Sometimes, student mission stories land close to home. Ed was my friend across all three years of university. He lived around the corner from me and I probably saw him most days. He lived with two other Christians, and between us, we must have shared the gospel with him close to a hundred times. We invited him to church and he came along occasionally, mostly out of politeness. We prayed for him every day but he wasn’t interested in Jesus in the slightest.
When we graduated, I thought that would be the end of the story for Ed. God knew better however, and last year something changed for him. What changed? He was near prayer. Literally. Geographically. He had several experiences at the weddings of close Christian friends where he stood side by side with people as they prayed over the couples. He didn’t know what was going on and he didn’t pray himself, but he could feel something shifting in his soul as people prayed around him. He could feel their prayers.
He began exploring for himself: going to church, getting himself a bible, coming to small group. It was at small group that someone suggested something he’d never considered before: actually praying himself.
Despite being new to the church, he decided to go to the weekend away a few weeks ago. The speaker talked about how often we say lots of little ‘yeses’ to Jesus, but there comes a time when we want to say a big yes. After years of prayer, months of curiosity and a moment of conviction in a campsite one Saturday afternoon, Ed said his big yes to Jesus that weekend.
God hadn’t given up on Ed’s story, even though I’d thought it was over. Sometimes, student mission stories take place over the course of an hour on campus. Sometimes, they happen over a few months. Sometimes, they happen over six years. I’m sure there are many that happen over far longer periods of time.
Seeds that are sown at university may not sprout in the three years before graduation. But those seeds are never wasted. Faithful witness and persistent prayer are key, but only God knows when he will bring fruit from those seeds. The impact of student mission lasts a lifetime.
