If you could write a letter to yourself as you started uni, what would you say?

Dear Alfie,

God is doing something. He’s on the move. He has this plan, the same plan He always had, to make a good world and fill it with His kids. When I say ‘good’ I mean actually good; no injustice or illness or greed or lust or violence, just love. A world in which His will is done, a world of justice, kindness and perfect relationship between a heavenly Dad and His kids.

God is doing this anyway (He’s God and He does cool things) but the really cool part of it is that He wants His sons and daughters to join in with the project.

Sounds nice right? I would even go so far as to say that that sounds nice enough that if it’s true then it is the only thing worth living for.

You know these things already but I wanted to remind you just now, as you start this new chapter in your life, that this is why you are in London. In fact this is why you are moving into halls, this is why you’re studying Music Tech (a question which you will probably ask yourself quite a lot during the business module) and this is why you are meeting the people that you are meeting.

Your life has a purpose Alfie and the more that you can remember that the better these years will be.

A lot of things are going to try and distract you from this purpose; drink, girls, YouTube, money, computer games, politics, drama in halls and a whole bunch of other things. Some of these things will be sin but some of them you will be able to justify biblically- that’s not the point. The point is not to take your eyes off the prize.

Take the opportunities. Tell your flatmates about Jesus, (if you’re struggling to work out how try starting with this “Can I tell you about Jesus?”). Tell your coursemates about Jesus. Pray for healing, pray for provision, pray about everything. Ask God to show you what He’s up to as you walk around campus, as you wander into Ealing and if you happen to end up with a Saturday job in an opticians tell your bosses about Jesus.

Pray with your Christian mates, join in encourage them in their mission, live generously, speak positively, exercise and eat sensibly, read the bible often, open your life up to some wise and kind people at church.

Just do the thing.

Years from now you will long for such an amazingly open mission field as the one you have just walked into. “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest”.

Also it might be a good idea to start learning Norwegian, just incase.

All the best,

Alfie