by Travis Hamm
There is nothing quite like the joy of seeing someone surrender their life to Christ and then grow in this new relationship. Our desire is for such life transformation to take place in every unbelieving student we encounter. We are faithful to sow gospel seeds, but God is the one who produces fruit. With ministering to college students, we often don’t get to see this fruit. We have just a few short years with most students, and many times they graduate and move on without believing the gospel. We pray that God will use others in their lives to water the seeds and lead them to Jesus.
This past week, Britney and I were given the rare treat of learning that such a prayer was answered. Dan was a pharmacy student at UMKC not long ago, and an active participant in Impact who attended weekly Worship Gatherings, men’s groups, and social events. He and I would occasionally meet for coffee and I’d ask questions about his faith. I sensed that he “knew the right answers”, but I wondered if he truly believed what he intellectually knew. Over time, he graduated and we lost contact.
Just a few months ago, I ran into Dan at a going away party for an Impact alum. I learned that Dan had started attending a church that my good friend, Peter, planted.
Last week Britney and I spent an evening with Peter and his wife, catching up on life and praying for each other. Peter shared that just a few days before, Dan shared that he did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. He had grown up in church and knew what his parents believed, but had never come to believe for himself. Peter responded by asking him if that is something that he desires now, and Dan said yes. The two of them then prayed and Dan asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior! Dan was baptized on October 30th!
What a joy to hear this story. It is an encouragement to us to continue sowing gospel seeds even when we don’t get to see the fruit. We never know what God is doing beneath the surface in the hearts of those we minister to. Praise God for His work in Dan’s life!
