evalina.williamson@cco.ca
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I grew up in a Catholic family that was involved in our parish, so it made sense to me to continue practicing when I went away to university. However, I didn’t understand my faith and lacked a personal prayer life. Because of this, I started to get more deeply involved in the party culture on campus. I was living a “double life”: going to Church on Sundays, and then, for the rest of the week, turning to drinking, partying, unhealthy relationships and popularity to make me feel fulfilled and loved.
After one particularly bad night, I realized I had become someone that I never wanted to be. More importantly, I was no longer the person I knew God had created me to be and I was keeping many aspects of my life away from Him. By this time, I had developed a strong relationship with a CCO missionary, and through her influence I decided to go to confession. As I said my sins to the priest, I surrendered those parts of my life to Jesus, who had already given His life in order to redeem me from my brokenness and restore my relationship with Him.
After that confession, everything changed because I could finally experience the love that Jesus had for me the whole time; and I have fallen in love in return. Everything is filled with the purpose and fulfillment of knowing Christ and sharing Him with others. I believe that no matter how many times I fall short of my commitment to a Christ-centred life, His grace is enough to get me there. It is because of the conviction and joy that God brings me that I have said “yes!” to His call in my life to be a full-time missionary so that students may also encounter Jesus and experience the transformation that He brings.
As a campus missionary, I will be able to accompany students in the same way that I was accompanied; by proposing the Gospel to them, journeying with them in faith, and equipping them to go out and share it with the people in their lives. Nothing gives me as much joy as seeing someone come alive in their understanding of the clear and simple proclamation of what Jesus has done for them in His death and resurrection. I can’t wait to see students grow in their faith to the point where they can share it with others and lead others to do the same.
ONGOING PRAYER REQUESTS
Please pray for the students at Trent University, that the Lord would give them an open heart to receive His love through our words and actions. I also ask that you would pray for me to persevere in this ministry in courage and humility.
