by Rose, YWAM Madison staff
Rose works among international students on the UW-Madison campus. One of the Bible studies she leads is about “Bible basics,” and is for people who want to learn more about the Bible and about the role of Christianity in American culture.
During the UW-Madison spring break, I helped take a team of Chinese and American college students to New Orleans. We worked with a group called Samaritan’s Purse to help with the continued restoration of the city after Hurricane Katrina.
We couldn’t have asked for better weather for all the work we were doing outside. The Chinese students and the American worked whole-heartedly, learning how to put up vinyl siding, and helping wherever they were needed. Some other volunteers joined our work crew, too. John, a fifty-year old retired fireman from New York, told me he couldn’t believe how hard the girls on our team worked. Quite a compliment!
While the purpose of the trip was to help the people of New Orleans, I found that my own ministry during that week was more for the students on the team than the construction work! On our way to New Orleans, we attended a church in St. Louis. This was the first time one of our students had been in a church. After the service, he and I had many conversations about God. I had several discussions with the other students about God as well. Later, I heard one of the students repeating the things he had learned during our conversation to others.
I could tell from the questions the students asked me that they felt something like awe or wonder about God and relationship with Him. Several of the students have talked about joining a Bible study now that we’re all back in Madison.
What an exciting trip of discipling the nations!