A Special Request

The past four months have brought new challenges, unexpected joys, and countless learning experiences for me. I am extremely thankful for this job because I get to see students meet Jesus for the first time and continue to grow in their relationship with him. 

 I want to tell you about Shelby, a girl I met at the beginning of this year when she started coming to my dorm Bible study each week. I was immediately intrigued by this petite, blonde, cellular molecular biology major who took avid notes during Bible study. Shelby didn’t grow up going to church or knowing Jesus her entire life. In fact, she didn’t really commit her life to Christ until this past summer.

Shelby lived in the dorms last year with Charissa, a friend from high school. Charissa got involved with Cru pretty much right away. As the year went on Charissa consistently invited Shelby to come with her to Cru, but each time she refused. At the very end of last year Shelby finally came to Cru. She really enjoyed it, but the year ended and she went home to a faithless environment.

The summer brought spiritual dryness and a really tough  break-up. It wasn’t until the middle of the summer that Shelby finally surrendered her life to Christ. As Shelby put it, “I was heartbroken. I really had no where to turn to or to go, so I turned to God.” She realized for the first time that she was in need of a savior and a life with Jesus as her Savior brought joy and security. She knew she    needed to get involved in Christian community when she got back to school and made up her mind to get involved with Cru.

In addition to seeing Shelby each week at Bible study I have had the privilege of meeting with her for discipleship every Tuesday and have seen her grow immensely this semester. She is excited about sharing her faith and wants to step into leadership. Even more than that I have seen Shelby grow more in love with her Savior. Shelby says, “God has truly provided me with an awesome and powerful community of people that I can be myself around and grow.”

It is girls like Shelby that bring me so much joy in this job and it is because of the numerous students like Shelby that I have committed this year to sharing the life-changing message of Christ with college students. God is at work, drawing students to Himself and transforming a generation of future leaders. I know that you too continually answer the call, partnering with me. In fact, integral in Shelby’s story are your prayers and financial support.

As 2012 comes to a close I ask that you prayerfully consider helping me with a year-end gift. Right now I am asking the Lord to bring in $4,500. Those needs include:

· Three scholarships for students who have the desire to go Denver Christmas Conference but lack the funds to be able to make that happen.

· An upcoming vision trip to our overseas partnership in Cote d’Ivoire, Africa at the end of February. The purpose of the trip is to encourage the local staff team, share the Gospel with students on campus, and plan for the summer project (short term mission trip with Cru) that we will be sending our students to this summer.

· Funds to cover a one time gift deficit I had from this past summer when I was raising support. As travel and ministry expenses come up the additional support is needed and would be much appreciated.

If you feel led to give please go to my secure Cru giving page at https://give.cru.org/0641262 and follow the simple instructions. To insure a 2012 tax credit, please submit your gift by December 31, 2012.  It is such a great privilege to share my prayer needs as well as my financial needs with you. 

However the Lord may lead you to respond, I am so very grateful and take comfort in knowing you are standing with me for the Gospel. Because I consider it a joy to seek the Lord on your behalf, please provide me with your immediate prayer requests, as well as those for the coming year by email at melissa.gmur@cru.com. Please send me your prayer requests whether God leads you to give financially or not because I love praying for you. Please know how so very thankful I am for you!