Young People's Ministries | The United Methodist Church

"Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" (Psalm139:7; NRSV)

Finally, the day has come. You are leaving home for campus life! Your bags, suitcases, boxes and other types of containers are packed and you are ready for the adventure. You are finally leaving home and anxious to be on your own. You feel grown up, independent and accomplished. Freedom is all around you and you are saying, "No more curfews."

Upon arrival on campus and after saying "Good bye" to those who accompanied you, what is going on in your mind? For some, this may be a sad moment because things are unfamiliar. For others, it may be a time to scream "Hurray!" because of the apparent freedom that a new place offers. There may be those who feel anxious, uneasy and worried because the new situation is overwhelming. Others might even sink into depression.

Whatever emotion you find yourself experiencing, do not forget one important factor. God is right there to provide comfort and direction. Many people equate growing up with being free from God. This is very far from the truth. Entering college/university is a freeing experience. And, it is also a time of vulnerability. Studies show that the first and second years of college can be very difficult – especially when you try to manage all of this change and transition by yourself.

Remember, growing up does not mean growing out of a relationship with God, it means growing into a relationship with God more deeply. College is a time to cling to God and to God’s promise of Presence with us. We can never be too old for God’s care!

Prayer

Loving and Faithful God:
Thank you for your constant love and care. Let me never forget to call on you always. Amen.

By Dr. Akiiki Kabagarama, campus minister at Wichita State University in Kansas

Ask, Seek and Knock
By Cletus David

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

…For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence, he will cover you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge (Psalm 91: 3-4a)

In June 1999, I was selected by the UMC Nigeria Conference with four others to attend a Missioner of Hope Training Program in Kitwe, Zambia. We were all excited for such an opportunity to serve.

Soon we started making our travel arrangements and getting our passports, which took some weeks. After having received the passports, we were waiting for the flight tickets which we were told were going to come from the U.S. At last, four days before our departure, the tickets came through DHL! The day we received the tickets, though, we were still in the village and we needed to be in Lagos for the flight. Finally, we decided that we should hire a car that would drive us about 7 hours to Jos, a larger city, so that from there we could take an internal flight to Lagos.

We started the drive at 7 pm on the Thursday before our Sunday flights. Considering the danger of night travels, the four of us came together and prayed, surrendering the journey to God. A husband of one of the women, who was traveling with us a short distance to bid his wife farewell, was with us. He rode with us about 15 kilometers to the junction where he would get out to go back home. As the husband prepared to get out, he said to us, "I want us to pray again. This time, I want your driver to remain in the car right on his seat." (The first time we prayed the driver stayed outside because he was a Muslim. This second time, he remained in the car and we prayed asking God to protect all of us, including the driver and guide our journey.)

Soon after, we starting driving again, it started raining and it rained for the next four hours. As we left the town of Gombe, it stopped raining. We paused and thanked God for leading us safely through the rain and mud all that way.

Little did we know that in just about 45 minutes we would face a much larger problem. As we negotiated a bend in the road, lo and behold, armed robbers had blocked the roads with very big stones and were hiding near the road. They were prepared to surface after their prey had tumbled with their car. Our driver, with some speed, hit the stones. And, as if the whole car were lifted up and over the pile of rocks, our car landed safely on the other side. Our driver steadily accelerated. Then, the robbers who had been asleep a few meters from the stones, appeared with hoes and sticks shouting, "Stop! Stop!" They ran towards us, but never caught up to us. And, we never stopped!

God led us to Jos, a town in Nigeria, safely. The next day we got to Lagos and were able to make it to Kitwe, Zambia unhurt! Praise God! He protected us.

Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus that you never sleep nor slumber but keep watch over your children day and night.

Thought for the week: When we commit our plans to God He leads the way with great safety.

Prayer focus: Travelers

By Cletus David, theology student at Africa University in Zimbabwe