This spring break, Cedarville had the incredible opportunity to partner with Cru and its London version, Agapé, to do evangelism on several college campuses in London. The team of 39 students and faculty brought together through Global Outreach headed to London after learning how to use several evangelism tools and tactics. Once in London, we met up with our mission partners from Agapé to do more training and sightseeing and build relationships
It was such a joy to connect with the Agapé team and to be able to step into ministry alongside them for the week. They focus on engaging students in deep spiritual conversations, evangelism outreach, and discipleship. It was such a great opportunity to see the work they are doing and to be a part of it as well.
Throughout the week, we focused on pouring into students and stepping into spiritual conversations across numerous campuses. We divided the team into six different campus teams, and each team went to the same campus for the week. On the campuses, we would pair off and do outreach. We would approach students and introduce ourselves, explain why we were there and who we were partnered with, and ask them if they could take some time to talk with us. Within the conversations, we got to use different tools and tactics to engage in spiritual conversations, focusing on getting to know the student, giving them a positive experience with a believer, and hopefully sharing the Gospel as well.
The Lord was so good and provided the team with a sunny week, which is not common at all in the UK. We learned that getting inside some of the buildings can be difficult, and the beautiful weather meant many more students were outside, which made initiating conversations more natural and frequent.
The Lord worked in so many ways and allowed us to speak with students from 57 different nations, have 312 spiritual conversations, and present the Gospel 178 times. One of the most incredible conversations I got to have was with a student who sat next to me on a park bench while I was praying. I got to share Grace Maxwell’s story with her, and to see the impact it had on her was incredible. Grace, a student at Cedarville, was supposed to travel with this team to London; however, she was involved in the fatal American Airlines plane crash in Washington, D.C. at the end of January, and rather than returning to campus and being with us, she went to be with the Lord. This had been weighing heavily on my heart as well as the hearts of everyone on the team, and the fact that we got to share her story and to see its impact was a gift from the Lord! This student I spoke with had minimal knowledge of Jesus, but the Lord worked mightily in that conversation and knew what she needed to experience to begin thinking about the Gospel.
The Lord is working in the UK, and it was such a joy to work with Agapé for the week. While London is a very spiritually dark place, it is inspiring to see the ways the Lord is working. Hearts are being softened and stirred for the Gospel, students are asking questions, and it is evident that the Lord is using Christians there to be a light.
As a team, we were able to come alongside people of all different beliefs, including some who were receptive to Jesus and others who weren’t. We were able to connect students with Agapé so they could continue to have spiritual conversations, grow in their faith, ask more questions, and, thanks to technology, also be able to continue our new relationships across the pond.
The days were long, and we had countless conversations, some uplifting and some discouraging. Through it all, the team clung to the verses we focused on for the week in our devotional times, 1 Peter 2:9–10: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” At the end of each day, we would gather as a team to debrief, talk through the conversations we had, and then lift up the students we spoke with in prayer.
Some of my favorite moments with the team were our daily devotionals, times of worship together, debriefing after each day, and praying for the conversations the Lord led us to. I’m so thankful for this trip and this team. The Lord knew exactly who needed to be a part of this team, and they have truly become my family. We have continued to feel a burden for the students we interacted with and for evangelism in general, so we have continued to meet weekly to pray especially for the people we talked with as well as our call as Christians to evangelism. We are all so grateful for the Lord’s hand and faithfulness. This trip has put a lot in perspective for me as I consider God’s call on my own life, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go to London for His glory.
Major: Primary Education
Year of Graduation: Class of 2027
Tags: #cedarville, #globaloutreach, #GO, #helpful, #involvement, #missions, #studentlife
Posted in: Global Outreach, Student Life, Testimony