Student Blog Written By: Caleb Manning, Fellows
During my first two weeks at Impact, I did not want to be here. I was more homesick than I ever had been.
During one of these weeks, we were required to practice silence and solitude, which was something completely new to me. I sat outside in an isolated spot on campus, and I prayed and asked God why I was here.
I was playing with a small stick in my hand.
After praying for a while, I looked down at the stick I was holding, and it was a cross with small leaves branching off of it. I immediately knew God was telling me He brought me to Impact to make disciples.
Impact quickly taught me how to make disciples of Jesus and why it’s important.
I slowly began to adapt to the culture around me and develop meaningful friendships. After the first month of Impact, I loved it. Our first trip was to Utah, where we got to learn more about the Mormon faith and how to plant “stones in shoes” (an idea which comes from the book, Tactics, by Greg Koukl). In Utah, we went to college campuses, and we spread the gospel. I discovered that obedience to God will bring unexplainable joy.
The most meaningful trip we took was our international trip to South Africa. I discovered God is working in the lives of people all over the world. During the 3 weeks in South Africa, we spent a lot of time in townships. These were very poor neighborhoods consisting mostly of shacks.
What stuck out to me the most was the gratitude of those who had nothing. I remember asking a little girl how much fun she was going to have that day, and she spread her arms out really wide, showing she was going to have a ton of fun. The children were joyful, and none of them seemed bored. The most heartbreaking thing about the trip was the fact that the fathers were leaving their families. This put a new fire inside of me to fight for fatherhood.
Next year I’m planning on studying psychology in college so I can eventually become a Christian counselor. I want to help young men fight through addictions and bondage. Impact has broken my heart for the lost and grown my appreciation for God’s grace in my life. Every day at Impact was a fresh blessing. Class was engaging, and it grew me in my walk with Jesus.
I hope to bring the lessons of impact to my jobs, relationships, and family.
We believe that when a student is rooted in truth, they become a catalyst for the Kingdom wherever they go. Help us continue to forge disciples who possess the resolve to stay faithful and the tools to make disciples. Your investment in the Multiply Fund makes this transformation possible.