Final Exams, Term Papers, and Spiritual Conversations

The topic of our last Harambee Large Group was, "Searching for Real Love: Exploring Your Relationship with God". We had a great time discussing common misperceptions and distorted views of what it looks like to have a personal relationship with the Lord. At the end of the evening, several students still had questions and were eager to continue discussion.

The Harambee Servant Team recognized the opportunity to go deeper with these individuals and planned an informal follow-up dinner where people could come and be real about where they are with God and ask whatever questions they still had. Inspite of having final exams to study for and term papers to write, nearly 20 students gathered in a servant team member's apartment to continue the conversation about who God is and who He desires to be in our lives! One student shared that she used to be an atheist, but has felt welcomed by various Harambee students and is beginning to see God in ways she had never experienced before. She even offered the closing prayer for our time together!

It is times like these that remind me why I became a campus missionary with InterVarsity. As I continue to see God reveal Himself to students, I am both humbled and honored to be able to walk alongside them in their search for the true and living God! I am in awe of how committed the Lord is to seeing lives transformed and our campuses renewed!

Finding God in the Questions

I never would have imagined that in the midst of teaching my 90 year old uncle about Jesus, I would learn what true humility looks like. Tonight marked the third week of us studying scripture together (see previous post), and I continue to be amazed at God's upside-down Kingdom!

We looked at the passage in Luke 7 where the woman anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, much to the astonishment of the Pharisee, and Jesus takes the opportunity to tell the story about two debtors who could not pay their debt, and how the lender ended up canceling both of their debts, even though one owed more than the other. Jesus then posed the question, "Which of them will love [the lender] more?" To which the Pharisee replied, "...the one who had the bigger debt forgiven."

This led into a time of me being able to explain the Gospel, and actually invite my uncle to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I found myself surprised when he answered in the affirmative saying that he wanted to invite Jesus to be his personal Lord and savior right then and there!

As my uncle continues to ask real questions, and display a genuine desire to know more about who God is and what a relationship with Him looks like, I am reminded of the true power of what was accomplished on the cross over 2000 years ago. I am reminded that Jesus, and His message of grace in the midst of sin and mess, is attractive. We don't need flashing lights, bells, or whistles, just an honest account of who Jesus is and what He's done in our lives. As my uncle put it tonight, when he realized that all he had to do was acknowledge that he could never repay his debt of sin before God, but that through Jesus' death and resurrection his debt had been graciously canceled, "That's not as complicated as I thought."

Harambee at Fall Conference 09!!!

The theme of InterVarsity's Missouri Area Fall Conference was "Come and See", and nearly 40 Harambee students from WashU and Harris-Stowe did just that! From Oct. 9-11, we came together with other students and staff from across Missouri and saw the Lord move in powerful ways throughout the weekend. As a community, we worshiped, studied scripture, played, prayed, and grew closer to the Lord. During Saturday night's time of extended worship and prayer, several Harambee students made 1st time and renewed commitments to having Jesus be the Lord of their lives. I am excited to see how the Lord continues to work in and through these students as they've been challenged with and answered the call to live missionally on campus!

Who would you exclude from the Gospel?

During an InterVarsity evangelism seminar, a speaker once asked, "Who would you exclude from the Gospel?" My initial response was, "No one! I mean, sharing the Gospel is part of my job description as an IV staff worker, right?!" Well, recently, the Lord opened my eyes and helped me see that while I've been pouring my heart into ministry with college students, I've neglected to see the spiritual needs of my own family.

I was visiting with my 90 year old uncle last week, and out of nowhere he asked the question, "How does a person know when they have religion?" I proceeded to try to explain to him the difference between religion and a relationship with Jesus. I explained how God isn't looking for perfect people, but for those who are humble enough to admit that we don't have it all together and need Jesus' help. He said he had never heard it explained like that before, and how he felt ignorant to the bible. I was able to go through a short scripture passage with him right then, and asked if he would be interested in studying scripture with me on a regular basis. He said he would like that very much!

I went out and got him a large print NIV bible, and tonight we looked at Mark 2:13-17 (The Calling of Levi). We spent about an hour together, and he asked some really great questions. I left at around 6:30pm to go to bible study at my church, and when I went back by his house at 9pm, he was STILL reading the bible I had given him! I am amazed by how God constantly pursues relationship with us.

The Lord used my uncle to show me how I had compartmentalized my role as a minister of the Gospel to just my campus contexts, when in actuality, God calls us to bear witness to the truth of who He is no matter where we are or with whom we're speaking! It really is a matter of asking, "Who would you exclude from the Gospel?"...

Opening Doors, Transforming Lives

I continue to be amazed by how the Lord chooses to do ministry! For anyone who knows me, you know that I like to have things planned out far in advance, well, tonight, God had other plans! I was at my church's 110th anniversary service when I get an email from a Harris-Stowe student I had been connecting with telling me to please not forget about the 6:45pm event on campus tonight. Mind you, it is a little after 5pm when I get this message. I had vaguely remembered talking with her about the event three weeks ago, but hadn't heard anything since, so I hadn't planned on going to campus. In fact, I hadn't driven my car to church, so I didn't even have a way to get there or back.

I felt like the Lord was encouraging me to go anyway, so I quickly made arrangements to be dropped off at Harris-Stowe (still not being sure of how I would get back home). When I get there, I find out that the program is a "Gospel Explosion" to kick off their homecoming week, and they wanted me to do spoken word poetry. Turns out that several of the program participants had cancelled at the last minute, so the student organizing the event asked if I would be willing to do more than one piece, and he told me to feel free to do anything else the Lord put on my heart.

Well, at the end of the program, a (very) brief altar call was made, and when no one had responded after 5-10 seconds, the MC dismissed the audience. People were starting to leave the theatre, and it was then that I felt the Lord was calling me to take a risk and do another altar call. He had me do three invitations: 1 for those who had never had a relationship with Christ; 1 for those who for some reason or another had turned away from the Lord and wanted to restore that relationship; and finally, for those who simply wanted prayer. Well, before I could finish, there were already about 15 students who had come forward! Mind you, there were only about 35 people in attendance at the event to begin with.

I ended up doing a corporate prayer, and then inviting those who wanted individual prayer to stay and see me. It was quite clear that the Spirit was moving, as several of the students were in tears and couldn't even fully articulate what they wanted prayer for. I prayed what I felt the Lord was putting on my heart for them, and then we went into a time of spontaneous worship. The word that the Lord kept dropping in my spirit was "release". He desired for people to experience the liberty that comes from dwelling in His presence. For the next 25 minutes or so, students were worshipping, crying, and praying with one another!

One of the Harris-Stowe staff who works in the Office of Student Activities came up to me afterward, gave me a hug, and said this was exactly what they needed!

I praise God for the ways He continues to open doors for ministry, and how He's transforming lives in the process (including my own)! I look forward to following up with these students (and staff) over the next several days, and will be sure to keep you posted on what God is up to!

p.s. Even though I didn't have my car, the Lord provided a way for me to get back home! :)

Exceedingly and Abundantly

The past few weeks have been a time of God proving that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine! (Eph. 3:20) Every year for the first three sundays of the semester we do something called "Harambee Goes to Church" and visit three different local churches as a group. This year we had over 70 students participate, and that doesn't include students who came more than once! If that weren't enough, over 40 students were at our first gospel choir rehearsal of the year, 38 women participated in the first week of My Sisters' Keeper bible studies, 36 men showed up at the first Men of Integrity bible study, and nearly 20 students joined us for "Harambee Goes to the Movies"! I am excited about what all God is doing in Harambee at WashU, and I look forward to being a part of His continued work on campus!

Harambee @ Harris-Stowe?

As I started a blog to chronicle my journeys in ministry to students at WashU, God has opened the door for me to plant a new ministry among students at Harris-Stowe State University. Yesterday, InterVarsity was invited to be a part of freshman move-in day there, and it was clear that God's favor was with us.

Harris-Stowe only has one dormitory, and unlike at WashU, where there are countless student groups tabling and handing out refreshments and goodies during move-in day, I counted, and we were 1 of 4 tables set-up, and 1 of those tables was for the RAs in the building! Not only that, but our table was right at the entrance of the dorm lobby, so people couldn't help but see us! We were the only ones handing out cold water, which was much appreciated by

parents and students as they were moving all of their belongings up the stairs.

Even though I am an introvert to the nth degree, it was great to be able to serve students at HSSU and their families, meet so many new people, and see the awesome potential for ministry on that campus.

Pray for me as I continue to trust God in the midst of planting a new chapter while also trying to help students in the Harambee chapter at WashU grow closer to Jesus.

Students Taking Initiative

Since most WashU students go away for break after the school year ends, Harambee has never really done any programming during the summer months. This summer, I felt the Lord prompting me to start a bible study with those students who did stay in town. Amazingly enough, the very same day I was about to suggest this to students, I got an email from Jasmine, a Harambee senior, asking about starting a bible study in her apartment building! :) The study has been going strong for two weeks now with different students taking turns to lead each week! So far over 10 women are coming together regularly! I continue to be encouraged by how God is working in the lives of students and am blessed to see their continued growth in and pursuit of Him!