Cru Conference

Unexpected Openness

It was “Jenna’s” lack of certainty in anything she believed that struck Deborah.

Deborah, a student at Highline Community College (just south of Seattle) had met Jenna during Rockwood Knocks – the Cru Conference 2014 Day of Faith.

Our group had moved from door to door, surveying the needs of the neighborhood for the Rockwood Community Development Corporation with everyone who would talk to us.

Jenna invited our group inside and out of the cold at once. She was warm and genuinely happy to talk with them. The last question in the survey asked if Jenna had attended a religious gathering in the last week.

“No,” she said, but a group of Jehovah Witnesses met in her home, even though she was not one of them. As she talked, Deborah began to realize how little the woman grasped of her own thoughts about the world and life.

As Jenna finished, I asked if anyone had ever explained to her what the core meaning of Christianity is.  She said, “No.” So then I asked if it would be okay to share what we believed. She agreed. Her interest surprised Deborah.

Another way to serve and bless the neighborhood was by picking up trash

“It shocked me how open she was to what we were talking about,” she said. “She was genuinely engaged. She wanted to know. I’ve never met anyone who was so willing to listen to what we believe.”

As we explained the purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross, she seemed to understand, for the first time, as she studied the diagram of the cross spanning the gulf between God and man. At the end of their conversation, she didn’t make a decision, but as they left her, they knew that she’d understood – the rest was up to God.

“Sometimes we assume that people don’t want to get into spiritual conversations – that they don’t want to talk about it,” Deborah said. “But just seeing how this lady, with everything she had going for her – she didn’t know what she was seeking. The Gospel needs to be presented clearly and in full, because even in her own beliefs, she was lost and didn't know what she believed.”

“One of the seminars had a lady talking about human trafficking and injustice which is what I want to invest my life in, I had no idea that Christianity could be involved in it and help so many people. I want to try and pursue Christianity and social justice as a career.” -student

Taking time to pray over our speaker

“I realized that God is the only one who can truly satisfy me and that I am loved no matter how I perform, because he does not base his approval on performance. Before the conference, I was doubting God a lot and was ready to walk away from God. Now I realize why I was doing that and am walking toward God instead of away from him.”- student

New Life

Daniel's dad was shot in the heart by a gang member as a part of his initiation.  Daniel's dad miraculously survived. This became the catalyst for him to begin a relationship with Jesus.  He thought that the only reason he was alive was that there must be a God who kept him from dying. 

Years later Daniel observes his dad and his relationship with Christ.  Even though he has had some reservations about religion or God on the whole, Daniel cannot deny the life change that he sees in his dad. 

So as Daniel goes off to college his father implores him to seek after God.  Daniel goes and keeps that in his mind as he has a good relationship with his father and wants to respect him.  

Daniel receives a card in the mail inviting him to check out Cru at UO.  He thinks, “Oh I should check this out in light of my request from my dad.” So he does and we meet and start to share life and experiences.

 
Daniel continues to come to meetings, Bible studies, for dinners and events.  And when asked about Jesus he states that he would like an undeniable experience like his dad’s.  After some reflection I invite Daniel to consider that maybe this year, with all its collective experiences, relationships, and happenstance God moments, could possibly be the experience that he has been seeking. 

Fast forward to this school year, just a few weeks ago, on a visit to Eugene. We reconnect over dinner.  After asking how he is doing spiritually, he describes a moment during Christmas Eve in which he has the strongest feeling he has ever had that Jesus is for him.  He said he wanted to call me, but he didn't because he thought he would be an inconvenience.   Then Daniel matter-of-factly stated that this strong feeling went away.  Daniel described having more feelings like that since then, but not as strong and that they would simply go away. 

I replied to Daniel, "You know Jesus won't force His way into your life, right?”  I quoted Revelation 3:16.  I said, "Daniel, I definitely believe that you are hearing God's voice, but you need to open the door of your heart and life to receive Him.  Jesus won't do that for you." 

After talking about the implications of trusting Christ and some residual objections to Him, I asked Daniel, "Would you like to receive Christ?"  Which Daniel nodded his head and said, "Yes." 

At 7:32p.m. on January 22nd at Tasty Thai in Eugene, Daniel accepted Jesus into his heart.