Reaching Internationals, Atheists, LGBTQ+, and More at the University!

This is Isabelle, a very sweet student who is a member of the Armenian Apostolic Eastern Orthodox Church, and she was proud to be wearing an Armenian cross. Isabelle understood sin well, but not God's plan for forgiving sin. She thought it was about our works, and not God's grace. I really enjoyed talking with Isabelle. Ironically, in the background is Savannah, a young lady who was trying to get college students to pledge that they will only vote for pro-abortion candidates. I asked Savannah a few easy questions about abortion, and she surprisingly didn't know the answers. She kept saying that it's a woman's right to do whatever she wants with her own body. So I said, 'Is the baby inside her really her body? The baby has her own DNA, her own fingerprints, and half the time has a penis. Does that sound like part of the Mother's body?' Savannah literally thought for a moment and said, 'good point, I hadn't thought of that.' And this is how college kids get indoctrinated. She's out there being an activist for abortion and hasn't even thought through the simplest questions. Colleges often don't encourage thinking, but conforming. This is why the gospel of Jesus must be shared on campus. God renews our hearts and minds.

This is Leo, an International Student from China. His only introduction to Christianity was from the movie 'Hacksaw Ridge.' He knew nothing about the Bible. He knew nothing about Jesus. Chris shared with him the gospel and LEO WANTED A BIBLE! What an amazing honor to be able to give God's Word to someone who has never heard.

This is too TERRIFIC! Earlier in the week, I had a great conversation with Savannah, a student who was doing pro-abortion advocacy. (If you look at the photo above with me and Isabella, you can see Savannah in the photo.) Get this: Savannah stopped at our site on campus and spoke with Ted. That's not a coincidence! This may sound odd, but Savannah is both closed, and open at the same time. There's a hardness to her when she spouts off 'talking points,' but is open when we ask her thought-provoking questions.

I love this! This is Jack, a young lady who identifies as a Transgender Man. I shared Jesus with Jack last year, and ran into her AGAIN on this day! Once again, we had a very civil and respectful conversation about gender, sexuality, and the gospel. I emphasized that all people are stained with sin and all people need the Savior. I wanted Jack to know that Jesus is not 'off the table' for members of the LGBTQ Community. I believe, as with any sin, if someone becomes truly saved, the Holy Spirit will work to rescue them from the sin in His perfect timing. Jack and I showed one another tremendous dignity. Jack's friend, Isabella, showed up and was a little hostile to me, but Jack defended me to her and told her that I was a good guy. I'm a strong believer that being an Evangelist does not let us off the hook from treating people with respect. I certainly hope to run into Jack and Isabella again, but I hope even more that they repent and trust in the Lord Jesus.

This is Emma, a sweet college student who is struggling with same-sex attraction. She spoke with Thad for over 20 minutes. Thad shared a few testimonies of people he knows who struggle with same-sex attraction, but were delivered from that through Christ. But rather than focusing on sexuality, Thad used 'The Good Person Test' to center the conversation on the gospel. Emma wanted Thad to pray for her. Please pray for Emma.

This is D.J. and meeting him was like meeting someone from an unreached people-group. D.J. told me that he had no religious upbringing and has never thought about God. He literally knew nothing about sin, Jesus, the cross, salvation, etc. I took him through the 'Good Person Test' to illustrate what sin is. And I was able to share the cross to illustrate what God did. D.J. was very polite and thanked me. He took a gospel booklet. More and more students are like D.J., blank-slates when it comes to knowing about the Lord.

This is Dom. We've talked to him before. Dom is wrestling with a vital topic: Who is Jesus? Why isn't Jesus the same as Moses or Mohammed? Ted did a great job explaining the exclusivity of Jesus, the deity of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the gospel of Jesus!

This is Dwyer. She's an ex-Catholic and angry with God. She's very sweet and soft-spoken and had A LOT of thoughtful questions about God for Chris to answer. For example, she wanted to know, if God is good, why He doesn't appear to keep us safe? Chris spoke with Dwyer for OVER AN HOUR and answered her questions skillfully and lovingly. He also explained the gospel message with care and concern.

This is Sefton. She identified herself as Pansexual. She was very sweet and very open to the gospel. But she said that she believes Christians to be condemning. John asked her, 'Was I condemning you?' Sefton admitted, 'no.' Please pray that the gospel seed that John planted will be increased by God Himself.

We meet some unusual folks. This gentleman passionately tried to persuade Chris that Jesus never existed. Chris was patient and shared the gospel message. There's hope for everybody!

This is Ian, Jamie, and Devin. They came right up to John (blue shirt, blue hat) and to me to interview us for their Journalism class. They asked great questions about why we come on campus and engage with college students about Jesus. I got to share my testimony and the gospel message with them, and they eagerly wrote down what I said. I told them that I met a person, a real person, Jesus the Son of God. And He not only forgave me of all my sins, but adopted me into His family. And He changed me. Christianity is about the true Jesus. They took a gospel booklet and one of our 'Will You Go To Heaven' tests. Jamie emailed me back a few times asking clarifying questions. Then she emailed me her final assignment and I was so happy to see that she accurately explained the gospel as I shared it with her. Praise God!

Eric opening God's Word with Dillon.

These three ladies, and young man, stopped to try to solve a brain-teaser puzzle. They all got it wrong, and when I showed them the solution, they laughed because it's really very simple. I told them it's okay to get a puzzle wrong, but you don't want to be wrong about who God is, what He expects of us, and how He forgives us. I encouraged them to find the answers in God's Word and they each took gospel booklets. Praise God!

This is Isabelle, and I posted about her in a previous photo. She's a member of the Armenian Apostolic Eastern Orthodox Church. She and I had a tremendous talk about the gospel a few weeks before. Well, she bumped into us again and this time spoke with Chris. Just like last time, Isabelle understood sin and the holiness of God, but completely didn't understand the gospel of grace. She believes you have to earn God's forgiveness through religious works. Chris explained the gospel to her again, that we can't possibly be good enough. Only Jesus' work on the cross can save us. Please pray that Isabelle gains a revelation of the grace of God and cries out to Jesus. She's a very sweet young lady and I hope we'll run into her again and hear of what God does in her life!

This is Christian, who came right up to my team because he was intrigued by our banner. Christian knew about sin, a bit about Jesus, but didn't know the gospel. He didn't know about grace. After going through 'The Good Person Test,' Christian said that he really liked grace when I explained it. He gratefully took info on a good Church to attend and which Christian Student Organizations to go to. Please pray for this young man.

This is a special photo taken on a special day. This was September 25, my 25th Birthday since becoming Born Again. On my 25th Birthday I got to evangelize on the campus where I got saved! So cool! I couldn't help but visit the exact spot where Jesus rescued me. Right here, outside my dorm, I setup a chair on that grassy patch, and read the Gospel of John. When I got to the 11th chapter, I read this: 'Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'' (John 11:25-26). The words 'Do you believe this?' captured me. It was as if Jesus were saying, 'Mark, do YOU believe this?' And I did. 25 years ago. Right on this patch of grass in Durham, NH. Hallelujah!

This is Josh. He saw our 'Will You Go To Heaven?' sign and came right up to Ted and asked bluntly, 'How do I go to Heaven?' Josh and Ted spoke for a long time, including taking 'The Good Person Test.' Josh made a commitment right there to follow Jesus! He immediately wanted info on Christian Student Organizations on campus and we gave that to him. And get this, Josh is from my hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts. Small world. Awesome God! Hallelujah!

This is Tyler. He shared his personal story with Chris. Alcohol and drugs lead Tyler to homosexuality. But now that he is clean of drugs and alcohol, he thinks he's good enough to be accepted by God. Sadly, Tyler is currently fully embracing the homosexual lifestyle. He asked a lot of good questions.

There were a bunch of these posters up. This is an example of what is competing for the minds of our kids.

This is A.J. (all the way in the left.) He's a high-schooler, but he and his teacher came out to the University. Look at him handing out gospel booklets like a champion to students four years older than him! A.J. was particularly excited that he got into a witnessing conversation with an Air Force ROTC Cadet. Praise God! Please pray for the many gospel seeds planted, and that more Christians, young and old, will reach out to the Lost in love for Christ.

This is Mike. Mike told Chris that you need to be good to get to Heaven. Chris took Mike through 'The Good Person Test' to illustrate that none of us are good enough to earn God's favor. Mike said, 'So that's why Jesus died?' It's awesome when you see someone begin to 'get it.' Chris and Mike had a great conversation and Mike left with an evangelistic DVD that he promised to watch. Praise God!

This is Alexandra. She is Romanian Orthodox, but doesn't know what is true. She believes in a mish-mosh of what seems right to her. She spoke with Ted for a long time. Ted got to share his testimony of how he came to know Jesus. He also took her through 'The Good Person Test.' Get this: Alexandra told Ted that she stopped to talk to him because her friends had recently talked with us and they told her to 'stop by and talk to the guys with the Heaven sign.' Isn't that cool!? Praise God!

This is Molly. She came right up to our 'Will You Go To Heaven? Take Our Quick Test To Find Out' sign and asked about the test. So I took her through the test, asking if she's broken any of God's commandments. She had. She asked me, 'So am I going to Heaven?' She was so sweet. But she thought her Roman Catholic religious rituals would cover her sins. I explained that Jesus said that we must be Born Again (John 3). Our religious rituals and being nice won't get us there. We need Christ to be our substitute by being Born Again. Molly was very receptive, but had never heard that salvation is by grace through faith. What a great conversation. Praise God!

This is Chris, a History major and a very nice young man. Chris had a lot of problems with what Emperor Constantine did in the name of Christianity back in the 4th Century AD. I agreed with him, and expressed my doubt that Constantine was ever a true Born Again believer. I explained to Chris that we are called to follow Jesus, not Constantine, not Peter, not a Counsel, not anybody but Jesus Himself. Chris was late for a class, so I left him with the exhortation to get to know Jesus by studying the Scriptures. It's all about Jesus. He thanked me and ran off to his class (with a gospel booklet.) I pray that God will bring about fruit in Chris' heart.

This is Vashti, a Lesbian who was on campus trying to get students to vote to protect Transgender rights. I approached Vashti and struck up a conversation. I listened to her tell me her theories about gender and sex and identity. She told me that's she's 'a woman of faith' and attends a Gay-affirming church. Then she politely listened to me talk about Jesus and our need for Him. I explained that God, as the Creator of gender and sex, has the authority to decide which boundaries are appropriate, and God revealed that it's only through a marriage between a man and a woman that God allows sexual relations. We're not in charge - God is. Despite our difference of opinion, Vashti and I had a very civil conversation, and she gladly took one of our gospel booklets. This I know for sure: the gospel is the power of God to save anybody, no matter what sin they're into. Your prayers for Vashti are much appreciated!

This is Kevin, and he was really quick to tell me that he's a Physics Major. Kevin doesn't believe in justice. He's fine with letting a criminal go. I told him that I was skeptical that he really believes that. If someone hurt one of his loved ones, he'd care about justice. And since God is good, God cares about justice even more than we do. We had some intellectual banter, going back and forth on who God is, how we can believe in Heaven if we don't know exactly where it is, etc. I answered Kevin's objections, but concluded that the only way we could know anything for certain is if God reveals Himself to us. No surprise, but Kevin disagreed. (Of course). I explained that we all make mistakes about easy things, so we're going to make mistakes about eternal things if we follow our own understanding. I had him read simple sentences from a brain teaser that are designed to trick your brain into reading them wrong. When Kevin realized he was reading them wrong and made a mistake, he smiled and understood my point. I told him God needs to reveal himself in order for us to know anything. Our understanding is unreliable. We make mistakes. God has revealed Himself through the Scriptures and through Jesus Christ! Please pray for Kevin because he was very arrogant in his intellectualism. But if God could save me, He can save Kevin or anybody else!

This was Halloween Day. You never know who you will run into on campus. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

This is a poster to an actual class being offered. 'Cisnormative' means that you identify as the gender that you're born with. This is what needs to be 'smashed?' Please pray for thee kids. They're being fed so much mental garbage! They need the gospel of Jesus Christ, not this horrible trash.

This is Adam, an International Student from China. Adam was wearing a cross earring, but he didn't know what the significance of the cross was. He thought it was just decorative. Adam admitted that he doesn't know anything about religion, but worse, he doesn't think about it. Chris brought him through 'The Good Person Test' and had a great discussion. At the end of the conversation, Adam admitted that he has a Christian friend who has been sharing with him! Praise God! Adam took a gospel booklet and an evangelistic DVD.

This 'Halloween-themed' painting was very effective when we were on campus on October 31!

Ted was saved by reading his roommate's New Testament many years ago. As a result, Ted loves giving the Word of God out to everyone he can, like this young lady. Please pray with us that those who receive copies of the Bible will study it, consider it, and the Holy Spirit will use it to bring them to Jesus.

Something so cool happened! It's not uncommon for Jewish students to walk past me on campus and just say, 'I'm Jewish' and keep on walking (quickly). They obviously don't want to chat, and it's hard to say anything without being rude to a person's back walking away. But I had BRAND NEW tracts with my personal testimony fresh from the printer. And these are smaller so I can hold them in my hand in case I get another 'walk-by' Jewish student. Well, get this! The other day, when I got on campus, THE VERY FIRST PERSON to walk past me was a Jewish student and he gave me the 'I'm Jewish' response and kept walking. But I was ready! So I asked, 'Can I ask you, why does being Jewish change whether or not my sign applies to you?' I have a sign that says, 'Will you go to Heaven? Take our quick test to find out!' So he said, 'Well, Jewish people don't believe in Heaven, so your sign doesn't apply.' I was thinking, 'Of course Jewish people SHOULD believe in Heaven and Hell. There are a TON of Old Testament Scriptures about them.' But I knew I only had a few moments before he left because his body language was telling me he wanted to split. So I said simply, 'Would it surprise you to learn that I'm Jewish? Both my parents are Jewish. I went to Hebrew School. When I was a college student, I got so fed up with Christians that I tried to disprove the Bible, but through my research I became convinced that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.' He said, 'Really?' 'Absolutely,' I said. And I handed him my brand new hand-fitting smaller tract and said, 'I wrote this, and it's my journey with God. Would you check it out?' And just like that he took it, thanked me, and walked off. And he even came back later to APOLOGIZE to me because he told me he didn't believe in Heaven and he was afraid he might have been rude to me. The very first person who walked by! God is so good! I'm hoping for many many more Divine Appointments with Jewish people. Well, 4 thousand, 9 hundred, and 99 more, because that's how many tracts I have left.

Think evangelism isn't tiring work? I caught Chris laying down on the job! LOL