The week before classes start students were on campus arranging their class schedules and financing for the new semester. I went to campus to meet with Diego, a young man who is trusting God to reach his peers in the electrical engineering department. We refreshed our minds and hearts with what the Word has to say about living the Spirit-filled life. As we were talking a student that I had met years ago walked by, and I immediately remembered her name, Fernanda, but did not have the opportunity to say hello.
About an hour later I was standing at the entrance to the university with one of our staff. And there was Fernanda making her way towards the metro on her way home. I called out her name and we got to chat for a few minutes about how things were going in her life. Three years ago we had met her and some of her class mates as freshmen. She had come to a few things and had the opportunity to hear the gospel but did not stay involved or trust Christ. It had been about two years since I had talked to her.
I asked her how her family, studies and plans were going, and then asked her what her experience has been spiritually for the past few years. She admitted that for most of that time she had distanced herself from God and been very focused on her studies. But she recently had started to think more about God. I asked Fernanda if she considered herself to have a personal relationship with God. She said yes. Then I asked her how confident she was that she would be with God for eternity. She said that she thought she probably would but that it is hard to know. My next question, "If you could experience greater confidence and intimacy with God, would you want to?" She replied, "Sure!"
So we got a drink at the cafeteria and sat down in the grass for about 45 minutes. She was very honest and genuine in her desire to know God. We talked through the 4 Spiritual Laws. But more importantly God was talking to her heart if a special way and she received Christ with the joy. Her hunger for truth was evident in the questions she asked as we finished our conversation. She immediately accepted the invitation to study what the Bible says about growing a relationship with God.
Three years ago during my first semester, I do not remember anyone coming to Christ all semester. And without a doubt there are no new believers involved with us from that first semester. But we sowed. And now it is time to reap.
Over 40 students have trusted Christ in the past year. Most of them are studying the Bible with us. Just today on campus three young men from electrical engineering met over lunch to plan how to reach out to the freshmen class. All of them have trusted Christ within the past two years. And two of them just came to the Lord last semester. Seeing their desire to study the Word, reach out to the lost and encourage the body of Christ is a tremendous joy for me.
"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."(Psalm 126:5-6)
