Discovering the Source of Love and Compassion – Nurlan's Story

Growing up, Nurlan cared more than anything about people experiencing compassion, love, and justice. He was raised in an atheist family, and he thought Christianity couldn’t be used for anything other than a weapon or a way for some to position themselves as better than others. 

“Not only did I not know who Christ was, I was told, ‘Stay away from that. That is a distraction from your future,’” he said. 

In high school, Nurlan had a friend who was involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Despite his thoughts about faith, he accepted his friend’s invitation to an FCA meeting after hearing there would be free pizza. 

For the first time, his curiosity was sparked. 

Approachable Friend, Approachable Jesus

In his first week on campus at Pitzer College, Nurlan met InterVarsity staff Kate. Still holding the curiosity built during high school, he felt comfortable asking her questions. 

“She felt approachable,” Nurlan said. 

Kate could sense how much Nurlan wanted to know more about Jesus, so she suggested they meet for lunches, which eventually led to looking at Scripture together. She asked if he’d be willing to start studying the Book of John. 

“I’ll read John with you,” Nurlan said. “But the second I find something Jesus says that I don’t resonate with, I’m going to stop.” 

That second never came. Nurlan was intrigued by how much compassion Jesus showed in the gospel. He was surprised to see that, contrary to what he had heard about Christianity, Jesus’ character was marked by love and care. 

“This Jesus guy has really great advice for how to live a good life and love other people,” Nurlan said. 

A Strange but Transformational Experience

Later that school year, Nurlan took Kate up on an invitation to attend an InterVarsity fall conference. 

“I needed to know more,” he said. “I wanted to figure out how wrong I was about Christianity.” 

Though he hadn’t yet met any other students involved in InterVarsity, Nurlan was welcomed into the community immediately. Hearing everyone’s conversations further confirmed that his assumptions were wrong. This is not what I thought church was, he thought. 

That Saturday night during worship, Nurlan had another transformative experience. As he sat listening to musical worship, he looked around and was struck by how people engaged with God in their own ways. He saw some praying throughout the room, some kneeling, and some just sitting. 

Nurlan found himself wondering what he was supposed to do. Right as he did, he felt his hands getting warm. Then, his whole body became warm. Finally, he felt a vibration start in his hands, almost like a buzzing. As he began moving his hands around, it felt as though the vibration was moving his hands up. Before he knew it, his hands were toward the sky in worship, and he began to cry not knowing why. 

Remembering how Jesus invited people to ‘come and see’ in the book of John, Nurlan decided to lean into the strange experience.

Not Stopping

Back on campus, Nurlan continued leaning in. He kept meeting with Kate, went to worship nights, and even bought himself his own Bible. He still explored other religions, but nothing hit him the same way the Bible did. 

“These people aren’t just reading a book –– it’s more than what I thought,” he realized. 

Finally realizing Jesus didn’t just display the love and compassion he’d been hoping for, he was the source, Nurlan gave his life to Jesus and decided to get baptized at his InterVarsity end-of-year chapter camp. He also had the opportunity to share his story at the next fall conference — on the exact same night that, just a year earlier, he had this incredible and life-changing encounter with Jesus. 

“I realized I didn’t experience that just for me,” he said. “I experienced that so that I have something to share with other people, to people who aren’t sure or are exploring for the first time. I’m not stopping anytime soon!”  

To hear more about Nurlan’s experience of meeting the Jesus of love, compassion, and justice, watch the video below.