I met Helene in Copenhagen a year or so ago and was blown away by her passion and vision to see student work in local church begin in Denmark. I can't really believe she's still at uni and pioneering so much but I hope this interview inspires you to dream bigger for how you can see change in your context too... 

 

Where are you a student and what are your studying?

I am a student in Copenhagen in Denmark, where I am studying a bachelor in “Christianity, Communication and Culture”.

How did you get your passion for mission and evangelism? 

That’s a good question. I think it was something that happened gradually. Knowing who God is, has given me a passion for other people to know who he is.

Discovering more of who God is and who he says I am has made a real impact in my life. I’ve been wrestling with identity, because I’ve found myself many times not able to live up to all the things I long to be or what my culture tells me. But Jesus died for all my transgressions and my imperfections, so I no longer have to live up to a high standard. It gives me such a great sense of freedom. All I have to be is a child of God, this is something I AM not something I DO. I know a lot of people who struggle with pressure and don’t think they are good enough as they are. But I believe Jesus says you are good enough and he is inviting everyone to live a life with him. I realised that if a relationship with Jesus means this much to me, it is not just something to keep for myself. My friends need to hear it too.

 

Can you tell me a story of Jesus making a difference in your life as a student?

As a mandatory part of my course all students have to have a 20 week long internship. When I started to consider where to go, I remember sitting on the train home from a daytrip in Malmö. I had a piece of paper, where I wrote down all the things I wanted to be a part of my internship. I wrote down words like discipleship. Young people. Teaching. Culture. Equipping. Little did I know, that this was what I would be doing with Fusion.

The course I chose at Uni was something I felt led to do. Therefore it was important to ask God about my internship. If he had a purpose with me doing the course, he definitely must have an opinion on where to do my internship. So I prayed about it. The thought of Fusion came to my mind. I remember wrestling with the idea for some time. I didn’t necessarily want to do an internship abroad or move away from Copenhagen, like I did in my last internship. I saw a lot of obstacles, where Jesus saw a lot of opportunities. But I couldn’t let go of the idea of doing an internship with Fusion and I couldn’t find any alternative places to do my internship. So I took the chance. I jumped and I didn’t know where I would land.

Now I look back at my internship and I don’t regret a thing. It has been such a good experience and I’ve learned so much – personally and professionally. Jesus knows me; he knows he has a plan for my life. I just had to take a step of faith.  
 

How are you using your summer this year?

This summer I will be involved with leading a seminar series on student mission in a Danish summer festival.

If a student is reading this who thinks being a student is limiting and they can't really get on with 'real life' yet, what would you tell them?

You don’t have to wait till you graduate from uni to see great things happen. Don’t just wait to graduate to live life to the fullest, start today by asking Jesus to take you on an adventure. For instance, ask how you should spend the next half year – what to get involved with, who to invest in and where to go – and I bet you’ll be surprised. Life is now.

I love being a student. I don’t think there is any other time in life you drink as much coffee with friends, meet as many new people and are able to invest your time in so many different things. I would say be intentional and enjoy the stage your are in.

This blog is part of a series that is redefining students, so keep a look out for more inspiring interviews every week.