“Starting college fall of 2019 changed my life completely. I was so out of my comfort zone that I distanced myself from everything. Until my brother introduced me to Chi Alpha, a campus ministry. The people are so kind and loving. One person in particular, Sydney Johnson, treated me like she has known me my entire life. I was shy meeting her, but I could instantly feel the love of Christ pouring through her. She became one of my closest friends in the span of one semester. I felt so free just pouring my heart out to her. I never had a friend that would instantly speak truth and life over me in times I didn’t know I needed it. She pushed me just enough to walk a little farther in my journey with Christ and for that I’m so grateful for her. She encouraged me to be the very best version of me with Jesus leading the way. I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for my life. To see the growth that He has blessed me with to pour out onto others someday!”

-Makayla P., ATU

“Growing up, I am thankful to have been raised in church & to have accepted Jesus when I was 8. I believe at the time I pursued him the best I could, but I felt like I was missing something deeper. I would try to live the “Christian” life, but I fell so short. I did all the religious things, but never really knew Jesus. When I came to college, that’s when everything changed for me. I went to a d-group with Chi Alpha and I saw a burning fire for Jesus that I never experienced before. I wanted to know Him. A pivotal moment for me was when a girl prayed for me. She told me things only Jesus knew, and even said, “I pray you have peace with your dad.” At the time I was really struggling with misconceptions of who God was as a Father which stemmed from my earthly father. When I had a taste of who Jesus was so intimately and personally, everything changed. The next year of college, I faced a hard trial. I found out my brother had committed suicide. I was so broken, lost, and empty. But Jesus didn’t leave me there. He turned my mourning into joy when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I felt Him in such a supernatural way, my faith grew stronger in the hardest part of my life. Since then, He has proven Himself as Father, Husband, and Friend to me. Now, as I am being sent out as a nurse from this ministry, I have been led to lead a workplace d-group and bring Jesus into my career to those around me. If He is not in it, it is meaningless. There are sad moments in leaving college, but the joy of the Lord is in it, too, because He never leaves me and is with me always.

-Savannah C., ATU