From Isolated to Invitational: Avelino's Story

When Avelino first stepped onto the campus of Arkansas Tech University in August of 2020, it felt like a ghost town. Students were afraid to come out of their rooms, there was hardly anything to do on campus, and on top of that, he was struggling with depression. 

Faith wasn’t really a part of Avelino’s life at the time, and he didn’t see himself joining a campus organization, much less a Christian organization. 

That all changed when he met Jonathan, his roommate during his second semester. 

Jonathan noticed Avelino was having a hard time adjusting to college and invited him to check out InterVarsity. For a month, Avelino brushed off Jonathan's invitations. But one day, when he saw Jonathan carrying a huge container of board games, his curiosity was sparked, and he asked where Jonathan was heading.   

Jonathan told him he was heading to “Tea Time,” a weekly InterVarsity gathering where students would drink tea and play games together. Unlike all the other times, Avelino finally accepted his invitation. 

Softening a Hardened Heart 

At Tea Time, everyone welcomed Avelino in ways that began to open him up. Amos, the campus staff minister, was especially intentional, inviting Avelino to weekly Bible studies and to meet up during the week so they could get to know each other. 

Just like Tea Times, Avelino initially rejected the weekly Bible study invitations. But because Amos never gave up on him, he eventually became curious enough to start attending those too. 

During the Bible studies, Avelino developed a deeper understanding of Scripture as he began viewing well-known passages in new and exciting ways. One passage that impacted him was Matthew 7, particularly the moment when Jesus says, “I never knew you.” 

“[That verse] made me look back on everything I had done, how I was closing myself off from people. I was closing myself off from God," he said. "I was hardening my heart to everyone." 

Avelino didn’t want to keep living with a hardened heart, so he began letting God soften it. Little by little, he started to see God moving in his life, surrounding him with a community where he could grow in his faith and be vulnerable. At an InterVarsity retreat, he opened up about the guilt he had carried for years over not being able to say goodbye to his grandfather. Sharing that loss with his community brought him a deep sense of peace. 

The more time Avelino spent growing close to his InterVarsity community and reading the Bible, the more he wanted to provide that space for others. 

Inviting Spanish-Speakers to Bible Study 

In the spring 2025 semester, Avelino and another student, Kayla, started a Bible study for Spanish speakers. Amos gave Avelino the idea after noticing that some students on campus struggled with English, and a Spanish-speaking Bible study could help them feel more welcome in InterVarsity. 

During these Bible studies, Avelino and Kayla alternated languages each week and printed out passages in both English and Spanish. 

“Sometimes we spoke English, sometimes Spanish, sometimes both,” Avelino explained. 

This method helped Spanish speakers engage Scripture in their native language but also gave them a supportive space to practice their English. Ultimately, it got them out of their shell. 

The group was still small when Avelino graduated last spring, but he knew it had the potential to grow. 

“Even if it grows just a little bit every semester or every year, that's good enough for me," he said.

After graduating, Avelino began an engineering internship where he hopes to eventually earn a full-time position. He's no longer the isolated, apathetic-towards-faith freshman he once was. Now he’s a leader and a friend who hopes even more students will have the kind of college experience he had. 

“The first thing I want people to experience is that they are welcome,” he said.  “Everyone is welcome to listen to the Word of God and follow in its footsteps.” 

Just like Avelino, you may be one invitation away from a Bible study group where you can deepen your faith! Click here to find an InterVarsity community on your campus.