Hi guys, I’ve been staying here in Norfolk Virginia in the USA and going to OLD Dominion University which is known as ODU for the past 5 months. I got off the aeroplane after a trip of about 30 hours, was met at the airport by a group of disciples and taken straight to a New Years Eve party. I was immediately aware that I was in another country because I did not know any of the songs that they played.
The Campus ministry here at ODU had about 23 disciples and was divided into 3 bible talks. Before the summer, we met 3 times a week having bible talks on Monday nights in 3 different locations, family nights once a week and devo on Fridays with disciples from all the other universities in here in Hampton Roads.
The great thing about being at ODU was that you would walk around the corner in the “web center” and almost always find disciples studying or eating there. Also, the disciples mostly either live on campus or just a couple of blocks away from uni (an abbreviation which Americans don’t understand so I had to stop using it over here) so it is really easy to put the scripture in Hebrews 3 about encouraging one another daily into practice.
What has been amazing about my stay over here is how easy it has been to feel close to people who I have never met until this year simply because they are disciples. We all love the same bible, pray passionately because we need God and have similar struggles even though we are from different sides of the world. I have been really lucky and felt truly blessed to have the sisters over here care so much about me and really go after looking after my heart and my physical needs. They give me their time, their hearts and many of them serve me by driving me around Norfolk to different church events and to the grocery store.
There is just so much that I am learning over here about reaching out to people and also about helping people deal with their hearts. The Christians here are amazing in the way that they reach out to their families and the kind but firm way they “call me out” (challenge) me to really put my trust in God and his word has been shaking the foundations of my faith and helping me to become stronger in my walk with God.
Basically, I am having a blast over here even with the challenges of feeling like a fish out of water at times. I have been so warmly accepted and have been fortunate enough to able to contribute by being in bible studies, song leading and playing the drums (I still find it funny that they consider that as serving).
What can I say, in the kingdom because of God, I get to life a life of total love and as well as having a LORD who I love who is everywhere, I now have people who are so, so very dear to me on both sides of the planet.