God at work in 2014

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:5

“It’s been a hard year at my schools,” mused Aaron, one of our senior campus staff in Boston.  “Already this year, 6 students and faculty at MIT and 1 student at Emerson College have committed suicide.”  Even 1 suicide at these relatively small campuses can have a huge impact, but 6?!  

Students at the upper echelon schools in the northeast - particularly at MIT and Harvard - were used to being the smartest person in the room in high school.  Being smartest IS who they are.  Last spring, I interviewed a Freshman woman from Harvard who was interested in joining us in South Africa.  At that time, she was really wrestling with depression - partly due to being so far from home for the first time but mostly due to the reality that Harvard is very challenging academically and she was struggling to even pass her classes.  When something that has come so easily in the past becomes such a struggle and a student begins to realize that they might not succeed, the temptation is to fall into despair.  Couple that with the reality that many of these students have nothing solid to fall back on, and disaster can follow. These schools can be very dark places.

And yet, God is at work.  Aaron went on to say that more and more students are opening up about their struggles with depression, performance, and loneliness.  They are experiencing being fully known and the transformational power of grace and truth.  God is bringing light into the darkness.

Jen (right), newly minted senior staff talking with a Harvard student

God is also at work on another Boston campus.  Most years, Boston University sees an average of 1 student trust Christ. This year so far, they have seen 17, 16 of whom are actively growing and involved!  As I mentioned in an earlier prayer letter this year, the Cru students at BU go out of their way to love their peers and it seems to be working. God is bringing light into darkness.  

I love getting to be involved in the things God is doing!  Many of the staff that I first knew as interns right out of college are now desperately needed senior staff who are training interns themselves (see pic above).  These are the staff and interns who are being used by God to change the campus environment in the northeast at places like Boston University.  What a humbling privilege to serve them.  I am so grateful to be part of bringing the light of Christ into dark places.

Thank you for your investment of prayers and financial support this year.  God is working through your giving!  I could not do what I do without you.  Please pray for the new believers in Boston as well as the students and faculty at MIT and Emerson College. Our family is now all together in Texas and I look forward to sending you a more complete update in a few weeks.