Not Giving Up!

Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up".

Today I am finishing my Fine Arts degree at the U of Hawaii. A year ago when I arrived on the Manoa campus of UH, I found myself asking, "What am I doing here?" Then I heard the voice of the Lord say, "Nate, I've called you to UH". So here I am, called to 20,000 students and faculty. Five other Christian students and I meet regularly to pray for our campus. We haven't seen outward signs of God's kingdom yet, and sometimes I think I should be discouraged, but I'm not. I'm reminded that God is using me and my friends as He sees fit.

Before coming to UH, I was enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California. During that time, I took a short trip to Argentina with my church. There, God gave me an intense faith to see the first Christian art school. I believed with everything in me that the Art Center's 1400 students and faculty could be unified under the Lord Jesus Christ. When I returned I tried to find Christians who shared the same passion, but I couldn't find even one person. Still, I was so sure about the vision God gave me. I continued to pray and to believe it would happen. There were times when I would be walking to class or driving to school where the Holy Spirit's presence would pour over me. He would show me His heart for the school and His desire to see these people worship Him. I knew that God gave me His prayers. But I did not yet tangibly see God moving. After a while, I felt isolated in this call and thus frustrated in thinking that nothing was happening.

After a year and half in Pasadena, God called me out to take part in His work in Hawaii, New Zealand, and Fiji. I joined with Youth With a Mission team called Holo Holo DTS (Discipleship Training School). I remember feeling very discouraged while in Hawaii and asked God, "Why am I here: You gave me all those dreams about the Art Center. And your presence there was so real. But nothing happened that I could see". Sometime later I received an email from a Christian friend at the Art Center. She said, "You have to hear what's going on here, it's nuts! The high official of the Art Center has been fired for stealing funds from the school! But that's not the crazy part. The new guy they hired has a passion to see the Kingdom of God come to the Art Center. "That's why I'm here", he said. Staring at the computer screen, I felt my heart explode with joy. God heard all those prayers. He, indeed, is moving at the Art Center.

Could it be that God's light, ushered in by His people, exposed the darkness? Surely He chose to use me the way He wanted to use me. His ways are different then my ways. We do the little part, and He does the big part. God is huge. He listens. He loves our obedience. Just do what God calls you to do, no more and definitely no less. "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).

By Nate a student at the University of Hawaii,
Manoa campus.