Mary Alexander
shares her experience as a Graduate Volunteer
Its over! Yes, it’s finally over! Four
years…whew…internals, records, assignments, exams, placements…I am at last a
graduate and you know what… there was ample time for me to join in a company
where I was placed. I choose to chill out…how? Very simple, to make myself
available for the Lord…
It all
began at the Mini Graduating Students Training Programme for 2012…I started
thinking if I could volunteer my time for UESI (K) as a Graduate Volunteer. I
pondered on it and prayed about it. And I knew that the Lord doesn’t look at
the ability but our availability. In almost the same time, God had led another
girl - Sheeba Grace John is her name…to commit herself to serve as Staff
Co-ordinator for UESI (K) at Thiruvananthapuram. I mentioned the proposal to my parents. They
were willing and Sheeba was in fact looking for someone to accompany her. One step at a time everything seemed to fall
into place, that God guided me all the time.
God enabled me to involve in the UESI ministry for few
months. And it kept reminded me often the reason we are here and the need of
students in mission. As members of the same body of our Lord Jesus Christ we
need to play different roles in fulfilling His mission. Roles are neither to
compete with others nor to rule over others. All are co-labourers with Christ.
Coming out of one’s comfort zone is tough but once you come out, God will
provide new comfort zones with its own challenges and excitements.
Together we could spend more time in prayer, Bible
study and shared new thoughts each day. We met students of various colleges in
Trivandrum during the group and in personnel. Until now I had always been at
the receiving end as a student in camps and conferences, but now as I went to
the various campuses and camps, and could share from the Word of God. I learned that we need to do
anything possible to help bring a new person to Christ. It takes many people to
plant the seeds of the Gospel. It’s so amazing to see the changes in a
student’s life.
As I shared my
thoughts in few cell groups that I attended, I was enriched by the contributions
made by the other students – together we were able to open up the manifold
treasures that were hidden in the Scriptural passages. My personal study of the
Bible could never have been as rich. The dividends to group study are many. And I Loved being with the students and sharing the love of our Lord.
I praise God
for the believer students who genuinely took a stand in their campuses to be
identified with Jesus Christ and make themselves available for Him to use,
despite all excuses they might have give. And was deeply challenged by the lack
of seniors in few campuses, to nurture and guide the second line leaders to
continue in witnessing our Lord.
As I visited the homes of graduates and observed their
lifestyle, their simplicity, and sacrificial efforts to spend most of the time
with the students, enriching them spiritually has all left an indelible mark on
me.
After all, we are here to be salt-seasoning that
brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If we lose our saltiness, how will
people taste godliness! Volunteering atleast for few months in student ministry
was a good experience and I found the need of more graduates to help students
to reach out the unreached colleges of our state.
I can never regret over the decision I took to spend
few months in ministry before taking up the job. I would encourage the fresh graduating
students in EU to be a part of it as God leads and to live with a great
‘passion for God and compassion for students’. Let us lead this ‘young’ world
to taste the Love of God without perishing. I close with the famous quote from
C.T.Studd-a great missionary, ‘There is only one life, it will pass, but what
we do for Christ will only last.’
