Heading in a New Direction

As a member of the Mormon church, Weber State senior Justin Neville didn’t think he had to make a choice about following Jesus.  After all, he was raised in the LDS (Latter-Day Saints) faith, and he was a two-year mission trip veteran, having been the assistant to the president of the missionary effort in Germany, overseeing the efforts of 150 missionaries.  To Justin, spiritual truth was a settled matter.  

After returning home to Ogden, UT, Justin enrolled at Weber State University, got involved in student government (he is a self-described “business major by necessity but political science major at heart”), met a girl, and eventually married.

Drifting                                                                                                                 

Justin’s marriage ended in divorce.  “This was a difficult time for me,” Justin said.  “I became distant from God.  I developed feelings of bitterness, anger, and resentment in my heart.”  Justin held onto those feelings for over two years, going about his life while ignoring the toll those feelings were taking on his psyche.  “It was difficult to maintain relationships and engage in positive behavior.  It was a serious sickness in my heart. . . . I was in a spiritual lull and I couldn’t get out of it.”

Justin first met Shalie Barber through a mutual involvement in student government at Weber State.  From the outset of their friendship Justin could tell that she had a special quality about her, something Justin couldn’t pinpoint.  He agreed to go with Shalie to InterVarsity Large Group meetings and Bible studies in order to learn more.  “I was curious,” Justin said.  “And I didn’t see it as a situation where I could lose anything by going.”   

After attending multiple group meetings, Justin was impressed by the openness and authenticity in the people he found there.  No one pretended to be perfect.  No one tried to look more spiritually together than they were.  “It was refreshing to learn about what it takes to become friends with God.  It was a new concept for me, although I had spent my whole life active in the LDS Church,” Justin said.  

Trilogy

Trilogy is a regional InterVarsity conference where Utah and Idaho chapters gather for a time of worship and teaching.  The students in the chapter had been enthusiastic about the conference for weeks.  As an InterVarsity newcomer, Justin had little idea of what to expect.  He resolved to keep an open mind, thanks to encouragement that Trilogy would be a worthwhile experience.  “I made a conscious decision to have an open heart through everything… I knew this would be an important time for me.” 

Justin’s open mind was rewarded.  “The weekend was packed full of great socializing time with other students and plenty of opportunities to commune with God.  It was at Trilogy that I felt the love of God change me and help me establish a new direction.”

Part of that new direction meant making a decision about who Jesus is.  As Justin talked through the decision, he realized that he wanted all that God had for him and to follow him.  One of Justin’s staff workers sensed that the time was right for a bold question.  “Do you want to leave the Mormon Church and become a Christian?” the staff worker asked.  “Yes!”  Justin replied.

The other part of that new direction meant allowing God to heal the wounds of his past.  “I was fortunate enough to leave that weekend with a new heart,” Justin said.  “I allowed Jesus to fill the holes and heal the pain, anger, bitterness and fear.”

As a senior, Justin is preparing for life after college.  He will soon graduate with a degree in Human Resources Management, and an internship in California promises to open potential career doors in that field.  As for local church involvement, Justin is optimistic.  “I enjoy teaching, leading, and I love an audience.  I would feel very comfortable helping in any way possible.”

‘Helping in any way possible’.  What a perfect phrase to crystallize the vision InterVarsity has for its graduates’ church participation.  This month, thousands of students like Justin are preparing to exit college and enter a new season of life.  InterVarsity wants them to be not only world-changers, but people-servers as well- joining churches where they can, as Justin so aptly puts it, "help in any way possible."