No Reason To Believe

Our first time setting foot on the INACAP on Av. Apoquindo campus we met Juan Pablo, Kenneth and Camila. The week before a student from this campus, Felipe, attended our student leadership meeting, Raíces. I set up a time to visit his campus with some of the summer project students who were visiting us from the US. As we introduced ourselves and shared briefly the vision of Vida Estudiantil it was natural to ask them about their beliefs.

I asked them, “On a scale from 1-10, how interested are you in knowing God personally?” It doesn´t happen very often, but Kenneth answered “zero” with an honest grin. He indicated that he thinks people make too much of religion. He did not understand my question, but I could understand his point of view. Over the next month we got to hang out with them a couple of times on campus.

Last week when Felipe and I had made a time to go share our faith, we ran into Kenneth. After talking about girlfriends and different places in Chile, I reminded Kenneth of his response and asked him if he would be willing to share more of his story. He gladly accepted. While he went to buy a pack of cigarettes Felipe and I prayed.

Kenneth has just gotten to campus from donating blood to help his grandmother who is very sick. As he told his story it was easy to see why he found it so hard to “believe”. His story is full of difficulty. The injury that almost cost him his leg when he was young, his broken relationship with his father, the tension in his living situation with uncles and a very ill and cranky grandmother… He could find no reason to believe, even though he had tried. (Kenneth is at the far left, with the summer project)

Even though many things in life may not have a satisfactory explanation, Felipe and I could share how the cross of Christ and the unconditional love of God were even more inexplicable. Kenneth told us that he felt like something really extraordinary would have to happen for him to be able to believe. We helped him consider that perhaps something extraordinary was happening and had happened to reconcile him to God. Please pray that God help Kenneth to see light of the world, Jesus, and that God help us to be lights in the darkness on campuses in Santiago.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(2Cor. 4:4-6)

Many Reasons to Believe

We met Tomas, a student at the Universidad Andres Bello, in English Club. Israel, who coaches student leaders at UNAB, copied me a portion of an email from Tomas

“After thinking about it and having it on my mind for several years, I decided that it is the best thing I could do in my life, and I feel very good about it, so during my winter vacation I decided to be a Christian… several factors influenced this decision: my mother has been a Christian for no more than 4 years, I have seen her happier than ever during these 4 years, my brother and I experienced a couple miracles (we had an accident 3 years ago, and today we are without adverse effects). Another important factor was the English Club of Vida Estudiantil, to which I went with the sole purpose of learning some English, but little by little I realized the quality of people who have a happy spirit, a kind-heartedness and availability, and a great strength in their beliefs which in an authoritative way coincide with each other.
Another very important factor leading up to my decision was a special Christian young lady who I had gotten to know. She is able to speak with ease about God in a simple way, coherent and pleasant, and with the same point of view as many others… so I told myself, I should belong to this group, it is without a doubt the best! On top of this I would have to add the services of the church in La Serena that my mom goes to, where there is a an equally pleasant atmosphere. I admire the pastor, very intelligent, and he knows how to apply Biblical values to everyday life. Also my mom is always reminding me of the things the Bible describes and how they are based in history and still speak to our world today, and this is very convincing!
So there are many reasons, I just was slow to see them and take them into account, but I am happy to have given myself to Christ because unquestionably, it is never late. That is all! Haha. I hope to see you more often this semester!" Tomas
After English club one day we went bowling with the students. Tomas is holding the dark blue bowling ball.