It’s crazy to think about 2020. So many things that even just a year ago, we would have never imagined. Masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer, and forehead thermometer checks have become the norm. This has affected all of us, in all spheres of life.

Now college cafeterias are ghost towns with limited seating and plexiglass dividers on the tables. Big group social events are non-existent.

Over the summer, I capitalized on Disney+ and watched the filmed version of Hamilton: An American Musical. It’s a pretty impressive work of art, history, and production. After the Battle of Yorktown, there’s a song where the chorus repeatedly says, “The world turned upside down.” America had secured its independence from Britain, and from then on the world would be different—turned upside down, as it were. I think the same could be said of the year 2020.

This summer we went away from our normal eight weeks down in Myrtle Beach, SC. We instead did a Virtual Summer Training Project. We tried to pack all of our favorite things about the Summer Training Project into a virtual option. We still did weekly training, studied the bible, and as much discipleship as we could do through a computer screen.

Our globalized world has opened amazing doors for the advance of the gospel. The Twin Cities is home to thousands of international students coming from all over the world. The majority of these students come from nations that have few Christians or in which the church is persecuted.

Our mobilization efforts intend to come alongside students and help prepare them to transition well into life after college. At the heart of our ministry’s strategy is the belief that reaching the campus today will lead to global impact tomorrow.

We continue to be amazed at God’s faithfulness to continue to allow our team to develop leaders on the campus even in this season of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a team, we are pursuing a five-year vision of “Fruit That Abides.”

Thank you for your faithful giving and generosity. The year 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, and we are extremely grateful for your continued partnership in the gospel. Although our lives may have been turned upside down, our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Campus Outreach helped me realize how essential it is to have an intentional faith community surrounding me, so after college, I joined a small group at my church right away. Since then, I have been learning that walking with Jesus isn’t about just doing certain Christian things.