister in Christ in Feb 09. That grew Lucy and Jenn apart, for to Lucy that was ignorant and not truth.
Its with great joy that I tell you the Lucy, the intellect, the one who wants to know truth is a follower of the King. Not only that, but she was baptized on Easter and told me there was no better day to publicly announce her decision than on Easter, the day her savior raised to new life for her. Its a beautiful story.
When I think of these sweet friends, I get proud! They've grown so much and come so far. I'm blessed to call them friends, but better yet, to call them sisters.
Change in the Greek System
Talking about the Greek System on the college campus makes people lose hope. Its like there is little faith that God could actually move in such a dark place. Yes its dark, but I assure you too, God can move.
He is moving in the Greek system at Bama. A handful of guys wanted to start an intra fraternity bible study that would be welcoming to all guys. And so they did. The result has been incredible. The 'unreachables' in your head have been coming and engaging. They have wanted to meet with the students leaders and staff to talk about Christ.
Early on in the semester the bible study hosted a guest speaker. There were about 60 guys there and a dozen placed their faith in Christ. That kind of thing doesn't just happen in a Greek house. God has to be at work in their lives. That worldly life is not enough for those guys and they are seeing that. Its amazing that we have the staff to be working in the greek system and we pray that more and more guys (and girls) will turn from their foolish ways and turn to Jesus.
So there you have it. The amazing part is thats just three of the some dozen stories I could share. Its been an incredibly fruitful year. I'm blessed to be at Alabama. I want to extended my sincerest gratitude to all of you for your thoughts, messages, prayers, and financial gifts. The stories above don't take place without you. Thank you. Blessings.
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