One thing about college ministry on Guam that makes me so excited is the diversity withinour group of students. On any given Tuesday night worship we’ll have up to 8 or 10 different
countries or islands represented. It’s international ministry happening naturally.
One of these students moved to Guam from China around 8 months ago. Traci began coming to our worshipservice to be around English and to get some practice, but soon she began to feel the HolySpirit draw her to community and worship with our other students.
I love getting to take students to lunch or coffee, so I offered to take her to lunch to talk. I had
been praying for her for some time, many of our students had, so I was excited to spend some
one on one time talking about Jesus and faith and what God seemed to be doing in her life.
Almost right away she started the spiritual conversation. She had never been around people
who wanted to learn more about God and he intrigued her. The spiritual part was confusing
to her, but she enjoyed the informational learning. I told her I was so glad she enjoyed it and
of course we loved having her and all those things. I told her I loved learning with everyone
too, but before I could really understand and really grasp this God and Jesus and Church I had
learned so much about I had to answer a very important question. This question is a big one
though, and it was tough to answer, life changing even. So I showed her the passage where
Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” I confessed to her it wasn’t an easy
question no matter how simple it sounded. It’s heavy. It’s honest and vulnerable. And I told
her if God hadn’t put that question on her heart yet that I was praying he would. She nodded
and stayed quiet for an uncomfortably long time. I worried it was too soon or that I had offended
some international rule of eating crepe wraps in peace. So I sat.
She looked across the table and calmly said, “That is a tough question.” I agreed, and probably
grinned like an idiot. I added that it was important not to rush the answer, but to be responsible
and ask God for help. Then not only would she continue to learn about God, but if he brought
her to Jesus being her Lord and God, then she would also get to know him personally. No
longer would she merely know about this Jesus, but she would know him, his very self. She
seemed to think this sounded good and strange, but said she would give it honest thought.
About a week ago the pastor of her church took me to lunch and told me Traci had come to his
office after church and asked for his help to become a Christian. She told him she had come to
realize Jesus wasn’t only good and interesting, but he was savior and God. He said she acted
as if she had come to this realization a while ago and now was more than ready to do whatever
This isn’t an isolated joy on Guam. God is moving across the college campuses giving students
new life. The kingdom of heaven truly is “at hand.”
