Whoever said that God was dead today? Whoever said that God does not speak? Whoever said that God does not move? Whoever said God cannot possibly do….

I am so excited I can barely put into words what has been happening. But to God be the glory through all this as it was not by my own doubting mind, did any of this come to pass. I have been a member of this particular sports team throughout my three years at uni; through it I have made great friends and developed a love for a sport! However, it has not always been easy, it has been an environment totally out of my comfort zone, but God has won through.

In my first year I constantly asked myself and God, why I was persevering with it; I found training really hard both physically, but also the socials, the drinking culture and being very much in the minority with my faith. Although the drinking culture was not that great an environment to be in, God totally used it, and the amount of conversations I had with team mates about God, why I was a Christian and what type of church I went to often dominated my nights out in jesters. In second year another Christian joined the team, which has been a great encouragement and started to pray together before training once a week. Having this support was such an answer to prayer, as it can get quite frustrating listening to the same rant about ‘religion’ …over and over again when they are drunk. At the end of my second year I somehow ended up on committee, totally not planned, and God intervened, as it gave me a chance to get to know everyone in the club, especially in the girls’ team.

Third year is where I really began to see God’s fruit. Genuine questions alongside the drunken ones started taking place. It has been so exciting; about 15 of the girls came to the carol service, and we had a girl’s social after where loads of questions were asked. 5 of them have come to different talks in events week, the big issues and the CIS dodge ball comp. From this we started doing a seeker Bible study before training, each week, where there with really good discussion, often going off on massive tangents, but genially surrounding the questions. About 3 weeks ago, I had a dream, which I would say it was a prophetic dream, God has never spoken to me through dreams before, but somehow I woke up and knew that it was God. The dream was that I would have a meal with 8 of the girls and a bible study, and I honestly thought that would never happen, for many reasons: there was only a maximum of 5 that were coming along to the seeker bible studies, exams coming up, I live in a non-Christian house so my house mates would think it was weird, I’m incredibly busy so I don’t have many nights free, and they probably won’t want to come. I was supposed to be away this weekend, but it was cancelled about a week and ½ ago, so I had an evening at a weekend free. Added to this my housemates were all away, so a free house completely – deffo God’s provision. We had a girls social last weekend, and as exams were looming a lot of the girls weren’t there, only 9 girls including: myself and the other Christian girl, the 4 of the girls currently doing the seeker bible studies plus 3 others and so I just asked all who were there if they wanted to come (and texted the fifth girl doing the seeker bible study who was missing). They all said yes, but one – leaving 8 girls coming. I was so excited and nervous that I got a lot of people praying! Without that prayer support I don’t think it would have happened and I want to give all the glory and praise to our heavenly father.

Last night they all came, we had a lovely dinner (everyone brought something) and we read Luke 24: 36-49 (the last seeker bible study) and basically started discussing. I was really worried about the other girls who had not previously been doing the studies, but yet again God blew me away. We chatted about so much from, who Jesus was, what he looked like when he came back, heaven, judgement, sin, suffering, creation, ‘what must I do to be a good person’ – you can’t it’s grace, and so much more! I had already planned to share my testimony and to challenge them a bit, and was worried about the awkwardness of it, however I needn’t of worried at all, as one of the girls asked me directly what difference has this made to my life… seriously I cannot believe how God has moved. I made some cards with the gospel on in 3 statements with a prayer, to take if they wanted at the end as something they can partake in now or later on in life and they all took one! So just continue praying that they come to know the living Christ, as their personal saviour who loves them and would die for them. Please also pray for other Christians to be surrounding them, as I’m graduating so am losing the opportunity to see them on a regular basis. However, I pray that seeds will have been planted, their salvation is not in my hands, it’s in God’s, and only through Jesus can you come to the father.

Already God has started answering my prayers about Christians surrounding them. I went to church this morning, and I gave this testimony (although a lot shorter, I do apologise for length – but it’s just so exciting what God has done and is continuing to do!). After the church service, this girl comes up to me, and said one of her housemates is one of the girls who came last night and who has been doing the seeker bible studies. She said that, that girl came home last night so happy and she herself has started noticing changes in her. So God is at work!

Please be encouraged; if you find yourself in difficult situations, out of your comfort zone – God can use you. Get praying, Get seeking God’s heart for your friends at uni, coz I tell you three years goes fast so quick! Get out there and start telling the gospel – coz let’s face it we are all lost without the grace of God, pray for boldness, pray for opportunities to talk to your housemates, course mates, sports team mates, anyone – just get out there. Let’s as fellow Christians brothers and sisters encourage each other, pray for each other as we make Christ known on the campus and in the lives of the people who we love.

The words of Romans 10 pretty much sum it up

Romans 10:9, 14-15: ‘That if you confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good the good news!’

This is a moment to testify of God’s faithfulness. So that I might give you even more reason to praise Him.

So much has happened since this years Events Week, I have seen God’s grace and mercy pour over this campus.

The journey I have seen my housemate take is spectacular. Over the last year we have had several conversations on faith, sometimes in a debating manner with another housemate. At the beginning of the year she was openly agnostic and perhaps sceptical of some the claims of Jesus. I invited her to come to the Events Week talks, and responded positively, by mid-week we had prayed together that she might better know Jesus as God! It was all weighing very heavy on my heart so I poured prayer into this and asked everyone I could to pray for her, that she would know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, be in a Gospel environment and be in a Christian community. I testify now, that God answered the prayer immediately. By the weekend, she had downloaded the Bible onto her laptop and had read nearly all of the Gospels that weekend, a week later she decided she would go out and buy her own Bible and was reading it every time I had come back from lectures, she had favourite verses, chapters that challenged her, she was showing me articles by Matt Chandler that she struggled with - not that she didn’t understand them but she had a deep conviction in her heart from the Gospel- before Easter I had invited her to come to church with me which in her response sounded like she had been waiting for me to invite her! She really enjoyed it so she told me, one week I asked what she thought of the service, funnily she answered what I was really trying to find out (where are you with Jesus? is He your Lord?) to which she said “I’m nearly there”.

Over Easter she had accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour and this weekend has taken the call to believe and be baptised with Highfield church, getting dunked in the chilly waters of Calshot. So God has answered my prayers in a way that I did not expect, when I asked her to be in a gospel environment she started reading the Gospels. When I asked her to be in a Christian community she began to attend church. When I asked that she might know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He did just that in his own perfect timing.

Give Him endless praise of joy and thanksgiving, for He is good.

At cu on the last week of term, we took the opportunity to thank God for all He’s been doing, and for all He’s going to do. There’s many testimonies! Here’s just the start:

“Been doing seeker Bible studies with 2 people! Both have become Christians!”

“God has made my mom manage to cope with her illness and give her strength” 

“God has answered so much prayer and provided so much! One of my friends text in TAT last week and it was awesome sharing the gospel (and other parts of the Bible) and it was awesomely amazing! I hope he comes closer to knowing God! There is so much joy in his life already!”

“Since exams, my next year at uni has been thrown into chaos. God has been teaching me that no matter how uncertain things seem, he is constant and he has a plan, whether you can see it or not. Trust that even if you don’t know God’s plan for you, HE DOES!”

Let’s pray for all these people and situations. Our God is so faithful.