Reflections on Urbana

Donan has been collecting students' reflections on their Urbana experiences.  She asked the simple question, "What did God do in you at Urbana?"

Amanda says...
Going into Urbana, I didn’t know what to expect. I hoped God would speak to me and maybe give me ideas for my future. I was a little discouraged at the lack of fruit my hard work trying to plant a small group had produced last semester. I was also wrestling with a lot of different plans for my future. I have felt God calling me to intern with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since the beginning of summer. However, this summer my heart was completely broken for the homeless youth I worked with while living in Seattle. I have so many places I want to go to and people I want to work with. I want to bring Jesus to the slums in India, leper colonies, impoverished urban communities, human trafficking victims, etc. It seemed selfish to stay in the US and live a pretty comfortable life reaching college students when I am so ready to get my hands dirty and serve the “least of these.”
During Urbana, God definitely affirmed His plans for me to go into campus ministry. As I was praying I got the word “catalyst.” I started asking Him what that looked like because my attempts so far had failed. I also felt God inviting me to campus ministry in order to raise up leaders to be world changers. This way I could send people to all the places that are on my heart to reach more effectively than I could over do by myself. I was blown away and humbled with this amazing invitation! I was also very frustrated because the members of my small group are not very committed to even attending Bible study, so how was I going to accomplish this? God answered these quandaries of feeling like a failure because of a lack of people by saying, “Well, you never really asked for any.” That was a much-needed smack in the face. I was convicted that I don’t expect God to use me to do great things and try to work out of my own strength instead of God’s. I felt like God’s invitation out of this was to spend an hour a day in prayer for my campus, to pour my heart out and intercede for a transformation at WSU, that the chains of addiction, apathy, and success would be broken, that the Holy Spirit would completely change the hearts of every single student on campus. I have done so since I returned and it has been one of the most exciting, challenging, rejuvenating, and humbling times of interaction with God as I seek to partner and conform my plans to His will. I can't wait for the day when all the crazy things I am praying for now will seem normal as God works amazing things on the WSU campus or wherever He sends me!