February 21, 2019│By Nathan Peterson, Urbana Missions
Pursuing short-term missions, praying daily for persecuted Christians, spending more time in the Word—freshmen Abigail and Lydia Zumbrun left Urbana 15 ready to make big commitments. But it didn’t take long for them to realize how ambitious their initial goals were. “Sometimes you just have to pick one thing,” Abigail realized. “Take this step first. You can add more afterward.”
The twins from Indiana University did just that. Abigail decided to read through the Bible in a year, and Lydia focused on praying for the global Church each week. From there, God began calling them to larger opportunities.
By 2017, God led Lydia to serve young Japanese and international students at a camp near Tokyo, Japan, with SEND International. At the outset, she worried whether her three-month commitment was enough time to build meaningful connections.
God soon put those fears to rest. “So many times during one-on-one conversations, students would begin to cry and tell me their life story,” Lydia said. “I got to share Christ’s love during those moments.”
Even after her time at camp was over, Lydia had the chance to visit several times while she studied abroad the following semester. She also returned a year later to discover that many kids still remembered her. Today many continue to check in with her and share their prayer requests.
Abigail also felt called to serve in Japan in 2017, initially through a three-month internship with Mission to the World, where she worked with missionary families and kids camps at local churches. She then spent a semester studying abroad and living with a Japanese family. One night over dinner, the host father asked, “Why are you such a good student? Why don’t you ever yell at the kids for being so annoying?”
Through this conversation and many that followed, Abigail saw God’s hand at work. “We got to talk through a lot of serious things,” she said. “I was shocked by how open I was able to be about my faith.”
Lydia and Abigail returned to Urbana 18 as seniors, excited and nervous about the future. Lydia plans to apply for a one-year marketplace position in Japan while intentionally partnering with the local church, having been affirmed and encouraged by MDE’s vision.
Throughout Urbana, God reminded Abigail of the opportunities he’s given her to befriend international students in her classes. And through the seminar Reaching Japanese College Students, he led her to recognize that all Christians, not just those with particular talents in evangelism, are called to share the gospel. She has committed to being more intentional about sharing Christ with others this upcoming semester.
Abigail and Lydia continue reflecting on God’s work in their lives after Urbana 15 and how he will act in the coming years. “It’s been a journey of learning to trust God with next steps. Discern what’s that one big step he is calling you to,” Lydia encouraged fellow Urbana participants. “Or what are those couple little steps that he’s calling you to? Write them down. Tell them to other people. God can use those commitments to change you and impact others in ways you would have never imagined.”