Some day, perhaps, there will be a house close to the Indian River State College campus where InterVarsity students can hang out between classes and meet for Bible study. But for now, a corner of the cafeteria serves as a meeting space for Christian Students Fellowship (CSF), the InterVarsity chapter at the main campus in Fort Pierce, Florida.
"Everybody knows our corner," said Elsie Mokoban, campus staff member. Regular weekly Bible studies and other lively discussions in the cafeteria often draw in other students, who are attracted by the camaraderie. The CSF book table in a high traffic area outside of the cafeteria also generates interest from students.
Finding the right time and place
Because Indian River is a commuter school, students' time is tight. Elsie has found the lunch hour is a good time to meet with students who are otherwise balancing some combination of class assignments, full-time or part-time jobs, church activities, and family responsibilities. And because Indian River is spread across five campus locations, Elsie has to keep moving. There are chapters on all but one of the other campuses. She tries to visit each chapter every week.
Elsie said that God has given her the gift of encouragement and the gift of faith to help her in campus ministry. She strongly encourages the student leaders in their roles, and she is pleased that students are leading each of the weekly Bible studies. Through faith she has been able to see the ministry grow to over 100 students, with 20 leaders, in eight years. "I work hard and I ask God for his direction. That's how I do ministry," she said.
A book table at a cafeteria was how Elsie first connected with InterVarsity when she was a student at City College of City University of New York (CCNY). She was drawn to the fellowship but because her family had recently emigrated from Haiti, she also wanted to excel in academics. "I was a leader in the Engineering Club, but I was so taken by the love and warm welcome of the students at the InterVarsity fellowship that I returned many times," she said.
Committing to the students
After graduation with a degree in computer science, she worked for IBM and discovered a Bible study that met over lunch. There she realized God had a different plan for her life. "I surrendered my life completely to Jesus,” she said. She felt God calling her to share the gospel with young adults; so she resigned her computer job after four years and entered Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Upon graduation she was recruited by InterVarsity and ended up back in New York City, at Brooklyn College.
During her six years on staff at Brooklyn College, Elsie went to Tunisia twice with InterVarsity's Global Projects. Then she joined InterVarsity Link and moved to Tunisia to work with the indigenous campus ministry from 1996-1998. "It was a great learning experience, a great time to learn to depend on God alone, " she said. "I learned a lot and grew a lot. There's nothing like being outside of our familiar environment, it forced me to depend on God."
Soon after her return to the U.S. in 1999, she moved to Florida and became a campus staff worker at Florida Institute of Technology. Wearied by a long commute she searched for a campus closer to her home and discovered Indian River (then a community college). She began ministry on the Fort Pierce campus and CSF has grown steadily to where it is today.
Not backing down
In 2006 a request to show the movie The Passion of the Christ at Indian River was opposed by school officials. Even though school officials mentioned concerns about violence in the film, Elsie felt it was the chapter's growth and bold witness that was the real issue. "I felt strongly in my spirit that I should take them on, they were trying to curtail our activities," she said. "They didn't like the idea that we were spreading so fast on campus."
The situation drew lots of news coverage and school officials finally agreed to let the movie be shown. "From then on we had complete peace with them," Elsie said. "They knew that we were there to support the students."
Elsie's commitment to the students is heavily focused on Bible study, because she knows what an influence Bible study has had on her life. "Discipleship by the Word, through the Word, makes all the difference," she said.
Naphthaly Leveque, an Indian River May graduate, believes God changed her life through Elsie and CSF. "I’ve learned not only to claim to be a Christian in title but also to live the life and let God’s light shine through me," she wrote recently. "I have gone from being an insecure, lukewarm Christian to a Holy Ghost filled person, realizing that my identity is in Christ. Mrs. Elsie is an awesome mentor. I praise God for her and her presence in my life."
By the end of this year, Elsie will complete 20 years with InterVarsity. She gives God all the praise and glory for His faithfulness in her life.
___
You can make a direct financial donation to support InterVarsity’s work at Indian River by following this link.
