You connected a young, single mother to a church. You showed her she can rely on God.

Bright, motivated, and adventurous, Olu* moved from the West African country of Togo to Michigan in the United States to enroll in a Ph.D. program at Western Michigan University (WMU). She was happily engaged to be married to another student from Togo she met during her studies, but with her family living so far away, she often felt isolated living alone in a strange country.

But then she met Laura Osborne, a pastoral staff member of Third Christian Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Mich., and campus pastor for International Campus Ministry, a CRC campus ministry that you support at WMU.

Failing faith.

“When Olu and I met, she was going through some stuff,” said Laura. “She hadn’t necessarily fallen away from her faith, but she was not walking closely with God.”

Olu was raised as a Catholic, but she was more familiar with the rituals of religion than she was with God. She attended mass, murmured quick prayers, and read Scripture—but she did not know God’s unconditional love.

But God pursues relationships with his children, and he used Laura to reveal his love.

Breaking point.

After visiting her family in Togo at Christmastime, Olu returned to campus—and discovered she was pregnant.

And then her fiancé left her.

Olu was afraid. Despite being smart and resourceful, she knew she could not raise the child on her own. Thanks to your support, she does not have to.

Faith restored.

“She didn’t have family here, so I was her family,” said Laura. She came alongside Olu—helping her navigate an unfamiliar healthcare system and connecting her with local resources to help support her financially.

Olu also began attending Laura’s church. As families invited her into their homes to share meals, Olu stepped into a closer walk with God. Shortly after her daughter was born, Olu had her baptized and publicly professed her faith on the same day.

“By faith and the grace of God, I’m able to have this child and be a single mother to her,” Olu said. “Without God, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.”

Olu is one of many students who has been connected to a much-needed community through your support of CRC campus ministries through Resonate. Thank you for showing her God’s grace

*Name changed to maintain privacy.