Standing for Christ as the only Christian in my College
Hello, everyone! I’m from sunny North East Wales, near Llangollen and I am studying Countryside Management at an agricultural college nearby. I love wildlife, and over lockdown I brushed up on my gardening skills and plants have now become a bit of an obsession of mine! I started college in September 2019. We learnt how to drive tractors, conduct wildlife surveys and went on trips to woodlands. Every day was different! It was awesome! Now I am half way through my second year. They trust us with larger tractors, chainsaws and woodchippers! I love my course!
I grew up in a Christian home and have always attended Church with my family. I thought that believing in God and listening to Bible stories was enough to get me to heaven, but when I was about 10 years old my Nana challenged me and told me that I must ask God to come into my Heart and forgive me for my sins. I remember praying “Dear God, please come into my Heart, Amen”. It sounds simple and I was always needing assurance after this because I was worried that maybe I didn’t mean it or understand it enough, or say the right words in my prayer. But God wants us to have a simple faith and when I doubted, I really did believe that Jesus God’s Son died for my sins on the cross and rose from the dead. As long as I truly believed this in my Heart, then I was saved. Every time I doubted, God reminded me of this. When I was 15 years old, I went on my first United Beach Mission, and I loved every second of it and that basically got me hooked on them for life. Sharing the Gospel at the beach, what could be better?
One of the most difficult things about starting college is that the ethos is very different to school. Students are not told off for using bad language and they often discuss sinful things that God doesn’t like. Being suddenly exposed to such behaviour and language was difficult at first, so with me being a Christian, people could be a bit wary that I was there to ruin their fun. Some people in college had had very bad previous experiences of “Christianity”.
Soon, though, people noticed that the message I had to give them was one of peace and love, not like their previous experiences. The college almost encourages things which are sinful and a Christian’s moral values aren’t always respected in these decisions. I sometimes feel expected to agree with everyone else’s opinion.
I am the only Christian on my campus but the chaplain put me in contact with students from other campuses. We formed a CU in Whatsapp (probably the first time you’ve ever heard of that happening!) and we began to occasionally video call as a group, getting to know one another better. We could pray together, share prayer requests and have fellowship, knowing that even though we are scattered, we are united in Christ.
It is sometimes difficult being the only Christian on campus due to the fact that I feel like I’m the only one there who loves God. Even my friends are opposed to God which makes me feel sad as I would love them all to come and know the Lord. I only occasionally receive hostility from my peers, as people do tend to respect one another’s opinions and views, but not always.
If there is one thing that keeps me going in my faith it has to be knowing that God is always there for me. It can sometimes feel lonely, being the only Christian at my campus. So I often go and find somewhere to pray alone. It's a rather empty campus, and it's in the middle of the Welsh countryside, so it's not difficult to get some alone time with God! I know that God is with me wherever I go. Even in the locker room or the tractor shed, I know that God will hear my prayers!
So, this year I decided to go nuts and really make sure that I had planted seeds in people’s lives! I started randomly placing Christian literature wherever I went! I got in touch with the chaplain and asked for pocket-sized Gospels and other Christian literature. She gave me plenty so that my bag is almost too heavy to lift!
Needing to lose some weight, I left one in the common room. One of my friends started to read it. He started asking questions too but after mocking it a bit he left it there. Eventually somebody took that one home and another one has also gone from the common room. I thought it would also be funny and worthwhile putting one on a tractor seat- why not? I also left “An Introduction to Jesus” on the stairway bannister,.. I gave “Beyond Beans On Toast” to a friend of mine as he is off to university in September. I also regularly talk to my friends about my faith as they seem to be interested in it. They are deep thinkers too.
Please pray that I will not doubt anymore as it gets to me sometimes and can slow me down spiritually. And please pray that even the smallest seeds that I have sown in the lives of those who are leaving or who have just left will grow and that they will all come to know the Lord as their Saviour! And that I will get many more opportunities with my friends in the future.
Ben
I’m from sunny North East Wales, near Llangollen and I am studying Countryside Management at an agricultural college nearby. I love wildlife, and over lockdown I brushed up on my gardening skills and plants have now become a bit of an obsession of mine!