We can’t leave out the team we led when talking about our Summer Mission.  Our team was one of our favorite parts!  It was comprised of 6 students from Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Arizona (U of A).  They were a mature, fun, faith-filled bunch.  We led with another single Cru staff woman from ASU named Brittany.  Brittany was on our staff team on the Santa Monica Summer Mission in 2015!  She is a lot of fun, wise, and easy to work with.  To round out the team, was another single Cru staff woman named Jessey.  She works at ASU as well, but with a Cru ministry to international students called “Bridges.”

Being overseas, with the same mission, for six weeks, really bonded us like a family.  We lived in a hotel on the same floor, took language classes together, rode bikes to minister on local campuses, took steps of faith together, ate a lot of food, and had tons of fun.

Scott discipled our two students men, both from ASU.  He had weekly discipleship meetings with them, a couple of men’s times, and met students on campus together.

Jordan (bearded man in pic) will be a senior in the Fall.  He will be in leadership in Cru at ASU next year, leading their weekly meeting team.  He came to that country a year-and-a-half ago on a week-long vision trip. This summer he was coming to see if God might be calling him there long-term, after graduation.

• At the end of the summer, Jordan said God is showing him, “God doesn’t need us, but in his grace, chooses to use us to do wonderful things!”
• Sharing his faith has reminded him of how much God loves him!  He needs the gospel too.
• Jordan realized, “I don’t need certain circumstances or missions trips to be close to God.  I can experience that anywhere, anytime with the Holy Spirit. The airplane example in the Satisfied? booklet was huge for me.”
• “Nothing was as bad as I thought it would be.”

Jacob will also be a senior in the Fall.  He will lead all the Freshmen Bible Studies in his movement next year.  This was the last summer he’d be able to go on a summer mission. He chose that country as a “faith challenge,” a place where he would need to depend on God.

• At the end of the summer, Jacob said, “I realized that I don’t do enough trusting of Him at home.  This summer will make me think more about Him.  My Freshmen Bible studies will be a lot better when I’m trusting Him.”
• “I want to reach out to more people.  I had to do it here and want to do it at home.  I’ve seen God work here through me.”
• “This experience showed me a new way to do ministry.  How to start a conversation, by being friendly. How to transition to a spiritual conversation, and present the gospel.”

We miss them already, but we’re confident God will continue to grow and use them for his kingdom!