Hey guys! Thought I would catch anyone who is reading up on what has been going on this Spring Semester!
Just one story from my Bible Study can really show how God has been at work on ECU's campus, CRU and my personal life!
(names will be changed)
A couple weeks into Spring bible study a got an email from
a freshman that said her and a couple of her friends were interested in coming
to the study. They had seen the flyers in their dorm. I gave her the
information and told them I was looking forward to meeting them the next week.
That following Monday I met the three girls as soon as I walked
into the room for Bible Study.
That following week me and my co-leader got lunch with them
separately to get to know them better. During lunch with Jenny I tried to get
to know her by asking her questions and telling her about my life. I slowly
shared how I came to know the Lord and asked if she had ever done that before.
She was unsure what I was talking about. I turned the conversation back to more
general things such as classes and schoolwork. I eventually just boldly asked
what she believed in, hoping for a spiritual response. She looked at me with a
blank stare so I elaborated a little more. I think I said, “Like, would you say
you’re a believer and if so why would you say that?” I again got nothing but a
chuckle. I quickly told her it’s fine if she does not believe anything, I would
love to share with her what I believed. I tried my best to share the Gospel and
how Jesus is in my life personally without a track or anything in my hands. I
think of this as getting her feet wet in the Gospel because it was probably
hard to grasp with just me talking even though I know God was at work even
before then. My Gospel presentation was not well done at all so I am glad to
know that the Lord does all the work! We
ended our conversation with her telling me that she had never heard
“Christianity” in that way before.
Jenny along with the other two freshman girls continued to
come to our Bible Study as we went through Ruth and talked about how Boaz is a
beautiful image of what a Godly man looks like. I met with Jenny that next
week over lunch with a good friend of mine, Amanda. I told Amanda that I
planned on going through the KGP (Knowing God Personally) booklet with her for
a better presentation of the Gospel. Amanda was happy to join in the conversation.
After us all three caught up with each other and chatted for a while we moved
into the KGP with hope to ask Jenny some questions. While going through the
Gospel, having Amanda by my side was defiantly God planned. She easily asked
Jenny questions that I didn't think of. I felt as if with three of us there it
made the ‘meeting’ more of a girl-to-girl conversation. As we got to the end of the KGP and
asked if everything was easy or hard to understand, she said that it was
different but she defiantly understood. I then told her that if she ever comes
to a point where she would like to accept Christ Personally then I would love
to know when she does it. She quickly asked, “does what?” Through chuckles I
repeated how we have to personally asked Christ into our lives and admit that
we need a Savior. During this time Amanda was looking up Romans 10:9-10, “If
you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you
believe…” This verse was perfect to leave with her as we had to end the
conversation for classes.
That next night I received a text that said she has just accepted Christ into her life. I read this as I was so amazed how
quickly (our time) God was working in her life.
I met with Jenny the next week after bible study and we
talked about her time with God that night. We looked at some scripture about
what the Word tells us about what it means to be a believer: adopted, loved,
cleansed, forgiven, and how she can now have Eternal Joy. This was all very
exciting to her as she dug into the Word with me. That next Sunday she joined
me and others at church where she took communion for the first time as a
Believer of Jesus. After church she was happy to tell me that she went with her
mom to go buy a bible to start reading. She even showed me the verses we had
read together and how she had already highlighted them! So exciting to see her already have a desire for the Word~
Jenny along with the other freshman have continued to come to bible study and meet with older girls for spiritual conversations although being
open and talkative with others is difficult for a couple of them. Please pray that these girls will open up their hearts (and mouths) to be able to experience the beauty of a community of girls who have the same heart for Jesus. Let them personally grow from humility vulnerability, openness and being able to have truth spoken into them through the conviction of the Word.
I know that God is going
to do so many amazing things in her heart and through her walk with him.
Please continue to pray for me as I prepare to leave for Clearwater, FL on May 12th for STUDENT-STAFF SUMMER PROJECT !! Please contact me for more questions, support info or just to chat!!
Thank you so much for reading!!!
cassidyd11@students.ecu.edu
NEW NUMBER: 910-540-5789
In love, Danielle Cassidy
