Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed walking with the Lord. I had another great day on campus talking with students. I encouraged some Christians before class and Jamelle, Theresa and Ymari (E-mari) each prayed with me to receive Christ today after I got out of my class at 3 PM.
Jamelle, an African American with strong dark features, was sitting on the couches just outside the cafeteria. I asked him as I headed in if he wanted to do a student survey for our Bible Study group.  “I’m not a student here,” he replied and I said, “Well would ya like to do one anyway and learn something about God?” He said no. So I headed into the cafeteria and said hi to some peeps I knew but couldn’t find anyone new to talk to. When I came out, I walked by Jamelle again. He was wearing stone washed jeans and a puffy coat with thin horizontal stitching a red t-shirt and had his hair in braids with the ends dyed multiple bright colors. I walked past 10 feet, but I felt like I was supposed to talk to him, so I went back and offered him, “a booklet that would tell you how to get to Heaven.” He said he’d take one and as I handed it to him I began to explain Christianity to him a bit to see if he would listen a little. He kept listening, so I kept talking until I had gone through the Gospel a bit and I asked him what he would say to get into Heaven if God asked him. He said something like he tried to do good things, “though I do some bad”. “So you hope your good things will out-number your bad things?” I asked. “Yeah,” he replied. So I explained more of the Gospel to him. It turned out he lived in Rockford and went to church out there, though he was originally from Chicago. I explained Christ’s imputed righteousness to him and how God could turn bad things into good in his life, that the real answer to the question why he should be let into Heaven is “because Jesus died for me.” I asked him if he wanted to be forgiven and have God live inside him or thought something else. “I’d want to be forgiven,” he replied. So I walked him through the prayer and asked him if he would want to pray to receive Christ quietly in his heart. That if he’d like to, God would hear. ‘Yeah,” he said and took the booklet from me and prayed.  I then explained the Christian life to him a bit more and offered him a book. He did not want one to read but the Bible Promises for You book looked good to him and he took that to have. “Thanks for letting me tell you some stuff. I know you don’t go here and some freak walks up and wants to talk to you about God. I understand how you’d have some reservations.” He shook my hand and I walked down the hall. I had been at school for several hours already, but I had thought I’d do evangelism for an hour after class. I was only about a half hour in, so I headed over to the MAC with no success as the school had emptied out. I passed Jamelle again through the tunnel coming out and he was really friendly, so that was good. He was looking for a friend who was taking “Music arts” classes.  I told him “Well this is the MAC arts building so that’s where he’d be.” I asked him a question about where he was from and said, “God bless ya man.” “Alright, you too.” And we headed in opposite directions like the Ethiopian and Philip.
I felt prompted to go to the PE building and had 20 minutes left on my plan not to run myself into the ground over much. Theresa and Ymari were sitting at the same table two girls had come to Christ at earlier last semester.  They said they’d do a survey with me. I sat beside Theresa and Ymari sat beside her.  They both had their hair up in two buns like mouse ears. Theresa had a longer, slightly squared face and her hair was in a lot of braids which she said took her 2 hours to put up herself. Ymari had straight hair in her buns. She was a bit smaller in stature with a red and white jacket on. Both were cute kids. Theresa answered the question of what she would say to God if she died and He asked her why He should let her into heaven, “I’m saved, baptized.” She said later she went to church and followed God, (she also recited John 3:16 as I read it). Ymari said, “I’ve left a positive mark.” But they both thought they only had a 50/50 chance of going to heaven. “You know you follow but then you stray sometimes,” Theresa said. I let Ymari answer when I asked what the big thing Jesus did that took away their sins and she said “He died on the cross.” I explained how they had to be perfect to go to Heaven (pointing out Theresa had said she wasn’t) so Jesus earned the righteousness of God and died for them. They both were very attentive to the gospel though Theresa looked like she was under conviction a bit. I asked if they would want to be forgiven and they both said yes. I said I know they both knew the story of what Jesus had done but they had to trust in Jesus and not just “leaving a good mark”. I asked Theresa if when she asked for forgiveness if she had been trusting in Jesus or in being a good enough person. At first she said “a little of both” and then got a smirk on her face and I said, “So not really trusting in Jesus at all.” She laughed a half laugh then and said that was right.  So I offered them a prayer they could each pray and got out another booklet offering them to each that they could pray silently to the Lord and be forgiven. And each of them then did. I explained the Christian life was living in the power God gave them and the fruit of the Spirit always asking for God’s help.  I gave them each a Bible study and a copy of the book 20 Things God Can’t Do explaining how anything God asked them to do He gave them the power to do.  I wrote their names in the books and the date and they liked that and told them I would pray for them each night.  They each gave me their e-mail and thanked me and then one of the black guys pulled me aside to chat me up about some girl for a while. I finally left at 5:30, worn out, having talked up several other students with questions as I headed out but I thought, man I have a great job.
 

So thanks for your prayers for the Ministry and evangelism on campus today God truly blessed me and the work.

In Him,

Bob