Seeing (Fall Conference)

This past weekend was our annual fall conference. IV owns a camp out on Catalina Island called Campus By the Sea (CBS). It is an amazing place where I have experienced God so many times, including this weekend.

CSULB InterVarsity, being in only its 3rd year on campus, had SEVENTEEN students attend! (Last year, 5 came... and it was an awkward group of 5 and a rough conference in general.) Of the 17, FOUR were non-Christians! I shall revisit this number momentarily.

Logistics for getting to fall con were stressful: some students went to the wrong dock, and some were running really late, and someone locked their keys in the car. However, God is good, and He got everyone to the dock before the boat left! Praise Him! (we weren't even the last school to have everyone arrive). In the end it all worked out, but it left me feeling a bit frazzled. That ended once on the boat (I love the trip over the ocean!) and hanging out with students, especially the MILLIONS of pictures taken. I swear, check out facebook and you'll see more pictures of me at Catalina from this one weekend than all my 4 years combined! Hah.

Anywho, one student got sea sick pretty bad, but I prayed for her that she wouldn't throw up and stood with her outside. She did NOT throw up, and even just getting back on land she felt better really quickly (which is unusual for her). Praise God!

Friday Night Erna introduced herself and everyone loved her personality, but more importantly, everyone heard more about the Kingdom of God and seemed to be excited to hear more on Saturday.

Saturday morning was a deep session. One of our non-Christian students broke down crying, and I felt God say "let her sit in this, then comfort her, then let her sit in this with Me." So I did... but when I saw her crying, and talked to her, I felt God's presence and Spirit with her, as if waiting all around her to be let in. It was so powerful I cried with her and told her what she was feeling was from God. I also talked with a non-CSULB student who was going through a lot of family stuff. God gave me a Psalm to share with her. (Later in the weekend, she hugged me and told me the Psalm blessed her, and she was very grateful and hoped to see me again. It is so crazy how God does that!!)

My small group at Catalina was half of the CSULB students, and people shared really vulnerably. I shared some about my family/relationship with my dad, and then about five other students shared about crazy family situations. It was a great time of openness and beginning to see how God has authority over everything-even our crazy family stuff.

Sat. afternoon was a lot of FUN! I snorkled, sat in the sun chattin with a non-Christian student, hiked to the cross for an INSANE photoshoot, and played volleyball (we WON 26-24! So fun! I think I dove too much... my right knee is swollen... uh oh).

Sat. night was THE BEST. It began with God calling me to go outside and walk around the building praying. Check. To get on my knees, and cry out for MY/HIS people. Check. To go prostrate myself before the LORD. (I asked if it could be inside instead of on the dirt around camp. God said that was ok.) Check. And then, the Holy Spirit filled me and I prayed and interceded as I never could alone. It was AMAZING...and draining, and AWESOME! So I cleaned up my gross crying-face and went back inside to worship and listen to Erna give an epic sermon on sitting at Jesus' table, on His authoirty and compassion, and on making decisions for the Kingdom of God rather than the Kingdom of the World. EPIC.

And, at the end of the night...

CSULB had TWO NEW CHRISTIANS!!!!! And so did OTHER campuses!!!! GOD IS SO GOOD!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!

One of my students actually stood up to the challenge to be more MISSIONAL on campus before the call to become a Christian (because it was the last call given). I looked at her thinking "she isn't a Christian...how is she going to be missional???" and God said "Oh, Bri...WAIT for it!" and when she stood for the call, I was crying yet again. It was awesome! And she shared the next morning how she wants to bring Jesus to her Sorority sisters! How she wants to be a LIGHT at CSULB! PRAISE GOD! The other student had been in my SG, and I know God has some GOOD healing for her in her family. She is also PUMPED for the REAL Black Student Conference in Nov. and is encouraging her friends to go with her! AMEN!

I have more to reflect on personally, but I thought y'all should here the AMAZING news!!!

Not a single person with CSULB went untouched. The two non-Christians who did not commit to Jesus as their savior DID commit to being OPEN to JESUS this semester! AMEN! PRAISE GOD! And I felt like He promised them this semester and this year, that we would see them join the KOG soon enough! PRAISE JESUS! (in advance, for He KEEPS HIS PROMISES!) And EVERY Christian student said they wanted to be MORE MISSIONAL on campus, they wanted to be BOLD, they want to share God's GOODNESS and LOVE with others! With EVERYONE! They want to invite other people to the BANQUET! AMEN!

Anyway, I'm out. God is so good! REVIVAL has come to LONG BEACH!