Treasure Hunt Testimony

I didn’t know what to expect when I decided earlier last week to attend the Chi Alpha treasure hunt.  Coincidentally, I had read a Christian story on an app for creative writers on my Ipod about a month before I moved to Stanford.  In the story, the conflicted protagonist attended a church that hosted events similar to the treasure hunt that Eyosias organized Saturday.  I believed that God could work in this way, but I definitely thought that the writer had exaggerated a bit.  When I received the email, I remember looking at it and thinking, “I would probably be better off doing some homework or catching up on sleep rather than going on a treasure hunt” (of course, I didn’t know what a treasure hunt was at that moment).  The email moved to the backburner of my brain until I was scrolling through my emails later in the week, and I saw it again.  For some reason, I clicked on it and read the message fully this time.  I was amazed to read that the treasure hunt was very similar to the event from the story I read on my Ipod.  I was immediately fascinated with the concept of allowing God to speak to our spirits and give us the details of a person on campus who needed prayer.  I decided that I’d go on Saturday.

When it finally came around, I made my way to Old Union and gathered around the table with the other Chi Alpha members who attended.  Eyosias described exactly what a treasure hunt was, and we opened up with prayer and then asked God to give us the details of a person on campus that we should go to and pray for.  I didn’t feel inspired to write anything on my paper, and before I knew it Eyosias said we had one more minute.  In that moment, I saw a person’s smile.  Honestly, it was simply a smile floating in thin air, no face attached, but I saw the lips brighten to a ruby red color, so I assumed that it was a woman’s smile.  Since what I saw didn’t match with any of the descriptions anyone else received, I didn’t write it on my paper and I kept it to myself, believing that if there were anything to it, God would let it be known.  We split into groups of three, and I ended up with Phoua and Brittany, who both received Tresidder from God.  We went to Tresidder and prayed for a few people who we saw there that matched some of our group’s descriptions.

We made our way to Treehouse, and Phoua asked for some of the free candy offered at the counter.  One of the cashiers, Candy Hernandez, told her that it was free for anyone who wanted some, and I noticed that she was wearing bright red lipstick.  We were on our way out the door when I felt inspired to go talk to her.  I told Brittany and Phoua and they agreed that we should go ask her if she needed prayer for anything.  When we finally did ask, she enthusiastically told us that we had “perfect timing”.  She described how she had been having eating problems and she couldn’t seem to get anything down when she tried to eat.  Additionally, she revealed that her father was battling cancer.  When we asked if we could pray with her, she adamantly replied “Yes!” even while she was still working behind the counter.  We prayed with her, and she told us how thankful she was for the prayer.  We exchanged numbers and took a selfie with her.  I noticed her positive attitude (evident in her confident pose in the selfie) despite her current situation.  When I thought back on that, I think there was a reason why God showed me a smile.  Candy Hernandez was smiling in the midst of such a tragic trial in life.  She texted me today and told me how much of a blessing we were, mentioning that “God sent you girls just @the right time” and that we “made her day”.  God is incredible, and I am certain that this treasure hunt affected so many in more ways than we know.  Truly, Candy was not the only one blessed by the treasure hunt.  I was as well.

-Alexis, Class of 2018