Lynchburg Door Knocking Evangelism Salvation
This semester with Y2Believe, we began door-knocking as a form of evangelism. At first, I felt intimidated, but it didn’t take long for it to become one of my favorite things we do. God was already moving through these conversations—but one encounter, in particular, changed my heart forever.
One day, we knocked on the door of an elderly Hispanic couple. Almost immediately, we realized they did not speak any English. The moment felt awkward, and after thanking them for their time, we began to walk away. To our surprise, the husband came back outside holding his phone. He had opened Google Translate.
Through that small screen, God opened a big door.
Using the phone, we explained who we were and why we were there. He told us his nephew would be home soon if we wanted to come back, and then he called someone. He handed me the phone—it was his daughter-in-law, who spoke English. Through her, we were able to ask our survey questions as she translated them into Spanish for her father-in-law.
As we talked, we learned something significant: the gentleman believed in God, but he did not know how to go to heaven. He hoped he would one day, but he wasn’t sure.
Right there—through Google Translate, through a phone call, through multiple languages—we shared the Gospel. We explained who Jesus is and how he could accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. When we asked if this was something he wanted to do, he nodded eagerly. In one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever witnessed, I prayed the salvation prayer in English, the daughter-in-law translated it into Spanish, and both the husband and wife repeated it together.
Heaven felt very near in that moment.
Afterward, we talked about church and discovered that the entire family—the couple, their daughter-in-law, her husband, and their son—were all looking for a church. We told them we would help get them connected, and they rejoiced. The whole family was filled with joy. It was a powerful reminder that what we are doing is not in vain, and that God is always at work.
When Kayleigh later shared this testimony with me, I was overwhelmed with gratitude—for God’s goodness and even for the gift of technology He used so powerfully. Later, Daquan gave me their phone number. I called and texted, but didn’t hear back.
A few days later, the Holy Spirit placed an idea on my heart: what if we went back in person? They didn’t know me yet, but they knew Kayleigh. After praying and receiving permission, Kayleigh, Luke, and I returned to their home.
They welcomed us warmly—and that Sunday, they came to church.
Not just one or two of them—but the husband, his wife, their daughter-in-law, their son, and their grandson all came together. When we asked if the little boy wanted to attend children’s Sunday school, they said yes. At first, he didn’t want to stay. But then another boy walked up, introduced himself, and said, “I play Minecraft, and I am so cool.” That was all it took. The boy stayed.
We then walked together to the Spanish service, where they were met with kindness and familiarity. Seeing people they already knew, one of them said to me, “They’ve invited us so many times before, but we never came.” I replied, “Maybe it just wasn’t the right time—maybe now is.” They smiled and said they wanted to come back on Wednesday.
And they did.
That Wednesday evening, I couldn’t stay with them, but I texted later to ask how it went. Her response brought tears to my eyes. She said that during the service, the pastor asked if anyone had seen a victory that week. She stood up and said:
“God knocked at my door to take me to church. He searched for me through three beautiful young people. At first, I didn’t understand their language, but then Camila arrived, and she was the instrument God used to bring me here.”
They are now coming again—this will be their second Sunday.
Because they are attending my church, the Lord has placed it on my heart to walk alongside them. Even though I usually attend the English service, I will attend the Spanish church for a season—to disciple them, encourage them, and walk with them as Christ modeled for us—until the Lord leads otherwise or they grow more established in their faith.
When I reflect on everything that happened, I can only praise God. He gave wisdom for someone to create Google Translate. He placed door-knocking on Daquan’s heart. He brought Kayleigh, Luke, and Gideon to that doorstep. He brought me to serve with Y2Believe. He connected this family to a church with a Spanish ministry. He orchestrated every detail.
All I can say is thank You, Lord.
God truly has a plan and is actively at work in our hearts and in our world, just as He promised:
“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’”
— John 5:17
– Testimony from Camila Hernandez
University of Virginia
At UVA, we encountered Josh and Harsh, two students open to discussing faith. Harsh, a practicing Sikh, believes in God and that there are multiple paths to Him, while Josh, who identifies as a Christian, struggles with feelings of guilt and unworthiness in fully embracing his faith. Both were receptive to the conversation and emphasized the importance of discussing these topics. They talked about grace and the narrow path to heaven, concluding with the significance of asking questions and striving to be a good person.
Spencer, an ethnic Jew raised Catholic, had deconstructed his faith and identified as agnostic, believing in the possibility of a higher power but not a personal God. He wrestled with the problem of evil and the misuse of religious leadership. Although he had an interest in reading the Bible, he prioritized focusing on daily life. The conversation ended with a challenge to study what the Bible actually says about Jesus and an encouragement that Jesus loves him.
Bryce, a UVA student, entered the conversation believing there was no objective truth or morality, instead viewing divinity as a spark within everyone. Through discussion, he came to see the reasoning behind objective truth and morality, which led him to take an interest in the Christian worldview. This opened the door to explaining original sin, total depravity, Messianic prophecies, and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, along with the hope of heaven and God’s second coming. By the end, Bryce acknowledged that Christianity deserved more consideration and committed to further educating himself on its claims.
While spending time near a busy street at UVA, across from a student living center, a man watched from his window seat for a long time before finally coming out to speak with us. Curious about what we were doing, he sparked a conversation that led to discussing the Gospel. He identified as culturally Muslim and held common misconceptions about Jesus, believing Him to be only a prophet. We shared Jesus’ own claims of divinity and the evidence of His resurrection. When asked about assurance of salvation, he referenced the Five Pillars of Islam but admitted he wasn’t sure if he had kept them well enough to reach heaven. This opened the door to explaining salvation through faith in Christ alone and His finished work on the Cross. He listened intently, asked follow-up questions, and admitted he had never heard these things before. He expressed interest in researching Jesus’ claims and the historical evidence of His resurrection, making it clear that the conversation had left an impression.
At UVA, we spoke with three students who had been discussing the soul, eternity, and the afterlife. They saw Jesus as a great moral example, and one had some understanding of His death for sin and salvation. Madelyn expressed difficulty in defining God, believing He was beyond human comprehension, which led us to discuss Jesus’ claims to be God, His miracles, death, and resurrection. They asked how people get to heaven and what happens to those who follow other worldviews. We explained that salvation comes through Jesus alone but that only God knows the heart. We emphasized that being a good person doesn’t save us—salvation is by grace through faith. When one student asked if good works still mattered, we explained that the Holy Spirit transforms believers, making good works a natural outpouring of faith. We challenged them to seriously consider Jesus’ claims and the evidence of His resurrection, and they agreed to look into it further.
On the streets of Charlottesville, we spoke with a man named Mike, who was raised loosely Catholic but now identifies as an atheist. He questioned whether we could have any real certainty about events that took place 2,000 years ago and saw no relevance between those events and life today. One of his biggest struggles was the idea that if God exists, He would not reveal Himself only in the distant past and then leave the rest of history to seek Him without clear guidance. This led to a discussion on the problem of divine hiddenness. We shared how evidence for God is abundant in the world around us, yet if God were to make His presence undeniable, it could interfere with genuine free will in choosing to follow Him. We also explored the strong historical evidence for the New Testament, explaining that Christianity is not based on blind faith but on well-documented events. Through our conversation, we challenged the idea that God is absent and emphasized that His truth is still accessible today.
We had a thoughtful conversation with Jay, a UVA student raised Hindu, who currently doesn’t identify with any particular belief system. He’s a curious and open-minded individual, eager to explore different worldviews. That very morning, Jay had decided to dive deeper into various perspectives, including Islam, atheism, and Christianity. To start his exploration, he had even rented a book by Richard Dawkins from the library, planning to begin with atheism. Over the course of an hour and a half, we engaged in a wide-ranging discussion with Jay, touching on topics like the origin of the universe, the nature of time, the identity of Jesus, human and animal suffering, and many other profound questions. We shared our views on Christianity and how it addresses these issues, contrasting them with the ideas found in the other worldviews Jay was exploring. By the end of the conversation, Jay was determined to read the Gospels, the Koran, and other resources on atheism to continue his search for truth. We encouraged him to pursue his journey of inquiry, reminding him of the promise that “whoever seeks will find.” We were excited to see his genuine curiosity and commitment to exploring different perspectives with an open mind and heart.
Virginia Tech University
Alana, a student at Virginia Tech, and Spencer, who attends JMU, had never seriously considered faith—Alana grew up around Christianity but without believing family members, while Spencer had simply never learned much about God. Their biggest obstacle to faith was a lack of awareness, but they were open, full of questions, and willing to listen. When we shared the Gospel with them and explained that accepting Jesus was as simple as a sincere prayer, they were ready. In an incredible moment, we led them in prayer, and both gave their lives to Jesus! Afterward, we talked about what it truly means to live for and with Jesus—not just believe in Him—and encouraged them in their new faith journey!
A conversation took place with a reformed Jew named Eli, who did not believe in God or the person and works of Jesus. Instead, he had recently embraced Greek philosophy, particularly the teachings of Aristotle and Socrates. He expressed the belief that there is no need to fear death if one has lived a good and content life, as joy in life itself provides a sense of rest. After hearing this, clarification was sought regarding his Jewish heritage. Eli explained that he identified as Jewish only in a communal and ancestral sense but held no doctrinal beliefs. When asked about Jesus, he mentioned that his rabbis had taught that Jesus was merely a prophet, and he had never questioned their authority on the matter. This opened the door for an explanation of why Jesus could not have been just a prophet and the significance of the resurrection. Eli listened thoughtfully and expressed interest in hearing more about Jesus. After further discussion and some small talk, the conversation ended with him stating that he would look into Christian claims about Jesus.
Around 4:30 near Virginia Tech’s campus, our team engaged in a conversation with Shane. He agreed to participate in our worldview survey, sharing that he believed life’s purpose is to be kind and help others succeed. Identifying as a Mormon, he stated that Jesus was the Son of God who died for reconciliation but denied His divinity, saying, “Jesus was created, not God.” When asked about heaven, Shane described an unclear process where individuals first learn about heaven and hell before being assigned a level of heaven based on faith. His explanations seemed more like recited doctrine than personal conviction. As we discussed Jesus’ deity, he admitted, “These questions are for a higher church leader—I haven’t done my own reading.” He also mentioned that his church primarily teaches from the Old Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price, rather than the New Testament. Recognizing Shane’s openness but lack of personal study, we encouraged him to read the New Testament for himself. Before he left for church, we prayed that God would stir his heart to seek Christ personally, not just ideologically, and to build a true relationship with the risen Savior.
At first, Emma saw Jesus as a good teacher but lacked a clear understanding of who He truly is and how we should respond to Him. She believed that her relationship with Him was based on works. We shared Mark 1:15, John 14:6, and Ephesians 2:8-9, explaining the Gospel to her. As we did, she began to understand. We then asked Emma if she wanted to repent of her sins and if she believed that Jesus is God, that He died for our sins, and that He was resurrected on the third day. She agreed. When asked if she would like to place her faith in Jesus, she said yes. We led her in a prayer of salvation, then prayed over her, asking God to strengthen her faith. Before parting, we encouraged Emma to read the book of John, find a good church or Christian student group, and continue growing in her relationship with Christ.
As we left the local farmer’s market, we approached a young woman named Maddy. She agreed to take our worldview survey, answering in a very cultural way, saying that everyone creates their own meaning. However, she also expressed belief in God, heaven, and that Jesus saves us from sin. It became clear that Maddy identified as a Christian but had likely never taken her faith seriously. She shared that she grew up in the Methodist church but hadn’t found a church since moving away for college—though, coincidentally, it was on her to-do list for the very next day! We encouraged her in her walk with Christ and emphasized the importance of finding a church community. When we asked if we could pray with her, she agreed, and as we prayed, she began to weep. Though she didn’t share the reason for her tears, it was clear that God was stirring something in her heart. Before parting, we exchanged contact information to stay in touch and continue encouraging her in her faith.