Testimonies at CCU – Samantha Penrose

“My relationship with the Lord was frustrating.” Samantha Penrose, a junior at CCU, shared with me. “I’d heard in church that it wasn’t a religion, but a relationship.” She explained that she would try to read the Bible and pray, but yet, she never felt like she was getting anything from it. “I believed in the Christian principles, but I didn’t have faith.”

In 2017, Samantha’s family moved from Juneau, Alaska to Colorado Springs. “My first year at a high school in Monument, I was bullied and had no friends.” Samantha told me she spent a lot of time at church that year, although it didn’t spur on a lot of growth with the Lord.

“My senior year of high school, COVID hit, and everything got shut down. Before I knew it, I had to sign up for roommates for college.” That spring, once roommates had been picked, Samantha and her roomies did a virtual Bible study together. “It opened my eyes up to the joy of the Lord for the first time in a long time.”

When Samantha came to school in 2020 for her freshman year of college, she fell in love with CCU and was especially touched by her New and Old Testament classes. “D-group, church, and my Bible classes really encouraged me to study the Bible more.” But soon Samantha’s faith would be tested when later that year, her parents got divorced and her father moved to Oregon while her mother stayed in Colorado Springs. “My parents’ divorce forced me to wrestle with the Lord. I had been praying for my parents and their marriage and when the divorce was final, it made me question if prayer really worked. The situation was really formative for my faith.” From this hardship, Samantha poured into prayer journaling and reading Scripture. For the first time in 18 years of growing up in a Christian home, I could say I loved God and actually mean it.”

Sophomore year of college was not the growing season Samantha had hoped that it would be. “I had to learn how to be with God while still being super busy that year. But this year, the

Lord has been forcing me to deal with emotions. There are so many outlets where I feel supported this year.” With all the shifts in life with her parents’ divorce and then them both getting remarried, Samantha has thought a lot about how her parents’ relationship will impact her future relationships. “I’m choosing to revel in the Lord’s grace and I know that God has a plan for me.”

Thank you for sharing Samantha!