Gabby, a transfer student in Chi Omega

Nearly 1 in 10 students at UC Davis is involved in a fraternity or sorority.  With roughly 10% of the student population identifying as “Greek,” Cru has a heart to serve the Greek community and reach them with the gospel.  One of the ways we have decided to come alongside the Greek community is through prayer.

Coming into this quarter, I (Cameron) was slightly nervous about starting a prayer group. Out of 25 students from sororities and fraternities who showed initial interest in the prayer group, only 3 actually signed up to attend.  Thoughts like “I have no idea what those Greek letters say”, “what is the horse-shoe looking letter, again?” and “What if no one shows up” definitely went through my mind.  But, I realized that if I was the only one praying, there was still more prayer for the Greek Community than before.

So, at the first prayer meeting, when no students showed, a woman on my staff team and I decided to walk around and pray for the Greek system and for each Greek house we passed.  We also prayed for the 3 girls who had signed up to meet with us.  We prayed that God would raise up strong Christians in each house and that these 3 girls would reflect Jesus to those around them.

At the next prayer time, I walked up to the meeting place, and Gabby, a transfer student and pledge in Chi Omega was waiting.  After I asked about her spiritual background, Gabby shared that she has been spiritually searching.  She grew up in a religious home but went her own way in middle and high school, a path that led to disconnectedness and suicide attempts.  Now, she believes that there is something out there and is longing for connectedness.

I asked Gabby if I could share what I know about God, and she was eager to listen.  I was able to share my own story as well as some of the Knowing God Personally booklet.  Because of time constraints, I was only able to share the first point, that God loves Gabby, that he created her to know him personally, and that he has a plan for her.  Gabby seemed open to talking more, so I sent her home with the booklet and set up a time to meet again.

At our next meeting, I asked Gabby if she’d read the rest of the book.  She had, and she had also shared it with her roommate who is in a similar place spiritually.  She said that when she finished it, she was crying, and that if this is true, this is what she wants. What holds Gabby back, however, is that she’s been so inundated with anti-God thinking from the world and community around her; so it’s difficult for her to simply believe that it is in fact true.  Like many students at Davis, Gabby has barriers and a worldview that stand in the way of Jesus, which need to be addressed before she can see him as her Savior and Lord.

Please pray for Gabby! She is searching and so open to talking about God. I was able to give her a book about the things that are holding her back, which she’s started reading, and she has attended another prayer meeting. Last week she also got connected to a Chi Omega sorority sister who is also in Cru. We are praying that God would draw her to himself and break down the barriers that stand in her way. Thank you for investing in the lives of these students! We are so thankful for your partnership and prayers.

Prayer requests

Please continue to pray for Gabby and the Greek Community at UC Davis!  Pray that God would open doors for us, and that we would see fraternities reached as well.

Pray that our students would have a heart to reach out to their friends.

Please pray for our Men’s and Women’s Retreats coming up in mid-February.

Pray for continued energy and strength for us and our staff team.