Gabby, a transfer student in Chi Omega

Nearly 1 in 10 students at UC Davis is involved in a fraternity or sorority.  With roughly 10% of the student population identifying as “Greek,” Cru has a heart to serve the Greek community and reach them with the gospel.  One of the ways we have decided to come alongside the Greek community is through prayer.

Coming into this quarter, I (Cameron) was slightly nervous about starting a prayer group. Out of 25 students from sororities and fraternities who showed initial interest in the prayer group, only 3 actually signed up to attend.  Thoughts like “I have no idea what those Greek letters say”, “what is the horse-shoe looking letter, again?” and “What if no one shows up” definitely went through my mind.  But, I realized that if I was the only one praying, there was still more prayer for the Greek Community than before.

So, at the first prayer meeting, when no students showed, a woman on my staff team and I decided to walk around and pray for the Greek system and for each Greek house we passed.  We also prayed for the 3 girls who had signed up to meet with us.  We prayed that God would raise up strong Christians in each house and that these 3 girls would reflect Jesus to those around them.

At the next prayer time, I walked up to the meeting place, and Gabby, a transfer student and pledge in Chi Omega was waiting.  After I asked about her spiritual background, Gabby shared that she has been spiritually searching.  She grew up in a religious home but went her own way in middle and high school, a path that led to disconnectedness and suicide attempts.  Now, she believes that there is something out there and is longing for connectedness.

I asked Gabby if I could share what I know about God, and she was eager to listen.  I was able to share my own story as well as some of the Knowing God Personally booklet.  Because of time constraints, I was only able to share the first point, that God loves Gabby, that he created her to know him personally, and that he has a plan for her.  Gabby seemed open to talking more, so I sent her home with the booklet and set up a time to meet again.

At our next meeting, I asked Gabby if she’d read the rest of the book.  She had, and she had also shared it with her roommate who is in a similar place spiritually.  She said that when she finished it, she was crying, and that if this is true, this is what she wants. What holds Gabby back, however, is that she’s been so inundated with anti-God thinking from the world and community around her; so it’s difficult for her to simply believe that it is in fact true.  Like many students at Davis, Gabby has barriers and a worldview that stand in the way of Jesus, which need to be addressed before she can see him as her Savior and Lord.

Please pray for Gabby! She is searching and so open to talking about God. I was able to give her a book about the things that are holding her back, which she’s started reading, and she has attended another prayer meeting. Last week she also got connected to a Chi Omega sorority sister who is also in Cru. We are praying that God would draw her to himself and break down the barriers that stand in her way. Thank you for investing in the lives of these students! We are so thankful for your partnership and prayers.

Prayer requests

Please continue to pray for Gabby and the Greek Community at UC Davis!  Pray that God would open doors for us, and that we would see fraternities reached as well.

Pray that our students would have a heart to reach out to their friends.

Please pray for our Men’s and Women’s Retreats coming up in mid-February.

Pray for continued energy and strength for us and our staff team.

Amy decided to place her trust in Jesus!

“My friends all grew up Christian, but I didn’t know anything about it,” said Amy (left), a bubbly 2nd year student.  Curious, because of conversations with a friend named Kenny who had begun to explore Christianity this past summer, Amy followed Kenny to a bible study that I (Jeff) am helping lead this year.

Afterward, Brittany (below, right), a 3rd year animal science major who is co-leading the study, met with Amy to follow up her experience.  Brittany had been a bit nervous to lead Bible study this year, but has been trusting that the Lord will use her.  During their meeting, Brittany explained the big picture of the Bible.  But, after discussing Amy’s spiritual background, they quickly ran out of time, and Amy eagerly agreed to meet up again.

This time, Brittany invited a Cru staff member named Anna to accompany her for their second meeting.  It was Brittany, however, who eagerly shared the gospel with Amy while Anna listened joyfully.  Asked if she had ever let Jesus into her life, Amy responded, “I feel like I’ve been interacting with Jesus, but I’ve never actually prayed.”  After a few more questions, Amy was ready to surrender her life to Jesus, and prayed quietly to receive him into her life.

It was Brittany’s first time seeing God use her to bring someone to faith!

By this time, both Brittany and Amy had to leave for class.  Brittany, however, had a huge smile on her face; this was the first time she had seen the Lord use her to bring someone to faith in Christ!

Brittany and Amy plan on meeting up regularly to help ground her in her new faith in Christ with some of the basics.  Yet, we can already see evidence of how God is moving in Amy.  Just a few days after Amy decided to trust Jesus, she attended our bible study, where some of the students were discussing fear that keeps them from sharing their faith with those around them.  After listening for a while, Amy piped up.

“If Brittany and Anna hadn’t explained the gospel to me last week, I wouldn’t have a relationship with God!  I was just waiting to know.”  She then proceeded for the next five minutes to exhort the other students to share their faith!

How amazing!  Thank you so much for helping enable students to reach their fellow students!

Clay Update

This quarter has been a busy one!  Between Fall Launch, helping follow-up 1400 students who filled out contact cards in exchange for free water bottles, helping lead our separate Bible Studies, and the many conferences and retreats that happen in the fall, our weeks have been full of intense ministry!  It has been fun, busy, exhausting, and fruitful!

Jeff has loved getting to teach at our Cru weekly meetings, which he will do more of in winter quarter.  He’s also enjoyed the work involved in his seminary class that develops him further for his work on campus.

Cameron has started meeting with 3 groups of girls weekly to help them grow in being disciples of Christ.  She has also spoken in front of 4 sororities and 1 fraternity about a prayer group that we’re starting to serve the Greek Community at Davis.  19 students have indicated an interest in the group!

We are looking forward to what this year has in store for us, both personally and in ministry!

Prayer Requests

Pray for Amy, that she would grow in knowledge of and relationship with Christ.

Pray for continued energy for us to finish the quarter well, refreshment over holiday breaks, and for our momentum for the start of winter quarter.

Praise God for the access He’s given us to the fraternities and sororities! Pray that many students would join our Greek Community prayer group and be strengthened in their witness to their fraternities and sororities.

Pray for God to raise up male leaders.

Praise God (and pray) for the 10 students who have placed their trust in Christ this quarter!

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.