I grew up in a Catholic home where my father very much loved the Lord and was the motivating factor to get our family to attend church. He died when I was eight years old. After his death, my mother went through a period of time when she was angry at God for taking her husband and leaving her to raise four children. We stopped going to church for a while, but later in high school I began to have a desire to know God. This desire continued through college. Though the desire increased, at that time I had no strength or ability to act upon it.
At the beginning of my senior year I studied in Spain. By that time in my life, I was empty inside and searching for the meaning of life. While touring Europe at the end of my studies, I visited a cathedral where I got down on my knees and prayed to God to show me that He was real. I also told Him that I wanted to know the Bible and desired a church where I could meet with other believers.
A week later I returned to Austin. I was looking forward to seeing my friends. There was one friend in particular because she too had studied abroad. We had dinner one night and talked about Spain. By the end of the evening, I asked her what she had been doing while I was away. She told me how she had received Jesus Christ as her Savior and that she had come to know Him as a real Person. She talked about enjoying Him daily through His living Word. Every word that she spoke touched me. Tears began to well up within me because I realized that she had what I had been desiring. I also marveled at God for answering my prayer and answering it so quickly! I told her that I had recently prayed to know God and to know His Word. At that time she asked me to pray with her so that I too could receive Jesus and begin a lifelong relationship with Him.
It was through this dear sister in the Lord that I came to know Christ and also to know Christians on Campus. What a mercy that if we desire Him, He will come to us and satisfy us with Himself! For He too is a “ Savior God that desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:3-4)
M. S.
— Austin, Texas
