The Relationship That Led Me Back to Jesus

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2

In our ministries, the Brotherhood of Hope and the rest of the staff minister to students through relational evangelization. By walking with students one-on-one, we invite them into a personal relationship with Christ.

Katie Stambrosky, a 2019 Florida State University alumna, is one of many students we have had the privilege of walking with through our college ministries. She recalls her experience encountering Jesus’ deep love for her through our women’s staff:

“Since first encountering the Lord as a sophomore in college at Florida State, I have made a life-long commitment to follow Jesus– to lay my life, future plans, hopes, dreams, and all, before Him. I have decided to live all of my life, for the rest of my life, for God, and it is the greatest joy I’ve ever known! I can say with 100% certainty that my life would not look as it does now if it were not for the faithful women who walked with me in one-on-one relationships.

One woman in particular who pursued a relationship with me in my time in college was Christine Dudziak. It started with a simple invitation to a cup of coffee. Christine listened with genuine compassion and care as I shared all about the ups and downs of my life. After this, Christine continued to meet with me regularly. The way she invested in me for the next two and a half years in college completely transformed my life.

She cared deeply about my heart, and spoke truth into my life about who God is and who I am to God. When I faltered or failed, she was there with mercy and compassion. Christine suffered with me, rejoiced with me, and prayed often for and with me. She patiently waited with me, teaching and encouraging me, as I journeyed in my relationship with Christ. She was there with me from the beginning when I was first learning how to pray, turning away from a life of sin, and navigating friendships and relationships, all the way to when I was becoming a leader, a missionary, and discerning God’s plan for my life.

Even now, as I continue to grow deeper as a disciple, Christine is a faithful friend and sister. Christine truly loves me with the heart of the Father. The way she lives her life is a witness to me of what it means to live freely and joyfully as a daughter of God. She was, and is, someone I can model my life after, as she models her life after Jesus– a life totally given away in love.

It was this relationship that led me back to Jesus, and led me to a life of wholeheartedly following Him forever. While I was dead in sin, I was loved back to life through relationships. Christine, through the Brothers’ relational model, inspired a desire in me to give my whole life to loving others, and she showed me what this looks like. I’ve been serving as a missionary on college campuses for 7 years now, and it’s a great joy to get to walk with young women in one-on-one relationships as they come to know Jesus and what it means to be a daughter of God.”

I was loved back to life through relationships.

Katie Stambrosky