.
The event was incredibly well organized, with heaps of credit owed to Chamonix and Precious from the staff side, and to the student committee, who worked together to transform the Y hall and gardens, to provide a beautiful meal, and to say farewell to our graduates in such a special way.
“I cannot even begin to express the faithfulness of God that I have experienced in this place.”
– Levy Banda
Some of our long-serving students who are graduating this year graced the evening with some reminiscences about their time at the Y, and while it is bitter-sweet to know that their time with us is at an end, it is also so encouraging to hear what God is doing in the lives of His people on campus.
A theme throughout the speeches was how important it is to have a relational space where students can work through what they believe deeply and safely for themselves, and learn how to integrate their faith with life on an intimidating campus.
Munya described the Y as “a place you can be honest, you can be raw. You can just be yourself.” Although he describes his struggle with how to live the Christian life on campus, he has increasingly found the community at the Y to be an important foundation. “In a way,” he says, “I wish I was coming to the Y for my first year next year, because the Y has become what I longed for in first year.”
Chamonix says, “The realness at the Y is a wonderful thing… If it wasn’t for the Y I think I would have lost my voice as a Christian.”
For Levy, life on campus and even at the Y residence was a rollercoaster of emotions, experiences, and relational challenges. But growing in God’s grace has changed how he deals with these things: “What makes this different is that in my life before I had always pursued my faith by aimlessly running away from sin. Being at Student Y has taught me how to run towards God.”
We will miss our graduates deeply, but we are excited by what God is doing each year in our community!
