These emails are from Monique and Janice, two of the students who went on Big Break. Thank you so much for your commitment to this ministry! Because of your faithfulness, young people like Monique and Janice are seeing God work in their lives in powerful and lasting ways!
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Hello from Marist!
These past couple of weeks I have been back at school thinking about my time spent in Panama City Beach over spring break. Big Break ’09 was one of the best experiences I have had in a long time.
In preparation for the trip I really had to put my trust in God for fund raising for the trip. I prayed and trusted God and he lead me on this wonderful adventure and provided me with all of the funding I needed. He even put it into the heart of my friend, Janice, to go as well.
The whole week we had morning and evening meetings where we did worship with a live band from Iowa State University, learned new techniques to share our faith, laughed as our MC sang parodies of pop songs, and listened to two amazing speakers-Jen Smoker and Roger Hershey. From them we learned about Gods love, giving up our rights to God and being a warrior for God and what that looks like manifested in our lives. During the days, which were BEAUTIFUL with 75-79 degree weather, each group was assigned to a different spot on the 6-mile stretch of beach and we shared our faith with people on the beach.
I was very nervous every day but God gave me opportunities to speak with different people. Over the whole week my partners and myself spoke with at least 14 people, having long and deep conversation with each of them. I learned how to use this really awesome thing called Soularium (mysoularium.com) to share my faith. I got the opportunity to make 13 new close friends from the NYC metro ministry. Even though it has only been a week since the trip we have kept a constant facebook thread with each other and we are even planning a reunion!
God really worked through this trip in my life. He worked through my NYC metro team, through the speakers, through the worship, and even through the people who we spoke to. He helped me to see how much people need his grace and forgiveness as well as how unique people are and how much they have to offer. I really loved the experience and I hope I can apply what I learned to my life back on campus. I am really excited to see if I am able to go again next year and I am excited to see what else God will do in my life.
-- Monique
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I just want to thank you so incredibly much for your part in bringing me down to Florida for Big Break with Campus Crusade for Christ. My week down in Florida was absolutely amazing. I never knew that there was a place filled with so many college students, alcohol, and clubs, until I was in Panama City. Yet, I have never felt as on fire for the lord as I have that week.
Sharing my faith with random people is still incredibly frightening and slightly awkward, but it grew much easier after each conversation I had with others. I had some absolutely amazing conversations with people, and shared the gospel with quite a few of them.
There were around 975 kids from colleges ALL over the US, who had spring break that week that were there. I never knew how amazing it would feel to be just surrounded by people who were all there for the same reason and with the same love for God in their hearts. The community of people that we hung out with all week, the NYC Metro - made up of college students from NYU, Columbia, and Pace was fantastic. I have never felt as close to a group of people in one week than I ever thought I would.
The trip on a whole was really just exactly what I needed to push me further in my faith and it was definitely an answer to my prayers. Thank you so much again for providing me with such an amazing and enriching experience.
Love,
Janice
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