prayer snippets
Students in Belfast, Ireland, prepare for gospel project.
Matthew Kelso, an English student at Queen’s University, wrote to tell us about ‘a Belfast-wide project, which all the Christian Unions are coming together for, called Uncover: Belfast.
‘Basically, it is a summer-wide study of Luke's gospel, with a website where people can record their thoughts, share their ideas, and use the gospel to creatively engage with God and those around them.
‘We're doing this to equip us for the Uncover Gospel Project next year; if we've got to grips with the big questions and truths at the heart of Luke, then we'll be equipped to share that with, and answer the questions of our friends!
Check us out at www.uncoverbelfast.com, or follow us on twitter (@uncoverbelfast / #uncoverbelfast).’
Eurasian student recommits his life to God.
At a recent conference in Eurasia, students gathered to study the book of Daniel and discuss topics such as how not to compromise with sin, how to worship God in difficult circumstances, and how to grow in faith and maturity. A staffworker who attended the conference told us: ‘God was present at the conference; His Spirit was changing the hearts and minds of students and staff workers.’
Here is the testimony of one student participant: ‘I found out about this conference totally by accident. I did not plan to attend it. But, when someone invited me to come I thought ‘Well, it's OK if I go’. But, at this conference God simply shook me.
‘I became a Christian half a year ago, and I thought that basically I now fit in His family and I am quite a good person. But after studying Daniel 9 using the manuscript Bible study method - where Daniel grieves and asks for forgiveness in ashes for his nation - I understood that it wasn't enough just to be one of the Israelites to receive forgiveness. And, for me it wasn't enough just to hang around the believers. I needed forgiveness. So, that day I asked God for forgiveness. I repented. Praise the Lord!’
Leadership training in the midst of transition in Ecuador.
Pray for an advisory team in Ecuador who will be interviewing candidates for the position of CECE General Secretary through May and June.
These months also mark a period of fundraising activities to enable 20 students from Ecuador to participate in the Andean sub-regional conference to be held in Peru in July.
Holger Donaula, a CECE staffworker, writes: ‘The event will gather IFES movements of the Andean region (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia). It’s a training event for student leaders so that they can have the basic theological, practical and contemporary elements to help defend their faith within the universities; of course it will also be a space to share experiences of what each country is doing in their universities and share about their own culture. The theme of the conference is ’how to respond to the challenges of being a Christian at university in times of uncertainty‘. The speaker will be the IFES Secretary for Dialogue and Social Engagement, Vinoth Ramachandra. We thank God for being able hold this event for the first time in 12 years.’
Student killed in bus accident on way to mission trip.
We recently received this tragic news from FOCUS Kenya:
‘Christian Union members of the Parklands Campus of University of Nairobi, Kenya, on their way for a weeklong mission in Marsabit, were involved in a fatal accident a few kilometres past Nanyuki town. On the fateful morning of 24 March, the students left their campus upbeat to go and spread the good news. In the accident, Rachael Wanjiru, a second year student, went to be with the Lord while several others also sustained injuries.
‘Those who got injuries have now fully recovered. We stand with the families and friends of the affected students through prayer, moral support and professional counselling.
‘We ask you to also pray for the many evangelistic events and missions students are involved in.’
Pray for students around the world as they travel to training events like this; safety in travel is not something we take for granted.
