Christians on Campus at the University of Minnesota

"Let's be friends, come to the Bible study! And it was like someone said earlier, it was like I knew them my whole life. It's been a huge blessing. So thank you." — Delilah M.

"But the moment I came in, everyone was so friendly and so kind. And it was just like I felt the Lord was there. And that really drew me in and kept me there." — Estuardo G.

"I just want to thank everyone in the Christians on Campus community, just for how welcoming and caring everybody was my freshman year. I would not be here my senior year if it wasn't for all of you in this room. I just want to thank you for welcoming me with open arms. Just a kid from California, I didn't know what Minnesota was like. I just felt at home right away. That's because of all of you. Thank you for your presence and caring about me and just being there for me." — Marlo M.

PART III: 

I don't know what happened in a year. I know from what I shared what transpired, but what I know is that our Savior God loved Audrey. Our Savior God loves each one of your friends, loves your family, loves your classmates,, loves those around you. He loves them, just as He loves us. "The love to man of our Savior God appeared" (Titus 3:4). Just as it appeared to us, it needs to appear to those. But at the same time, I realized I needed further saving. That I'm here, and thankfully the Lord did come in, and He moved and operated, and He touched me, and He wouldn't let me just be complacent and not say something. 

But if He didn't operate and move, I would have left and not said anything to her. It would not have come up. Because that was the Lord's feeling within me. He's the Savior God and He's full of love for man. But at that time, it's just where I was, it wasn't my feeling. And so even when the Lord was operating and speaking, I was just fighting and wrestling with the Lord on why I don't want to do this and I can't do this. So the Lord's in me, the Savior Lord, He's in me. But He's still Him, He has feeling, and I'm still me. 

But the Lord wants to bring us to a point where it's no longer just Him, but we're one. His feeling, His love for man, becomes one with us. His heart becomes our heart for man. Again, the person and the living are now one.

PART II:
I just began sharing with her how much He means to me, how precious He is to me. How much I love Him, how sweet He is. And I just began to share my testimony, my experience of this wonderful person Jesus Christ. And when I got done sharing, actually to my surprise, she said "Actually, that sounds wonderful. Growing up, even in my religion, all I've ever known is to fear God. And actually according to my religion I've committed sins that are unforgiveable. So I'm told my destiny is hell for eternity, because I've committed unforgiveable sins. Thank you for sharing, but I could never become a Christian." Because currently, as a college student, her family was paying for her college, and she was also living with her parents at the time. She said "If I became a Christian, they would stop paying for my college, kick me out, and disown me." So I said "I just want you to know, Jesus loves you."

So that was it. Didn't see her again, flew back to the States, and then about a year passed. And I get a message from her on Facebook Messenger. I still have it. She said "I just had the most touching experience today, and I thought I'd like to share with you. I'm studying in Singapore right now, and this morning I just had my first service at church. And I cried. It touched me really deeply and I felt warmth. I can't explain it, but it touched me. I'm going to church at Jakarta too, and I talked to the priest (is it a priest or a pastor?). I've been reading the Bible and talking to Jesus too, and for the first time I prayed not just for the sake of having a fear towards God, but because I felt peace, warmth, and love." And then she ends by just thanking me for sharing something with her.

PART I:
The Lord spoke to me, very clearly inwardly. He said, "Tell Audrey about me." "I can't." Then I rattled off all my excuses to the Lord why I can't. "Well, what happens if I offend her? She's Muslim, I could offend her. What happens if I offend my friend? Or wait, it's his girlfriend, shouldn't he be the one to say something? Why do I need to say something to her? I've only known her for a week." And just excuse after excuse. "I've never done this, Lord, I don't know what to say." But the Lord wouldn't let it go, and I couldn't go to sleep. And so eventually I caved, I said "Okay, if I see her again, I'll say something about You."

After that I had peace, enough to go to sleep. And of course, the sovereign God's arrangement: I got to see her one last time, we had a meal together before I left. And we're sitting there, and the conversation is not anything about religion or Jesus or anything, and I'm inwardly saying "Lord, I don't know how to do this, I don't know how to bring this up, how to turn the conversation to You. But Lord, I'm going to say something and You have to be with me." When there was a pause, I said "Audrey, can I ask you a question? This is strange, out in left field, but what do you think about Jesus Christ?" And she responded and said "Well, I'm Muslim, my whole family is Muslim, and we believe Jesus Christ was a prophet sent from God, but that's all we believe." And I said "Well, can I share with you what Jesus Christ means to me?"

But you know what God cannot do for you? He cannot eat for you. When the baby eats, the baby will grow. If the the baby doesn't grow, you'll be in diapers fifteen years from now. But if you eat and drink, guess what, you don't need those anymore. Don't worry so much about the blowouts. Take the blood. But worry about eating Christ, drinking Him, in the word. His word was found, and I ate it, and it became to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart (Jer. 15:16) Actually, if some of you are not that happy, I would say, please eat the word. Please drink the word. That will change your whole being.

"You work to build a relationship with Christ. It's difficult because it's a person we can't physically see in a tangible way but when we all have our portion of Christ and we come together, it's really sweet to see Christ and we come together, it's really sweet to see the portion of Christ in others. It makes a person whom we can't see real and that's been really special to me.

And as I work toward life after college, there's a lot of uncertainty in where I'll end up, and work, and the military. I gave my uncertainty and doubt to the Lord and spent a lot of time praying and sharing it with those around me. And through prayer, He answered and gave me a path forward to where I can see myself growing further with the Lord, with where He's placing me. It's really exciting to see His path." — Shane L.