80 students and 24 staff attended our mission trip in Santa Monica

On top of seeking to reach out to the entire community of Santa Monica during our summer mission, we also seek to regularly engage with students at Santa Monica College. This year, we also decided to send a team of 15 of our 80 students to reach out to the UCLA campus.

During their second day at UCLA, two students from our group, Frank and Grace, approached a UCLA student named Luis.  Midway through the conversation, Frank and Grace shared that they are with a group called Cru.  Luis exclaimed, “I’ve been looking for Cru!”  He then shared that for the last year he’s been doing research and that he now believes that there is a God and that He is the God of the Bible.  Luis was interested in knowing more about this God.

So, Frank and Grace shared a booklet that they had been trained in this summer called “Would You Like to Know God Personally?.”  The booklet gives a basic outline of the gospel: that God loves you and created you for relationship with Him, that we are separated from God by our sin, that Jesus bridged the gap created by our sin, and that through our faith in Jesus alone we can be restored into relationship with God.  Luis was super engaged in the conversation and decided on the spot to place his faith in Jesus.  Frank and Grace called Alexis, one of the 15 students of the UCLA team who is also a UCLA student during the year.  Alexis and Luis connected, and Luis now intends to be part of UCLA Cru in the fall.

Luis’ story is an amazing story of new life in Christ, but it became that much more exciting for Frank and Grace (and the rest of our summer team) when Luis shared that last year he had worked with a UCLA student named Trevor who attended the 2013 summer mission in Santa Monica.  Trevor reached out to Luis, met up with him twice, and engaged in some spiritual conversations.  At the end of the summer, however, the two ended up going their separate ways.

Cameron mentored the above girls this summer: (L to R) Megan, Taylor, Lydia, Jocelyn, and Veronika. Jeff helped give leadership to the entire trip, especially with financial logistics.

One of the other UCLA students on the team quickly called Trevor to share the good news: Luis was a new brother in Christ and Trevor had been a part of that!  Overwhelmed with joy, Trevor, who had been praying for Luis all year, broke down in tears.

As members and staff of a summer trip like this, we pray for changed lives, lasting fruit, and that our students would experience God’s power and perfect plan.  Luis is an answer to this prayer!  Thank you for helping us and our students reach those like Luis with the gospel.

Prayer Requests

Praise God for Luis and his decision to surrender his life to Christ. Praise God for using Trevor and this year’s students!

Praise God for the 1,111 spiritual conversations, 343 gospel presentations, and 58 indicated decisions for Christ over the first 6 weeks in Santa Monica.

Please pray for the students as they finish out their summer in Santa Monica. Pray that God would continue to grow and use them!

I (Cameron) met Sammi 4 years ago during fall quarter of her freshman year.  Sammi (left) is a part of a core group of girls who faithfully attended the bible study I helped lead that year.  Last week was Sammi’s last as an undergraduate student at UC Davis.

She is one of our beloved seniors who brings energy and deep joy with her everywhere she goes.  But Sammi isn’t just a cheerful person; she has a spiritual depth to which few of our students have matured and a passion to draw others close to the Lord.

Sammi entered college as a young Christian with many misunderstandings about her faith.  However, Sammi’s teachable heart and excitement to learn were evident.  Within a supportive community of girls her age, she began to grow in her faith, slowly at first, and then by leaps and bounds as she surrendered more and more of her heart and life to Christ.

“There were many roadblocks that I needed to overcome.  I didn’t understand that sharing your faith was part of the Christian life,” says Sammi.  Once she discovered this missing element, she began to start spiritual conversations with her friends.  Because of her cheerful attitude, confidence, and adaptability, Sammi has been able to reach students who would never step into a church or actively engage in spiritual discussions.

Sammi spends hours investing in the younger women in Cru, teaching them the things she learned about faith as an underclassman.  They feel safe and loved by her, even while discussing difficult truths of the Bible.  How does Sammi get the strength and wisdom to do this? “I’ve learned the importance of having a daily quiet time… you have to spend time with God to grow closer.”

With graduation upon her, Sammi is gearing up to begin graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne.  She’s eager to join a church and continue a life of discipleship and evangelism, as she transitions to a new state, new college, and new community.

Thanks for being a part of helping Sammi and others like her grow in their faith in college, so that they can continue to live life on mission wherever they may go!

Prayer Requests

Thank God for his work in Sammi’s life and the ways he has used her over these last 4 years! Pray for her and the other seniors as they graduate and transition out of college. Pray that they would find community and continue to walk closely with God.

Praise God for the 317 students that we started spiritual conversations with during our Easter Outreach! 95 had the opportunity to hear the gospel, and 3 accepted Christ!

Please pray for us, the staff, and the students involved in the Santa Monica Summer Project!  Pray that God would go before us in the conversations we have and that many people would hear the gospel during our time here.

Carl, a sophomore at UC Davis

“I actually just dedicated my life to Jesus on March 26” Carl told me (Jeff) a few weeks ago as I met him for the time.

Carl was raised in a Jewish home.  He went to religious school and temple, but faith played less and less of a role in his life after he graduated from religious school.  This was especially true when he went off to college.

Yet, Carl felt like there was something missing in his life.  Even though he did well in sports and academics, Carl never felt fulfilled.

Carl’s girlfriend started taking him to church in his hometown.  As he was exposed to Jesus and the gospel, Carl began to sense that he had found the thing that was missing in his life.  In the meantime, during winter quarter of his sophomore year (this past January through March), Carl started attending weekly Cru meetings, where he was further exposed to the gospel, and also suddenly had an amazing community of people his own age who could encourage him.

While at home during spring break in March, Carl met with his pastor and decided to dedicate his life to Jesus.

Since coming to know Jesus, Carl has seen immediate changes in his life. “I feel like the burden of my imperfections is lifted, which has done wonders for my day to day attitude and overall happiness.”  Indeed, as I’ve met with Carl over the past four weeks, my observation is that he seems to be a very joyful person.

Carl’s family has noticed those same changes and is thrilled for him.  However, they don’t know why those changes are taking place.  Carl is very fearful that his family will reject him.  Please keep Carl in your prayers as he discerns how to tell his family about Jesus.

I was actually able to be with Carl as he shared his faith in Jesus for the first time during our Easter outreach.  And, wouldn’t you know it?  The first people we talked to were a pair of Jewish guys, one of whom is currently going to Jewish religious school.  Carl was able to lovingly and boldly share about his experiences and how Jesus has changed his life.  It was so cool!

I’m meeting up regularly with Carl to go over the basic truths of the Christian faith.  It has repeatedly been one of the highlights of my week.

Thank you for helping make it possible for students like Carl to be exposed to the gospel and grow in their newfound faith!

Prayer Requests

Praise God that he brought Carl to Jesus!  Pray that Carl would continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom, and also intimacy with the Lord.  Pray that God would be working in the lives of his family members.

Pray that staff and students would finish the year well, including us as we prepare to lead a trip in Santa Monica this summer.

Cru staff member Taiko (left) with freshman Destiny.

“What is Christianity?” Destiny (on the right in the picture) asked Taiko (left) last month as she leaned across the table. “Is it more than just being a good person?”

Destiny, a biology major from Dinuba, CA, is one of the hundreds of UCD freshmen who filled out a Cru contact card last September in exchange for a free water bottle. Like many others, she was then contacted about a Cru dorm Bible study.

While Destiny didn’t come to any of our Bible studies in the fall, she did attend our Halloween social with her roommates where she carved a pumpkin and met other students involved in Cru.

Taiko, a member of our staff team, remembers meeting Destiny. Yet, after that social, Destiny didn’t attend any other events in the fall. Taiko honestly thought that she wouldn’t see Destiny again.

However, to Taiko’s surprise, Destiny showed up to the first Bible study of winter quarter! And even more surprising, Destiny asked if Taiko would mentor her and teach her more about God. Wanting to make spirituality a priority, Destiny had arranged her winter quarter schedule so that she had Tuesday nights free for Bible study.

During their first mentorship meeting, Destiny shared that all her life she had felt unsatisfied with her spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof), but never thought to look for anything else until she met Taiko and others in Cru.

After talking for a bit, Taiko asked her if she wanted to know how to have a relationship with God. “I definitely do!” she said.

Taiko shared about God’s incredible love and the good news that we are saved by God’s grace through faith. Destiny’s response was to ask Jesus to be her Lord and Savior!

Since then, Destiny has been attending her dorm’s Bible study (it’s the first time she’s ever studied the Bible!), sincerely desires to follow Jesus, and is meeting with Taiko weekly to learn more about God.

Thanks for giving students like Destiny a chance to hear the Gospel and place their trust in Christ!

Prayer Requests

Praise God for drawing Destiny to himself and using Taiko to share his good news. Pray that she would continue to learn what it means to walk with Jesus on a daily basis.

Jeff’s grandfather, Jack, passed away on Sunday, February 2nd. Please pray for his family, especially Jack’s wife and two daughters (Jeff’s mom and aunt). We are in Southern California now for the funeral, and greatly appreciate your prayers.

Our Summer

We are excited to share that we will be helping lead the Santa Monica Summer Project this summer.  As the Operations Director, Jeff will manage the logistical and financial details while giving leadership to the staff and project.  Cameron will work closely with a group of girls, leading them in evangelism and discipleship.  Please pray for all of the students and staff who plan to be in Santa Monica this summer.

Cori (right), with one of our staff members, Stephanie

Cori said her goodbye to her mom, and watched as she drove away, leaving her on her own. Cori was now a college freshman at UC Davis, far away from home and lost in a sea of 28,000 students. Yet, immediately thrown into a whirlwind of busyness and activity, she took the first five days in stride.

Waves of homesickness soon began to set in, however.  I wish I were just at home with my mom, Cori thought.

On the first day of classes, Cori was exiting her last class of the day when she bumped into someone who was about to go to Cru’s first weekly meeting of the year.  She asked Cori if she was going to go.

No. Cori wasn’t going to go.

After thinking about it, however, she realized that she wanted to find a Christian group on campus and had nothing to lose. She then made the decision to check out Cru.

“As soon as I walked in, I felt completely comfortable and at home.  Everyone was so outgoing and welcoming and eager to get to know me.  I loved it from the minute I got there.”

While Cori is excited that she has found a place to call home, she is also excited that it’s a place that she can grow in her faith.

“I am really excited to grow in my faith and walk closer with God on a personal level. I also can’t wait to learn how to start a conversation with others about God. I feel like I have this amazing gift and I want to share it.”

Millions of students like Cori go away to college every year.  Thanks for partnering with us so that we can help provide a place for them a to call home while they’re away from home.

Prayer Requests

Thank God that he has given Cori and many other freshmen a place to call home in Cru. Pray that many other freshmen would find Christ-centered communities.

Thank God for the 108 students in discipleship groups this quarter.  This is the most we’ve seen since either of us have been here. Pray that these students would grow in the their relationships with the Lord and would grow in introducing others to him. Also pray for endurance for the staff as they lead these discipleship groups.

Thank God for our church community. We have enjoyed being able to be more involved this past year. We are both enjoying our weekly community group (small group bible study). Additionally, Jeff has received opportunities in front of the church to develop teaching skills, which he enjoys greatly.

Thank God that Cameron has been able to be mentored weekly by a godly woman involved in our church. Pray that God would continue to bless their relationship.

Emma, a senior at UC Davis, with a young girl named Sinesipho in a township in South Africa

When Emma entered McDonald’s in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, she never expected to encounter God.

Emma left for Cru’s summer mission trip to South Africa in July uncertain of God’s power and whether He really is in control of everything. Although she had been involved with Cru at UC Davis for 3 years, she continued to have doubts. For instance, she questioned whether the God of the Bible is really who He says He is, and if so, how could she be sure of His power?

Yet, Emma knew that she had entered into a relationship with Jesus and wanted to be a part of giving college students in South Africa the same opportunity. In conversations with the South African students, Emma could see God working in their hearts and lives, but when it came to personally believing that God was all-powerful and in control, she was still struggling.

One afternoon, following a morning of ministry on the college campus in Port Elizabeth, Emma and a friend went to their regular hangout—McDonalds. Sitting in a booth nearby were four men in American military uniforms. Wanting to encourage the service men, Emma approached the table and joked, “Man, you Americans sure love your McDonalds.” Upon hearing her accent, the men laughed and engaged her in conversation.

One of the men, Larry, asked Emma why she was in South Africa. She mentioned her work with Cru. He immediately lit up and shared that he had come to Christ through Cru in the 1980’s, been discipled by a well-known leader in Cru, and had been on several mission trips himself. Excited to hear this, Emma asked what he was doing in South Africa. Larry was on an hour layover in Port Elizabeth. He is an Army chaplain and had just been training 40+ new chaplains in the Congo.

Emma was hit with the reality that this meeting was no coincidence. The orchestration of meeting Larry, a man who knew exactly what she was doing and had been discipled by someone she knew, all while on his hour layover in Port Elizabeth, South Africa while she just “happened to be there,” was divine. That is when Emma understood that God’s power and control are far greater than she could comprehend.

After this event, Emma experienced deep assurance in her faith and a sense of renewal in her desire to walk closely with God. She decided to be baptized and was baptized in the Indian Ocean before leaving South Africa.

Emma has now returned to Davis with fervor for God’s work. She says, “I’d be happy if everyday I’m glorifying God and having conversations about Him.”

Thank you for partnering with us as we see students like Emma grasp the greatness of God!

Prayer Requests

Pray for Emma. Pray that she grows in faith and remembers all God did this summer. Also pray for her as she makes decisions about her future.

Praise God for the 17 South African students who placed their trust in Christ while Emma and her team were in Port Elizabeth.

Pray for the thousands of incoming freshmen and the returning UCD students who are getting ready to start school in two weeks! Pray that they would be receptive to the gospel and want to know more about Jesus.

Anna, a 3rd year student at UC Davis

Anna left home for college as a self-proclaimed Christian. She had grown up going to church and had a basic knowledge of the Christian faith. But, when Anna started getting involved socially at UC Davis, it wasn’t through a church or a Christian fellowship. Anna, like many freshmen, was quickly immersed in the party scene, where she sought the attention of guys and found her identity in the approval of others.

By the middle of her sophomore year, Anna was in a verbally abusive relationship, was constantly partying, and had flunked out of school, all of which she hid from her parents.

After managing to get back into school, Anna decided to attend a Cru meeting. She was then invited to a Bible study, where she personally studied the Bible for the first time. Anna was still keeping up with her social life, but her fervor for the party scene had begun to wane.

Unsure of her plans for the 2012 summer, Anna was intrigued by Cru’s summer mission trips and decided to go to one in Santa Monica. Upon her arrival, she was shocked to be in the midst of more than 60 other students who were truly living out their faith.

By the second week of her stay in Santa Monica, Anna realized that she had sought her security and life in many things other than Jesus: having a boyfriend, partying, and her parents approval, just to name a few. And, all of these things had left her wanting. Her boyfriend’s verbal abuse and manipulation had damaged her self-esteem. Her active partying had led her to ignore her studies and be put on academic dismissal. Her desire to hide this from her parents caused her to feel ashamed.

She had also come to understand that Jesus is the only true source of life, and she wanted to surrender fully to Him. This desire led Anna to break up with her boyfriend and call her parents to honestly share about her college experiences. Contrary to her fears, her parents embraced her with forgiveness and grace. All of this marked the beginning of Anna’s relationship with Christ and an open, safe relationship with her parents.

Anna (left), sharing her faith at 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica last summer

The rest of Anna’s summer in Santa Monica was filled with learning more about God and her faith. She experienced authentic, Christ-centered community. She began reading the Bible on her own for the first time. And, she learned how to share her faith and engage with non-Christians.

Since last summer, Anna has been using the skills she learned to share God’s love and her own story with students on the UC Davis campus. In addition, she has decided to intern with Cru next year (her senior year), so that she can impact others the way the Lord used Cru staff to impact her.

Thank you for partnering with us to see students like Anna find life in Christ!

Prayer Requests

Praise God for the work He’s done in Anna’s life over the last 2 years. And please pray for her as she prepares to intern with Cru.

Pray that all of our students, whether going on mission trips or staying home, would experience God’s presence and grow in their faith over summer.

Pray for all of the high school seniors who are preparing to be in Davis in the fall.

Matthew (right) on a mission trip to South Africa after his senior year

Matthew was like many kids who grew up in Christian homes.  He went to church and youth group, read his Bible, and prayed.

Yet, Matthew’s faith had never become his own.  When he left home and went to college, Matthew started to make his own decisions.  He soon found himself busy with studying and other college activities, so the Christian things Matthew had done in the past had now become inconvenient.  While he believes he had a relationship with God, he wasn’t living it out.

“I was just moving through life passively.  It became quite disconcerting and frightening.  I felt as if I had no direction and nothing to hold onto or aspire for when things got tough.”

In the middle of his junior year, Matthew began to come to Cru’s weekly meeting with some friends and found that he was enjoying the community.  Yet, he says he still had the mentality of checking his “Christian box, so to speak”.  It was in those weekly meetings that God began to correct Matthew’s thinking, helping him realize that following Christ wasn’t just something simply to add on to one’s life, but the thing dictated and permeated through all of life.  Matthew began to attend church later that year in addition to going to Cru, where his understanding grew even more.

That summer, Matthew began to think, pray, and reflect.  “I came to the realization that while I may have asked Christ to be my savior many years ago, I had never devoted myself to him and asked Him to be Lord.”  Matthew surrendered his life to the Lord and has seen many changes since.  Here are a few that he mentioned:

“I’ve recognized the importance of evangelism and that it’s not just a thing for ‘those’ kind of people, but for all Christians.”

“Even though I still struggle with engaging in it, I see the absolute necessity of community.”

“I’ve found myself not only reading the Bible much more, but enjoying it and studying it.”

“Most encouraging however, is that I now have no doubt about a sense of direction and purpose.  While I don’t know all the details of what God has planned for me, I know that there is a plan and that I can move forward each day, week, month, and year following in that and that there is no ‘waste’ or ‘pointlessness’.

Matthew is involved in many “Christian things” again.  What I love, however, is that these activities come not from a need to check a box on a to-do list, but from his realization that God is good and loving.  Matthew is surrendered.

Matthew is currently completing work on his teaching credential.  His dream is to teach missionary kids overseas, but he is holding his plans with an open hand in case God were to call him to something else instead.

Thank you for your partnership in helping kids from Christian homes, like Matthew, make their faith their own!

Prayer Requests

Thank God for working in Matthew!

As the school year winds down, pray that our staff and students would finish well, with energy from the Lord.

Pray for the funding of the many UC Davis students going on summer trips in the US and around the world.

Hannah, a junior at UC Davis

Have you ever had a time when your daily walk with Jesus became more about duty than desire?

Hannah (pictured above) comes from a Christian home. In fact, her parents have been on staff with Cru for longer than Hannah has been alive. So, when I (Cameron) met Hannah in the beginning of her freshman year, I was not surprised by her involvement in Cru.  She regularly attended my Bible study and had all the right answers to the questions I would ask.  Yet, I could see that Hannah was only in the early stages of taking ownership of her faith.

The previous summer, while on a mission trip to Hungary, Hannah’s perspective on faith drastically changed.  She understood for the first time that the central theme of the Christian faith was to glorify God. This moment of understanding was a major turning point for Hannah, but it was over the next few years that some of the implications of this truth would play out in her daily life.

While Hannah had grown up very goal-oriented, there wasn’t an overarching purpose for the goals she set for herself. She would strive to reach these goals from a sense of duty and performance. Even in her relationship with God, much of what Hannah did was because she was “supposed to” rather than from a desire to glorify God.

But, as she learned more about God’s transforming love and applied what she had learned the previous summer, Hannah came to realize that becoming more like Christ is not a contest to get the most brownie points; instead, it’s a process of surrendering daily to the Holy Spirit. This realization has led Hannah to desire to serve God moment-by-moment more than accomplishing her own goals.

Hannah is a key part of the UC Davis women’s water polo team.

Hannah has especially seen this transition from duty to desire affect her daily activities. As a member of the UC Davis Water Polo team, she desires to reach out to her teammates in love rather than because of “Christian duty.” She is getting closer to finishing her degree in civil engineering, but is holding her future with an open hand because she is open to however God wants to use her. And, she is pointing people to Jesus and involved in Cru because she desires to grow and help others grow in their relationship with Christ.

The simple truths can make a huge difference!

Thank you for your partnership in helping students like Hannah grow in understanding their faith!

Prayer Requests

Thank God for the transformations like Hannah’s that are happening in our students year after year!

Pray for Hannah as she reaches out to her teammates and seeks God’s will for her future.

Pray for Davis Cru’s spring break trip—specifically, launching a movement at Woodland Community College!

“I just don’t see what’s so good about this God,” Jon said to me (Jeff).

Jon’s view of God has changed greatly in the past year!

I met Jon his first week at UC Davis, about a year and a half ago.  He had come to our first weekly meeting of the year, and then to our first bible study.  He told me that he had gone to church for all 18 years of his life and that his parents were involved in Cru in college.  Jon was sure to be a Christian, right?

Nevertheless, we make it a habit of sharing the gospel with all of our incoming freshmen.  So, I asked Jon to meet up for about 30 minutes later in the week.  As we began our conversation, I asked him the question that I ask every freshman when we meet up for the first time: “So what’s your spiritual background?”

Jon answered, “I guess I would consider myself an agnostic.”

That definitely wasn’t what I expected.

I listened to Jon as he shared his doubts.  Among others, he didn’t trust that God is good.

I told Jon that I’m glad he’s in our group, that it’s okay if he has doubts, and that he can ask any questions that he wants.  I also asked if we could meet up again.

Jon became a frequent attendee to our bible study, weekly meetings, and social events.  He began to make friends and genuinely enjoy himself within our community.  He had a safe place to which to belong and explore his questions.

As Jon and I would continue to meet up, however, I would ask the question, “Can you say that God is good?”  He could never answer yes wholeheartedly.

I met with Jon once again last month at In-N-Out.  It had been awhile since we had hung out.  Just by talking with him, I could see that he had grown a ton.  I also asked the recurring question, “Can you say that God is good?”

Without hesitation, Jon said, “Yes.”

Praise God!  I’m so thankful that God is working in Jon’s life, that he is revealing more of His character to Jon, and that Jon has found a safe community to which to belong.

Thank you for being part of Jon’s spiritual journey and helping to allow students like him to have a safe place to explore their questions.

Prayer Requests

Thank God for revealing more of His character to Jon.  Thank Him for the growth in Jon’s life.

Thank God for the impact that he made in the lives of our students attending our annual Winter Conference.

Pray for students to apply to our summer missions opportunities.  Application deadlines are coming up soon.  These make such an impact both to the places that students go and in the lives of the students themselves.