We haven’t written in a few months. We don’t normally like to go this long between letters, but I (Catherine) have been way more busy lately. I’m excited to share with you below!
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
In April, my team met in Boston. We went there to: be with one another because we live all across America, talk about work stuff (year-end goals, etc.), hear from the local campus staff, and enjoy the history that Boston represents. It was a marvelous treat!
- Greater Boston houses more than 300,000 college students.
- It has 35 institutions of higher learning, including: Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston College, Northeastern University, and Boston University.
- We met with several staff who minister at Northeastern University, Boston University, Harvard, and MIT. We also met students from B.U. and Harvard. This was such an encouragement for us, meeting with those in the ministry “trenches”. I was surprised to learn how many of the institutions are negative toward Christian groups, many of our staff have to operate like they are in a closed country (think Iran, or China). Their creativity is mind blowing.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
The bigger reason I’ve been quite busy is that this summer I did something I haven’t done in 40 years: I worked on a Cru summer mission!! During my college summers spent in the beach towns of Galveston, Texas, 1982, and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 1983, I attended a Cru summer mission. I worked at McDonalds. This past summer I worked my office job while also discipling students. Instead of working a job like McDonalds, the college students who attended this mission worked in the offices at Cru headquarters as summer interns.
I was so very nervous. I hadn’t done anything like this in such a long time, I hadn’t EVER worked with students on mission. Yet, I was excited as well. I have walked with Jesus a LONG time, and have raised three young women, so I had a few things to share, including life experience walking with and waiting on God.
Our students arrived May 30th and our first week was full on! We had meetings, trainings, small groups, guys and girls groups, and did evangelism on the campus of University of Central Florida. First we “prayer walked” the campus (which was easy as the campus is built on concentric circles), then took spiritual interest surveys with students. On Saturdays, we drove to Cocoa Beach to do the same. Each week was full like this.
Tyra, a college student from Chicago, is the first person in her family to go to college. She and I bonded early when her flight to Orlando was delayed, she lost her cell phone, and I ended up taking her home with me for one night when we could not find her apartment at midnight. Jessie, a student from Ohio, it turns out, is a LOT like me. We bonded over our personalities and our common friend, Natalie, a student I taught in middle school. Cayla, a student from middle Tennessee had never been this far from home before. I loved taking her to the beach, for the first time, and watching her blossom with her internship friends. I know that my summers on mission were transformative in my own life. I hope it will be the same for these three marvelous women of God.
Would you join me in praying for these three young women, that God would continue to grow in them a love for Him, and that God would mature them into passionate Jesus followers on their college campuses? Thank you! And thank you for making it possible for me to be blessed so much this summer! Andy and I appreciate you more than we can say!
The Kelloggs 