The Zuni Indian reservation in western New Mexico is isolated—the nearest town is 35 miles away.

Much of Zuni culture remains intact. While the 7,753 Zunis speak English, most use their native language—especially for religious ceremonies and discussions. That can make it difficult to learn about Jesus.

"The Zuni language does not have words for sin, forgiveness or grace," says Bill Murray, a Wycliffe International missionary who has served on the reservation for 20 years.

In partnership with Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill and others translated the JESUS film, a movie based on the Gospel of Luke, into the Zuni language.

The movie helped many Zunis understand the message of Jesus for the first time. "When the gospel is in Zuni, it's not just a white man's religion anymore," says Bill. "They are getting a message in their heart language."

Bill and others sent JESUS to 1,500 post office boxes in Zuni, and the movie continues to be a useful tool. A pastor from Zuni Christian Reformed Church, Mike Meekhoff, uses JESUS for Bible studies and shows it to spiritual seekers. "There is more interest in the gospel than ever before," he says.

Bill believes the movie helped bring a spiritual awakening to Zuni.

"We have never seen a response like this in 20 years of ministry on the reservation," says Bill.
—Chris Lawrence

Carmen looked away every time Jen asked a spiritual question. "I don't know," she responded. "I don't know."

Jen Smoker, a Campus Crusade for Christ staff member, ate lunch with freshman Carmen Shui, and they chatted about life at Towson University in Maryland. But Jen also wanted to know how Carmen felt spiritually. Carmen had been attending the Campus Crusade weekly meetings and social activities, but Jen had no idea if she was a Christian. And every time she asked a question, Carmen turned her head or said, "I don't know."

For Carmen, it was the first time anyone had asked her spiritual questions. Jen explained the gospel to Carmen, but the conversation ended awkwardly.

Carmen continued to attend Campus Crusade, and made friends with the other Christian students. She became more willing to talk about spiritual things.

A few months later, Carmen prayed and invited Christ into her life. Since then, she has been excited to have spiritual conversations. "God has a good plan for us," she says.

She began initiating conversations with friends, attending Campus Crusade's evangelism training, and gave a Bible and a journal to her best friend at home.

Jen especially has seen the change in Carmen. "The Carmen that I see now and Carmen that I had lunch with are like night and day," she says.
—Becky Hill

Wandering down the city street at 3 a.m., Seth Irby furiously created song lyrics in his mind.

The 26-year-old guitarist and singer for Keynote, the music ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, was feeling anxious and spiritually dry. "It was one of those times when I didn't feel God's presence in my life," says the enigmatic artist. "And I wanted more of Him." So he poured his angst into words.

"The phone lies silent
On the bedroom shelf
And I am staring at myself
In the bathroom mirror
Waiting for the call
But there is no sound at all."

"The phone is a metaphor for communication with God," he says, "and how hard it is sometimes."

The song would prove more than a late-night rant. Seth has played "The Phone is Silent" at numerous evangelistic concerts with Piper Down, the Keynote band he is the front man for—especially during the part of the concert when the band gives the audience an invitation to pray and receive Christ.

"This is a song I wrote when I was searching for God," Seth tells audiences. "It's not always a piece of cake. It can be the hardest thing you do, but the best thing you do."

During a three-week tour in Australia, Seth's band played for more than 2,700 teenagers and college students, and 271 of them indicated decisions for Christ. Audiences in America have also responded favorably.

The seven-member band plays a rock and "post-hardcore" style of music, reminiscent of punk.

Seth has written other songs that Piper Down plays. "I came to Keynote because I want to write songs that can turn Christians to a greater commitment with the Lord and to help non-Christians to see a faith that is authentic," he says.
—Chris Lawrence

For more about Piper Down, visit: www.piperdown.net.

Strikes and riots have occurred every year for over a decade at Niamey University in Niger. In the West African country, students and teachers have protested or boycotted at various times throughout the school year, fighting against housing conditions or unpaid government scholarships. At Niger's only university, some of the protests had turned violent and closed the campus for several days at a time.

But the protests didn't stop two new graduates from volunteering to spend a year in Niamey working with Campus Crusade for Christ.

Aboubakar Dieudonné and Helga Jam came from their home country of Cameroon, also in West Africa, to talk with college students and tell them about Christ. Prior to the volunteers' visit, only about one in every 200 students would accept Christ.

"We note in some students the desire to know more about the person of Jesus Christ," says Aboubakar, "but they are confronted with difficulties like parental constraints, and even a total rejection by the society."

As volunteers with the ministry, Aboubakar and Helga raised money for food and travel, then their lodging was paid for by the ministry in Niger. The volunteer strategy had worked well in the neighboring country of Chad the year before. Two volunteers were able to give a fresh start to the ministry in Chad, and their influence brought in 20 new volunteers to work with college students the following year.

In Niger, Aboubakar and Helga, along with two full-time staff members, were able to talk with nearly 400 students in the spring semester, and 57 of them indicated a decision to trust Christ, a dramatic increase from previous years. Many of them began actively learning about their new faith.

"God is using [the volunteers] in a very encouraging manner," says Venance Sovoessi, leader of Campus Crusade in Niger, "there is hope for the campus ministry in Niger."

Also that year, for the first time in over a decade, the school year passed without protests or riots.

Next year, Cameroon is planning to send volunteers to another West African country, the small country of Benin.
—Becky Hill

Riding home from a college swim meet, Brad Duryea stared out the team van's window.

Competing for the University of Tennessee during his junior year, Brad posted his career best in the 50-yard freestyle swim. But he wasn't thinking about his recent victory.

Instead, he contemplated life's missing pieces, his parents' divorce and his faith.

For the past few months, he had attended a Bible study by Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. The swim team captain had invited him.

At one point, Dave Tegelaar, a staff member with AIA, explained to Brad how to begin a relationship with God, using Connecting with God.

He remembered all these things while riding in the van. "I prayed for the Lord to come into my life and change my heart," he says.

Last summer, Brad attended an AIA training camp in Colorado, along with a hodgepodge of Christian collegiate athletes. "It was the closest to heaven I've ever been," says Brad, 23.

As a fifth-year student, Brad coaches swimming and continues to be very involved with AIA. "It's so unbelievable that your burdens, sin and the weight on your back can be lifted," he says. "It's powerful."
—Chris Lawrence


England

For years, Hassan Saedynia believed his only chance to get to heaven was to die in a way that pleased his god. So at 16, the Iranian boy volunteered for war.

He didn't die, but spent years recovering from shrapnel wounds that covered 40 percent of his body. He was miserable, blaming himself and God for his pain.

Desperate for a better life, Hassan moved to England, where he met Reza Sotoudeh, who worked with First Acts, a Campus Crusade ministry to refugees residing in the U.K. "Refugees come to this country and they don't know the language or the culture," says Reza, who was born in Iran. "They need people to listen and help them. Then you can share the gospel."

Reza and other staff members took care of Hassan and told him about the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus. He eventually read the Bible and attended church.

One day Hassan sat in his living room, thinking through all he had learned. "I decided God was talking to me," says Hassan. "He was saying, 'You don't need to be killed. Just believe me and I can save you.'" Hassan, now 40, finally understands that he can go to heaven—not because of how he dies but because Jesus already died for him.
—Jessica Cline