I vividly remember meeting Clara for the first time last Spring: there was a sadness in her eyes.
She opened up about her recent transfer to Queens College, her uncertainty about her future, the pressures that her mom placed on her and her openness to Christianity.
Fast–‐forward ten months.
Clara is stepping on the stage at Epic East Coast Conference, in Morristown N.J., sharing about her experiences on the Day of Outreach (a time during the conference where all the attendees are sent out into shopping malls and other public areas to initiate spiritual conversations with people). She shared how terrified she was going out sharing for the first time as a new Christian. However, she was surprised to meet Jasmine, a girl who was actually from around Clara’s neighborhood in Queens and attended a college in NYC (Baruch). They got into a really great conversation about faith and Clara was amazed by how much they had in common. Just like her, Jasmine was born into a Buddhist family, but she was also open to Christianity. Clara felt comfortable sharing with Jasmine how she developed a personal relationship with God. Jasmine was so encouraged by the conversation that she asked if Clara would be willing to be Facebook friends. Later Clara found out that Jasmine grew up as a close friend to Bridgeen, one of our Epic student leaders!
I’m thankful and excited for students like Clara. Let’s pray that our students will continue to step out in faith and share the gospel with others!
Glennis Shih, Epic NYC staff