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22 Students and Cru Staff from LSU spent Spring Break reaching students in Bologna, Italy. University of Bologna was founded in 1088. With 0.09% of Italian students attending any religious service regularly and far more than half of Italian students even believing there is a God, it often takes someone entering into their space to raise the question. The team of students from LSU met hundreds over students over the week. If Italian students are interested in taking steps forward to explore God we have several recent graduates serving with Cru in North Italy to follow them up.

Students from San Antonio traveled to New Orleans to partner with the Baptist Campus Ministries. They invested part of the week serving local communities and helping local churches. A couple of days, they met students on a few New Orleans university campuses to help surface students who would want to explore more about God.

50 students from 13 campuses across Texas and Louisiana which do not have Cru on their campus came to a weekend retreat in February to learn how God could use them to make an impact on their campus–and for several through their athletic team. Over the weekend 3 students realized that the first step they needed to take was to trust in Jesus and begin relationship with God. Over half the students expressed interest in serving on a summer mission this summer. Already, 4 new campuses have launched a Cru group back on campus at Tarleton State, Midwestern State, Northwestern State, and Prairie View A&M.

In February, students were invited to ‘Sent Conference’, a one-day conference to consider how to steward their lives after college and for years to come. Sessions included topics such as: entitlement, discerning God’s will, managing finances, having a ministry in the workplace, and mission opportunities. Luke is a freshmen at Rice studying chemistry, physics, and sports analytics — yes three majors. Luke was so impacted by the calling to “go to the ends of the earth with the good news of Jesus” that he is reconsidering which major would set him up well to be a missionary one day. He also said yes to go on summer mission to reach college students in an unreached country this summer! 

During our Dallas Winter Conference, I led several seminars for hundreds of students. Students were so hungry to grow in the faith, that every seminar I spoke at was standing room only. Here are some of the topics that I spoke on to students. How to Multiply Your Faith How to Know God’s Will How to Grow in Your Love for Reading the Bible

I met Carlos last summer before he started college at Texas State while he was working for an urban youth camp in Austin. During the Cru Winter Conference in Dallas, Carlos asked if I would be part of baptizing him as he wanted to make his faith more public as a student.

I sent the evening with students in San Antonio sharing with them the unique ways that God has used university students to reach the world with the gospel throughout the centuries and especially in the last 150 years. Over the last decade, God has used students from San Antonio to reach students on campuses in Western Europe, the Middle East, East and Southeast Asia. Many of the students heading out on these summer mission opportunities are first-generation college students.

Jeslyn looks like a regular college student. Entertaining selfies fill her Instagram posts. She wears colorful socks with her Crocs. What God is doing through Jeslyn is not regular. God is using her life in so many ways. Over the last year, she helped lead her brother, Jaren, to Christ. In high school, Jaren struggled with a drug addiction, which strained their relationship to the limit. As Jeslyn was reaching out to students on the campus of UTSA through Cru, she felt God’s challenge to reach out to Jaren. Jaren says, “Without my sister, I wouldn’t be following God. He set me free from my addiction and changed my life. Now, I have regular opportunities to share the gospel. I’m leading a bible study for new… Read MoreHow Jeslyn Is Changing Her Family—and multiple campuses »

Zach came to Christ through friends in Cru last Spring. This Fall, he is helping top lead worship at the Cru Fall Retreat. Zach plans to join several friends on a Cru Summer Mission to reach students in Thailand next summer.

Sarah [second from right] says she arrived at college during “the summer of Covid.” In August 2020 campus was not an enjoyable place to be. Most classes were online. Wearing masks during 100-degree days in San Antonio made meeting other new students difficult. Something made Sarah consider getting back into her faith. She prayed for Christian friends. Out of nowhere, someone from Cru at UT San Antonio reached out to Sarah on Instagram. Sarah filled out a quick online spiritual interest questionnaire. Within the week, Sarah began to meet with a Cru staff member and grew confident in her faith. This summer, Sarah joined a team of students and Cru staff for a 6-week mission trip to university students in Thailand, where her team built… Read MoreA Changed Life Changing Her Campus »