Greetings from Amy Zhu
Amy Zhu 05/08 15835
亲爱的叔叔、 阿姨和朋友们,
I hope you’re doing well! I want you to know that you’ve been an important part of my life, and that without you I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. I’m almost done with my first year at UC Santa Barbara now, and I’ve learned so much about God in my college ministry that I would love to share!
I came to UCSB not knowing what to expect, and immediately joined a Greek sorority. At that point, where I was still unaware of and vulnerable to the temptations involved with Greek life, God brought me to Epic movement, a campus ministry that is a part of a wider organization, Cru. My peers in Cru helped remind me that the pleasure that many seek in Isla Vista is only temporary and that the dreams I’m pressured to chase are worldly and unsatisfying. I began to see my membership in my sorority as an opportunity to love others through sisterhood and serve the Lord by being an example of what it’s like to follow him. Instead of trying to fortify myself completely against the party culture of Isla Vista, I go out with my sorority sisters to try to keep them safe. It has been a blessing that because I don’t participate in the drinking, I have sparked conversations about God. I realized that I love sharing God’s word and my beliefs, which turned out to be much easier than I thought. The open attitudes of party-goers in Isla Vista gave me hope for future spiritual conversations.
This summer I want to continue spreading God’s love through summer project (mission) in Oahu, where I will be living for 7 weeks in the University of Hawaii dorms. I want to go to Hawaii because like Isla Vista, it is a place of beauty that hides brokenness. For the locals, Hawaii’s middle class suffers—especially in Oahu—due to a high cost of living that puts many families in debt. For the students that we will be living with, college is often a defining time where they are seeking their identity, so I want to make sure they consider giving God a chance to be a part of that identity. Because Hawaii is a popular vacation spot, there will also be many people from around the world that I’ll get a chance to speak to. In a way, evangelizing in Hawaii allows me a glimpse into what it would be like to evangelize in many different parts of the world. My hope is that in my outreach in Hawaii, I will be reaching far beyond where I am physically. Besides doing outreach events, the Hawaii team specifically is required to get a job or volunteer position. In this way, I’ll be learning to impact the community on a day-to-day basis and learn to incorporate the gospel into my everyday life. My goal for the people I encounter is that they feel loved.
I need to raise $4,800 to cover costs for my trip, so this project would not be possible without your help! I trust that God will move people to support me. If you’re one of those people, you can make a tax-deductible donation by writing checks made out to ‘Cru,’ with ‘Amy Zhu Summer Project’ in the memo, give me cash directly, or donate online to the donate link at the bottom. It would be wonderful if you could donate $100, $200, $300, or any other amount that God moves you to give. If you can’t donate at this time, I would welcome your prayer. If you need anything, let me know, because I would love to pray for you too. If you have any questions or points you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me, I love hearing from you! I appreciate your efforts to make this happen, thank you so much.
Amy Zhu
PO Box 11465 Anacapa Hall, Room 1109, Santa Barbara, CA
93107
(949) 231-8740 | amy.l.zhu@gmail.com
Amy Zhu
PO Box 11465 Anacapa Hall, Room 1109, Santa Barbara, CA 93107
(949) 231-8740 | amy.l.zhu@gmail.com
