Freshmen

This August hundreds of thousands of college students will be showing up on campuses for the first time.  Their first year and really their first 6 weeks are the most vulnerable and influential time in not just their college life but will likely influence the rest of their life.

Would you pick a campus and pray for incoming freshmen over the next month?  Pray that they would have quality opportunities to hear the gospel and make friends that are connected to Christian communities on campus.

I will write more about this in the coming weeks.

Chicago Summer Project is now complete for those of us on staff but is now being lead by the 70 students on the project.  You can see pictured above, we are praying for for the student leaders as we handed the project off to them.  Our whole family was in the city from May 25-July 7 with 110 staff and students.  Over the summer we focused on two things: First, reaching out to students and faculty on campuses in Chicago.  And Second, developing students and staff on the project.

Could not be more encouraged by our time in Chicago and continue to be burdened for the students & faculty of this great city.  

350,000+ college students and faculty in the city 

80 Colleges and Universities
You have campuses like University of Chicago (which is raked #5 in the US and continually has graduates and faculty that are influencing the world, like our current president) or different city colleges that have incredibly diversity but only have about a 10% graduation rate (these are the toughest campuses to have any presence on but are the ones where the future politicians and educators in the city are currently going to school).

Over the summer most of our time was spent at University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology and University of Chicago.  We talked with hundreds of students and faculty about Jesus.  Many indicated that they were placing their faith in Christ for the first time.

One afternoon I meet with two students (I wont mention their names here), one was Pre-Med going into his senior year and the other a chemistry major starting her junior year.  Both were first generation Americans from India, he was Muslim and she was Hindu.   Both had neutral to favorable views of Christ and Christians but knew nothing about the message of Christianity.   That afternoon we spent about an hour together walking through the gospel.  In the end they told us how grateful they were to know the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection. 

They did not place their faith in Christ but they now have the gospel and know what to do with Jesus if they want to begin a relationship with him.  These two students represent so many today who just do not know and have never heard.  (One side note, throughout the summer our one of our main goals was to introduce students we were meeting those Cru staff who live and minister in the city through out the year.)

Another highlight was that over the first 5 weeks were talked with students from 41 different countries.  The world is coming to the US to go to school.  Personally I talked with students from Saudi Arabia, China, Spain, Mexico and India.  

So grateful for you and your partnership with us!

Students, Emergency Room Visit & On Campus
The last 10 days have been busy.  As you can see in the first pic all 110 students and staff arrived for project.  We set up a meeting room in the unused retail space of the apartments we live.  This night I walked through some training with every on how to share with someone about walking in the spirit. 

Just about 10 days ago our youngest son, Josh, feel at a bowling ally on UIC's campus, hit his forehead on a cement curb and the blood flowed.  We found ourselves at Rush Emergency room.  We are thankful that all it took was stitches, would have been much worse apart from his hard head.  Below is a pic of Josh with his over sized hospital gown just before they cleaned and stitched it up.  Josh was a champ through the whole process.

We have been on campus meeting students and sharing our faith over the last few weeks.  Mostly at University of Illinois Chicago, University of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology.  Believe it or not there are quite a few students on campus throughout the summer.  We have meet and talked with international students from around the world, quite a few from Middle East and East Asia.   I met a Jr. at UIC studding computer science.  He and his family moved here from Lithuania when he was 5.  We hung out for about an hour and I had a chance to talk about what it means to know God personally.  At one point I asked him why did Jesus have to die?  What was so significant about his death?  His answer, "He died to pay for our death penalty, separations from God because of our sins."  He was understanding the gospel and why we need to place our faith in Jesus.  Hoping to meet up again with him this next week.

Pray for us as we walk onto campuses throughout Chicago that God would give us favor with students and faculty.  Pray for the conversation we are having with international students.  Many of them coming from places that are hostel to Christ and the gospel.  The pic below is on University of Chicago's campus at the arches entering the main quad.  I am standing with Joel Benedetti, a friend and PHD student on campus.  I know Joel from his days as an undergrad at Miami.  Looking forward to spending more time with him this summer.

Denise and I appreciate each of you.  Your friendship, prayers and support of our work with young people on university campuses around the world.  It's May 31st and we have been in Chicago for just about a week, adjusting to life in the city with 290 (the Eisenhower Expressway) and the blue line "L" train just outside the window of our apartment.  It's a bit loud to say the least.

As you can see University of Illinois Chicago is also just across the street.  This next week the 110 staff and students on project will begin to walk onto campus here as well as at several other universities to talk with students and faculty about Jesus.  Please pray for us that God would give us favor as we build relationships with and talk with students and faculty about beginning a relationship with God.  Over the summer we will be spending time on campuses like University of Chicago, University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Institute of Chicago, Roosevelt University, Columbia and several other schools.  We will update this post several times a week throughout the summer.  We really are grateful for your prayers.  Below is a pic of Aaron and Joshua running into the fountain in Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue. 

As a family we will be apart of the Chicago Summer Project living just north of the University of Illinois Chicago's campus.  Throughout the summer we will be updating this site for those who wish to follow us this summer as we help develop students on the project and pioneer and establish student movements in the city of Chicago.