From 12/27-1/1 the whole family went to Baltimore for Cru’s annual winter conference, where 1000 students heard great Bible teaching, worshipped in song together, served the city and even learned more about mission trips they could go to with Cru. It was a fantastic time! Even our kids enjoyed being around other students, staff and staff children from Maine to Virginia. New Jersey brought about 60 students, so I asked two from campuses I worked directly with for their feedback. Here’s what they shared.

Kaitlyn Sharo, student at Stevens Institute of Technology shared:

“God used WC as a time of spiritual rest and reinvigoration for me. I loved worshipping with other college students, seeing how excited they were. During the day of outreach, I helped shovel mulch into wheelbarrows in order to build a path in Peace Park. It was rainy and cold and they had run out of food and ponchos, so I was hungry, wet, and cold. However, while I was working I wasn’t focused on that at all. I was focused on the work that God was doing through Cru for the church. God really reminded me through the outreach that He can overcome every difficulty when I am serving Him.”

Christian Dowdell, student from New Jersey City University shared:

“Overall my favorite part of the conference was the breakout sessions targeted to specific areas in our life we called paths are headed as college students. One of the guest speakers who lost his son shared that despite his anger at first, he came to terms with it because we all will deal with pain in life just as Jesus did to die for our sins. It was a reminder there is no greater love than the love of Christ & he died for us all & loves us all. Towards the end of the conference during the worship session into the New Year, I broke down in tears of joy it was a new decade! The 2010s had so much that happened. I just remembered how God had done soo much for me within the decade & how I came a long way from where I was 10 years ago. Winter Conference reminded you, heals you, & shapes you for the Christ warrior God wants to see in us all.”

Praise God for such a great time! Please pray that the Word keeps producing great fruit in these students lives all who attended the conference. Please also pray for the new semester! We have so much to look forward to as we trust the Spirit to guide us in evangelism and discipleship.