In January I arrived in Hawaii. A Christian friend whom I have known for a few years convinced me to join a Christian group while at university – specifically Hawaii Cru* (which he found on the Internet.) I figured I might as well go along to one of Hawaii Cru’s weekly meetings, as religion has always intrigued me. As well, I didn’t know anyone in Hawaii so it would be a good way to meet people.
I really enjoyed the sense of community at Hawaii Cru, so I kept coming back week after week. I was also trying out churches and other Christian groups to try and find the reason for faith and whether or not it was something I wanted.
After about a month and a half of investigating I came to the conclusion that I believed in a more powerful being than myself, but I wasn’t ready to commit my life to him. And the frustration that came with so many unanswered questions was starting to get to me. I was ready to stop searching.
After missing a couple of Hawaii Cru’s meetings I went back to see the friends I had made there, rather than going for worship or my investigation. As I was leaving the meeting one of the Hawaii Cru leaders caught up to me and said that God had told him to pray for me. I had no problem with people praying for me, though I didn’t understand it and I figured it couldn’t hurt. He asked if there was anything in particular that he could pray for and I explained my lack of motivation to seek God any further. He prayed that God would re-enthuse my heart for seeking him. He then highly recommended that I attend Hawaii Cru’s spring break retreat the following week. After seriously thinking about it I decided faith deserved one last chance to play a part in my life, so I decided to go on retreat.
The sense of community on retreat was a hundred times stronger than at the weekly meetings. I met and had deep conversations with some amazing people and I truly learned what it means to be a Christian. I was forced to step out of my comfort zone to share the Christian faith with strangers on the street and I heard some incredible stories of how God has changed people’s lives. Being able to trust God with my life was not easy for me to do, and it still isn’t. On my last day of retreat, however, I invited God into my heart and asked him to shape me into the person he wants me to be.
Hawaii Cru played a pivotal role in getting me to this point. I still have questions but I am less worried about finding all the answers. I know that I may stray from God’s plan from time to time, but I trust in him. I love God and am excited about my newfound relationship with him.
*The Epic Movement in Hawaii is known as Hawaii Cru
Josh Mc Carthy, University of Hawaii at Manoa