Thank you for your prayers this past week while our entire OCCA crew was in Cardiff, Wales. The mission was notably fruitful- dozens of students made decisions to follow Christ, and many more renewed their commitment to Him, received prayer, got connected to Christian fellowship, took Uncover edition gospels and agreed to do the Uncover series with a Christian friend, etc. It was a great joy to hear from the Christian unions members how they felt the support of OCCA lent them boldness - just feeling like they had assistance if they were asked questions or presented arguments they felt unable to engage. They started out with hesitations, but as the Holy Spirit encouraged them and gave them boldness (letting us participate in those ministries of His) we saw them begin to reach out to their classmates with confident expectation.
A lunch time talk on Desire and Satisfaction at my campus that ended up with standing room only!
Our token insignia for OCCA mission weeks- glittering red question marks!
All day, all week, testimonies and prayer requests flowed in through a chat loop we were all linked into for the duration of the mission- it was great for linking our small teams across the city, allowing us to see the big picture. On the other hand, I found the flow of testimonies could equally impact me for encouragement or discouragement, depending on my posture. If I had my eyes on the Lord, it bolstered my faith that God was at work among us as a whole and that I should press on in faith; when I was distracted and had my eyes on myself, the reports would occasion comparison, insecurity, and a feeling of being disconnected. I understand social media tends to function that way for many people, but had never really experienced it as I am not on the social media grid. The challenges of that impacted me and I am grateful for the learning experience which I know God will use to help me to better relate to people He brings across my path in the future.
Highfields church- decked out in lights, couches, and deafeningly loud with the multitude of conversations- by the end of the week, most of us had at least partially lost our voices, some completely!
Every night we piled into Highfields church with hundreds of students from around the city, many setting foot in a church for the first time. They came at our invitation (or that of a friend) for live music, treats, fellowship, a succinct talk on big life questions or objections to Christian faith, and an open Q & A session. The pews were cleared out (besides the old wooden ones which steeply stacked up the back and sides of the room, stadium style) and the space crammed with couches and clusters of tables and chairs; the room was packed to the rafters with students night after night. I loved hearing the discussions, as Christian students had the opportunity to interact with their friends on subjects they would struggle to raise in daily conversation. All week, we really encouraged Christians and non believers alike to talk about what was truly important to them, ask their real questions, and honestly engage these life impacting topics. I loved how the students responded to our speakers just going for it and not skirting controversial social topics, but opening them up and speaking into them boldly. It was a refreshing experience which transformed many young men and women's view of Christ and those that follow Him.
Your prayers were appreciated as we loved Cardiff's students in Jesus name. I wish I had room to tell of the significant conversations I engaged in, but this overview is long enough already. I definitely experienced challenges but felt the strong undergirding of the Spirit of God all throughout, (in grace, encouragement, focus, and being physically sustained) so thank you again for partnering in prayer with me!
