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.

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.