Jan/Feb 2018 Prayer Update  View this email in your browser Praises and Prayer Requests: We had 53 students from the Upstate come with us to Winter Conference!  Pray for these students as they surrendered to go, say, give and do as the Lord leads.   Several Upstate students are seriously considering national and international summer missions as a result of Winter Conference and a recent visit by the Traveling Team to cast vision for the 10/40 window.   January and February have been full months already as we've helped get things rolling at Spartanburg Methodist College, Greenville Tech and USC Upstate.  Pray for the guys I disciple to see their God given purpose and to be bold in sharing their hope with their classmates.   On February 13th we hosted an event at Spartanburg Methodist College called, "What I Don't Say in the Classroom". Three professors/faculty shared their faith during this event!  Several students showed up just out of curiosity of what these professors had to say!   February 9th-11th was Women's retreat.  Carra had an awesome time of connection and deep spiritual conversation with students across the Upstate.  Several ladies opened up in a group setting about significant issues they struggle with.  Please pray for these young women as they bring their past and present into the presence of Christ for healing, restoration and Gospel growth.   This Weekend (February 16th-18th) is Men's retreat.  Pray for men to see their need for Christ, for community and for courage to flee temptation.

Taehoon's Story University of Louisville, KY "My heart had been draining for two years leading up to my first time in the winter conference. I did everything within my own capacity to earn self-fulfillment -- to achieve joy that everyone blindly chases after. It was as if there was a hole in my heart that gradually grew bigger and bigger while the empty outer shell hardened, defending my self-righteousness against God. I was in an all-or-nothing thirst for something to fulfill my heart. “Then I saw how people loved each other in Cru - how they genuinely cared and longed to know each other ever deeper. That was different from everything I've experienced... So I came to Cru Winter Conference in 2015 and I accepted God's beautiful grace as THE reality for my life. I have never felt more joy than that sweet first hug. “I had a chance to share my faith the day after I accepted it in my life and God has put in me a heart for all to experience the joy I felt. “These are the things that God has propelled me to do ever since: I went to summer mission in the Dominican Republic and Cyprus, I took on a leadership role in my church that I had openly cursed and spoke against when I was an atheist, I took on a leadership role with Cru at my campus, I disciple men, and started a ministry to reach international students. What an amazing journey has it been that God has led me; I am excited for eternity evermore."

Taehooh’s story is just one among the 800 students who attended Cru Winter Conference in Greensboro, NC this year! Students piled in from NC, SC, TN, KY, and WV to hear from the word, pray, worship, and be trained. Speakers covered everything from books of the Bible like Jonah and Hosea to topics including religious freedom and the Great Commission. Students were trained and given the opportunity to share their faith with their friends using social media. They rose to the challenge and had over 700 spiritual conversations and ended up seeing 23 of their peers accept Christ! Winter Conference is much more than just a conference, but rather a time we see God move in student’s hearts,often changing the trajectory of their lives and eternity. Thank you for partnering with us to take the gospel to college students and the world. May God be glorified in this generation. Want a little piece of Winter Conference for yourself? You can watch all of the main sessions at here and listen to all of the seminars here.