Thank You for making a difference in the lives of students.

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Esme's Spiritual Journey

Esme, a freshmen at MIT, connected with our ministry through her roommate, Sherry, who is a follower of Jesus.  Learning of her curiosity about Christianity I arranged to meet with her.

Like many college students today, Esme grew up in a home where her exposure to Jesus was almost non-existent.  She attended church only on Christmas and Easter, and did not know much about the Bible or the Christian faith.  But she was attracted to our Cru community at MIT and now really desires to know more about God.

After we walked through the gospel story, Esme said she wanted to place her trust in Christ but still had some questions.  A week later, Esme attended the Cru Fall Retreat and said it was the first time she realized that God works not only in “big, miraculous ways” but also in numerous small and individual ways.  It was not long before she and her roommate, Sherry, began hosting a life group in their own dorm room!

When Esme and I met again, we looked at a tool called “Backstory” that walks through the larger themes of the Bible including intimacy, betrayal, pursuit and sacrifice.  It was clear as we discussed various Bible passages that Esme now has a deeper understanding of Jesus, the gospel and God’s grace.

When I asked her, “What does the image of the cross mean to you?” she replied, “It used to just be a symbol of Christianity, but now when I see it, it makes me think of the greatest sacrifice ever made –– Jesus died for us though we did nothing to deserve it.  It was our sin that He paid for.” She also said, “I know everyone needs Jesus, and that includes me.”

Esme is very close to giving her life to Christ, but she says she is nervous about “what’s on the other side” and what it means to give up control of her life to God.  Yet she recognizes that God is pursuing her:  “I know God is communicating with me because if I didn’t happen to be roommates with Sherry, I never would have gotten involved in this group.”

Esme is but one of several answers to our prayers for more non-believers and seekers to get connected with our community and draw near to Jesus.  Several freshmen like Sherry have invited roommates and friends to participate in our events and life groups, and it is thrilling to seem them starting to understand the gospel and embrace Jesus!

Would you pray that Esme would continue to seek after Christ and embrace Him as her Lord and Savior?

*This entry was written by Kim Swanson, Cru staff, who has walked with Esme on her spiritual journey and continues to meet with Esme on a regular basis.

God has won Nathalie's heart . . .

Nathalie came to MIT as a freshmen already feeling God pursuing her life. He seemed to be there at every turn, beckoning her to himself but she felt unworthy of his love.

She realized how many times God sought her out but felt guilty that she did not seek him in return, as she would naturally turn and live her life her own way, easily forgetting him.

Plagued by guilt, Nathalie saw involvement with Cru at MIT as her last chance to find a means to connect before he gave up on her.

Although she didn't identify with being a Christian, Nathalie knew God was real and wanted a relationship with her. Jenn Halvorsen (Cru staff) arranged to meet her for coffee and listen to her story.  Through many tears, Nathalie heard Jenn affirm that we are ALL unworthy (Romans 3:10-12), and only through Jesus can we approach God's throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).  And furthermore, that by His blood, he will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

As a result, Nathalie got involved in her dorm's life group, delving deeply into Jenn's Bible study with her student peers. Soon she committed to attend the Cru Fall Retreat with two newfound friends (Lyndsey and Sammy) from this life group.

As she experienced more community, had intense conversations with Lyndsey about how she came to believe, and listened to Fall Retreat speaker, Rick James, it finally began to sink into Nathalie's heart how much Jesus cared for her. By the end of the weekend, Nathalie announced that she placed her faith in Christ.

Nathalie remains committed to her life group on campus, continuing to ask many insightful questions. Pray that she trusts the Lord more and more each day as she experiences new faith and security in Christ.

*This changed life story was written by Jenn Halvorsen, Real Life staff member, who shared the Gospel with Nathalie and witnessed the moment when Nathalie placed her faith in Christ.

. . . from the desk of the President of Gordon College

"I have spent the last eight years interviewing senior leaders in government, business and nonprofit life, exploring how senior leaders use the resources at their disposal to advance human flourishing and to serve the common good.  I logged 400,000 miles traveling from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  I interviewed presidents, titans of industry, celebrity icons and chief executives of the nation's largest firms.  Yet as I began to analyze the data, I realized that over half of all these interviews took place on the short stretch of land along I-95 from Washington, D.C., to Boston.  This is what we sociologists refer to as the 'power elite' corridor.  It's home to the political, financial and intellectual capitals of the Western world."

Dr. D. Michael Lindsay
President, Gordon College