At the end of April, Tyler (current staff at WSU and future part-time
staff at U of I) and I (WSU senior and future intern at Whitman) met up with
Brandy, a freshman at U of I who will be co-leading a Bible study with Tyler
next year, to scope out the campus and pray for next year’s ministry. Brandy
took us to Bob’s and just after we sat down, she waved over a guy walking past and
he came and sat at our table. He introduced himself as Matt*, a transfer
student. Matt is going to be an RA next year and Tyler invited him to their
future Bible study. Matt became very excited and said he is looking at starting
a Bible study as one of his programs in the dorm. He said he was nervous because
he could get into trouble for it but he really wanted to try. He had bought a
book to help train him and was planning on spending a lot of time studying the
Bible this summer. Tyler invited him to partner with us so he could receive
training and have support in leading his Bible study. He sounded very
interested and said that he has been praying to be surrounded by good Christian
community and that we were an answer to prayer. He shared his testimony which
was extremely powerful.
Matt is the only Christian in his family. His step-dad used
to identify as being a Christian. His extended family doesn’t know and he has
to keep it a secret. Matt is also trying to share the gospel with those in his
major and is looking forward to ministering to his dorm. We were able to pray
for him and swap contact information.
Tyler, Brandy, and I walked around Matt’s dorm to pray for next
year’s ministry. After Brandy left for class, Tyler and I prayed for images for
the future of the dorm. Tyler saw plants and new growth springing up all around
and a community being formed to become a place of growth and healing where
students are able to be vulnerable and are transformed so that they can go out
and transform the campus. I saw Matt stabbing the front steps with a knife with
such force that it split the foundation of the building and both sides of the
walls fell down. Inside were students in cubicles chained to the walls but as
soon as the outer walls fell down, the cubicle walls followed and their chains
disappeared, and all the students came together rejoicing into the middle of
the former building. We left praising God and extremely encouraged by the
harvest that He has seemingly laid out for next year.
We are praying that Matt will follow through and join our
team and that his passion for reaching his dorm will continue to grow over the
summer! We are very, very excited to see what God has for U of I next year! I
cannot wait to hear the stories that Tyler, Brandy, and Matt will have to tell
of God’s goodness and transformation played out on campus!
*name changed and all identifying details removed
