Vida Estudiantil

For all who may not know...a part of what I'm doing here in the DR is getting to work with college students as they reach others for Christ on campus. The way they do this is through sharing about Jesus, service, and weekly gatherings (a.k.a. reuniones) known as Vida Estudiantil.

Want to know the cool thing about this whole fandango that I'm doing this year?
It is almost fully student led. 

That's right. 

Students leading worship, students giving the message, students leading prayer, students leading the game during the gathering (see below), students sharing about Christ, students planning the meetings, students inviting others to the meetings. 

Each day that I am on campus, I am challenged by the love and devotion of the staff and the Vida leaders to Christ. And I think, "so, wait, why has God brought me here, again?"

It reminds me of the Bible Belt and how we are taught that we must always give the right answer over the truthful one in church. How we believe that going to church is the same as trusting in Christ for our salvation. How we think that if I do enough nice things for enough people then, surely, I belong in heaven?

And it's exhausting.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

I was talking with one of the Vida leaders last week, about the church-culture here in the DR, listening to her experience and perspective on talking about Jesus with people. 

"Everyone here, if you ask them if they are a Christian and they know about Jesus on the cross and about God, they say yes," she said. "But then you show them a prayer, and you ask them, have you ever prayed something like this? Trusting Christ in your heart forever? Some say yes, but most say no. And you can see it, the change on their face when they read the prayer...like a light goes on inside."

When I wonder about God's purpose for me here, it's like the way I might wonder about what I will get for Christmas or how I will celebrate my birthday. I imagine and I hope and I wait and I am expectant. Because God doesn't work by chance or tease me, and I know that trusting His plan can never lead me astray. So I will persevere and trust, for as one psalmist says: 

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalm 119:32

xoxo,
kme