Persistence Pays Off

This past winter brought unparalleled, and seemingly unending, bad weather throughout the northeast. Nine students from the Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology (MIT) were trying to get to InterVarsity’s Greek Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, but were stranded in Boston because of a snowstorm. Three other students almost didn’t make it to the conference for other reasons outside of their control.

But despite the obstacles, all of these students found their way to North Carolina in time for the conference. And God’s hand was evident both in getting them there and in working to transform the lives of students attending. Overall, the chapter sent 35 students to the conference, the largest group from any school.

Clearly, God was not going to allow barriers to remain in the way of his transforming the lives of students. In an age when schools are leery of many ideas to do with Christianity, the school covered the cost of flights to the conference.

When the Greek Chapter at MIT discovered three days before the conference that because of a clerical error it was two plane tickets short, God’s hand was just as evident. Against all odds, the travel agent for the chapter was able to obtain the last two available plane tickets from Boston to Greensboro the day before Aaron Wippold (MIT’s Greek InterVarsity staff worker) left for the conference.

The nine students stranded in Boston made the decision to drive through the night to arrive in time for the start of the conference. God kept them safe on their journey. Although it was risky for the students to drive all night through a snowstorm, it was a testament to both their desire to spend the weekend learning about God, and their trust in Jesus for their safety.

One sorority student found out that her father was being released from the hospital before the conference. Without question, she decided to stay and care for her father. But because of concern for her father and worry about the non-refundable plane tickets, she spoke with her parents and called Aaron to ask for prayer and direction. After seeking the Lord’s guidance, her parents encouraged her to go to Greensboro with the InterVarsity chapter.

Once the conference began, God continued to work in the lives of these students from MIT. Two students left the weekend with new knowledge about the emptiness in them that only God could fill. Since the conference, Aaron has continued to meet with these students, discipling them to a deeper understanding about the decision they made at the conference to follow Jesus.

God has captivated the students at MIT with his transforming power, and the part he plays in each of their lives to fulfill his purpose. Aaron and his students have much to praise God for – in the new lives in Christ, God’s travel mercies for students, and the spiritual growth that abounds among each person in the chapter.

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You can make a direct financial donation to support InterVarsity’s work with Greek students at MIT by following this link.