Answered prayers

Bonjour tout le monde! / Hello everyone!

I would love to share with you a "brief" update (sorry, I really tried to keep it short!) of this past week - our first week on campus initiating spiritual conversations with students. God showed up in amazing and encouraging ways to answer our prayers! Before, during, and after our times on campus we prayed for many things, but especially for three specific requests:

1. We prayed for opportunities to meet first year students
2. We prayed to meet to students who were open to talking about spiritual things and willing to share with us
3. We prayed for new contacts - students that will continue to be connected with Agape, for lasting friendships

After four days spent on three different campuses, I can honestly say God blessed us with many new relationships and contacts, guided us to specific people, and orchestrated many divine appointments. I have so many stories I would love to share and bless you with, but I will limit myself to only a few.

Firstly, I would like to tell you about Angele (pronounced like Angela without the "ah" at the end), Ophelie (like Ophelia from Hamlet - that's what she told us!) and Calypso. I met these three sweet first-year students on Tuesday at Paul Valery (the liberal arts campus). All three are studying Art History, and were just as open and friendly with us as they were with each other. At first, we thought they had been friends for a while, but then they told us they had only just met! These girls were so willing to talk to us, to laugh with us, and to share personal things with us. While Angele and Calypso described themselves as "athee" (atheist) and agnostic, both were very open to discussing spiritual things and shared that they really respect people of faith. Ophelie shared with us that she considers herself a Catholic, and has really felt God as a source of comfort through the difficult times in her life. Although she grew up in the Catholic tradition, she said that only in the last year has she really felt like her faith became her own decision. I can't wait to see what God has in store for them this year! I really feel like we could develop a real relationship with these girls.

Secondly, I want to share Sasha's story with you. I met Sasha and her friend Mona-Lisa (I'm not kidding, I promise!) on the science campus while they were hanging out in between classes. Both girls were very willing to talk with us, and put a lot of thought and reflection into their responses to our Soularium (photo survey tool) questions. Part way into our conversation about their view of God (the third question), Mona-Lisa received an important call she had to take, and we ended up talking with just Sasha for about an hour in total. She really opened up to us about some difficult, hurtful things that have happened in her past (some of which have been done to her by the church and by religion) that have convinced her that we are the only ones that can help ourselves - she doesn't feel like God has ever "showed up" in her life. She shared that over time, she has come to be able to understand people who have faith, and even to respect them when she doesn't agree with them. At first, because of the hurts she has suffered, she said this wasn't possible for her, but now she feels like she is in a place where she can agree to disagree and still be friends with someone of faith. She also told us about the challenges and changes she has lived through the last year or so, and why she is hopeful about this new stage in her life. She told us about her new English boyfriend, and seemed very interested in coming to English Club on Monday. God really blessed us with a deep, open conversation with Sasha, and I am very hopeful that we can continue to keep in contact with her.

Thirdly, I want to tell you about Jessica. Megan and I met her on the science campus while we were talking to her friends. At first, there were three students talking with us, but as more of their friends began joining them, it quickly got chaotic and a bit out of hand. They were no longer really focusing on the conversation or responding seriously. I started to get frustrated and tried to think of ways to get out of the conversation gracefully. Jessica had just arrived, and she started hurling very pointed, almost aggressive, questions at me about my belief in God. She seemed very hostile and accusatory, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I prayed as I talked, hoping not to aggravate the hurt I could feel behind her anger, and tried to respond honestly and respectfully. As we were talking, her friends got up to leave and Megan said goodbye. Instead of leaving, Jessica sat down and kept talking with us. Little by little, she became more open, more calm, and more at ease with us. I could almost feel her relaxing as the edge came out of her voice and questions. Eventually, she shared with us that she used to believe, but that a family member she was very close to died in a tragic accident even though she had prayed for them. She felt betrayed by God, and could no longer believe that a good, Sovereign, all-powerful God existed. She still believes in spirits, ghosts, and (weirdly) the devil, but thinks that all spiritual forces (good or evil) are the ghosts of people who live on. Thus Jesus, though a good man (and now a good spirit), could not help her when she prayed, because his power is limited. She was very open and listened carefully as Megan was able to share her own testimony of how she came to faith, and we both talked about periods of doubt in our faith journeys. By the end of the conversation, she and Megan exchanged phone numbers and she told us she would love to meet up again to continue our conversation. I knew as she left that we had come to talk to that whole group and had that entire conversation just for Jessica. God knew exactly what He was doing in guiding us to her friends.

Finally, I want to tell you Isabelle's story. Kimberly and I met Isabelle on the business campus on Friday, where she and her friend Agate (pronounced ah gaht) were sitting outside the cafeteria on a picnic table. We approached them with the Soularium photo survey, and both girls were friendly and willing to talk with us. As we introduced ourselves, Isabelle told us she used to know someone who worked with Agape about 5 years ago. She shared that she is a Christian, but that she has been struggling because she doesn't feel like she can talk to her friends or her atheist/Buddhist family members about her faith for fear of being judged, poorly received, or rejected. Agate, though an atheist herself, shared with us about her devout Catholic grandmother, her faith as a child, and her subsequent rejection of God out of the anger she felt when her grandmother died. She told us she blamed God, and then came to believe that He couldn't be trusted, and maybe didn't even exist. Despite this hurt in her past, she was very willing to open up to us and share personal stories. Both girls were active participants in our discussion, asking questions, sharing their thoughts, and engaging in listening when either Kimberly or I was sharing. God gave Kim a beautiful opportunity to share her aunt's story, how she reached out to the Lord in her grief over her husband's death instead of turning from Him, and the peace she received in return. She used her aunt's story to transition to the Gospel and was able to share a lot of God's truth with both of the girls. It was a wonderful conversation, and as we were leaving we thanked both of them for their time. Both girls responded by fervently expressing their gratitude to us as well, and seemed very touched by the things we shared. I didn't truly realize the impact of what God was doing through us until later that evening when I texted them to confirm that they had my phone number. Isabelle responded to my message by saying that she also really appreciated our discussion, and then added this post script: "By the way, I have to tell you something I find incredible - as a great "coincidence," yesterday I was praying [to] God and told Him that I really wanted to change my life in a good way, to focus on my present and my near future, to live fully. And [with] all my heart, I prayed that if following Him is the best for me, I asked Him to show me a sign of His presence in the week to come, in the next few days, and even the day after (but I thought, no, tomorrow is too quick. I can't just ask something and expect to be satisfied tomorrow...But He did.) Not only it was a pleasure to meet the both of you, but for me, it is God's answer as well. Have a nice evening!" I sat in my bed reading this message, and couldn't help myself from starting to cry. Although in many ways I am aware that God is using us on campus and speaking to people through us, it was a bit of a shock and a beautiful reminder to hear someone say so clearly that we were an answer to her prayer.

This week, God answered our prayers in amazing ways, He answered your prayers as you lifted us and our ministry up to Him, and He answered Isabelle's prayer for a sign of His presence. He is so faithful to answer us and to meet all of our needs! As I finish this first week on campus, I am tired but very encouraged and completely at peace. I know God is with us, and I know He is going to continue to work miracles, to answer prayers, and to do amazing things this next year. Thank you for praying and holding out hope with me; please continue to pray for us, for our new contacts, and for young Christians like Isabelle looking for community and reminders of God's presence in their lives.

A la prochaine! / Until next time!