New Job!!!

From Chicago, he grew up in a predominantly African American church, has a beautiful, talented, intelligent wife named Jocelyn and 3 hilarious, fun, loving children. He couldn't be thug if he wanted but is the chillest White dude I know. ;) He's like my big bro... and NOW MY CO-DIRECTOR for Jersey Metro, Mark Scott! #jerseymetro #BIGNEWS

Crazy how a Boricua (Puerto Rican) from the South Bronx would end up raising funds to move to the step-sister state of New York, known as Jersey (not New Jersey, Jersey) to promote the mission and vision of God to complete strangers. #Bronx #NewYork #Give #NewJersey

Visit give.cru.org/0597677 to partner with us in advancing the mission of God. :)

Surviving VS Thriving

WE SURVIVED! 

...AND THRIVED!

It's been an extremely DIFFICULT and yet EXCITING month! 

I expected to do a lot of planning for the Fall and I knew my role on staff would be different but I didn't expect to have so much more responsibility. My new role as the Missional Team Leader (MTL) in the Urban area in New Jersey expands my responsibility to coach a team of student leaders to include staff and intern leaders as well!

To the left is a collage of pictures of my coaching group this Summer on our trip to go white-water rafting. Being a city girl, I didn't often enter into nature's uncontrollable scene. That was God's work and I typically appreciated it from afar with my paint brush and canvas but this time God had something else in mind! I was SO nervous to head into the unfamiliar and basically learn through experience and yet, none of us fell out or were injured! Our guide was younger than us and had only a High School education but he was the expert and knew how to correct our mistakes if and when we did!

Similarly, I know the Holy Spirit is an expert (at the very least) in winning people to Himself! He controls the waves of the sea and he reigns over the waves of ministry! 

Just as the guide taught us how to row correctly, my job now calls me to be a guide and coach the staff, interns & student leaders in how to lead others to Christ, build them up & send them into mission. As their team leader, I will have to be the example but I can't do it alone. I need the help of my team to maneuver through the waves of ministry and I especially need the leading of the Holy Spirit to show us where to go.

• Please take a moment to stop and pray for the Holy Spirit to move before us in the lives of students who don't yet know Christ and those who know Him but don't know how to serve yet.
• Please also pray that God will remove all obstacles that can cause our team to row out of sync and any obstacles that may not allow us to report to campus full-time. (ie: financial support) Pray that we may thrive in His power!

Did you know?

Did you know this about Cru & my ministry scope?

I figure since I will be getting training for the next few weeks to be the Missional Team Leader of all the Urban schools in New Jersey, I should share a few fun facts I learn. There are many reasons why I chose to work with college students, here are a few:

Did you know?

• Professors influence every student with whom we work. Over the course of four years, every single student spends around 2,000 hours in a classroom, being taught and shaped by 25-30 professors. And the influence doesn’t stop there—add textbooks, homework assignments, papers to be written, and so on and we begin to see the incredible reach of university professors. 

Help me reach students who can reach the professors who shape and mold the next generation of  leaders. Visit give.ccci.org/0597677

Missional Team Leader (MTL)

This summer I’ll be getting trained for my new role as the female Missional Team Leader (MTL) of the North Urban area of NJ. J

I’m so excited to take on this role where I will coach and train staff to lead diverse movements on several campuses in the urban area of New Jersey!

There are 106,000 college students in the Hudson County and surrounding urban areas of New Jersey. I pray the Holy Spirit will work through me as I co-lead with Mark Scott (the Jersey Metro Cru director) to direct several new interns and staff whom God has called, to reach each of these campuses with the knowledge of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God! There is so much untapped potential in this community and I can’t wait to see what God does!

            This summer is very important for me to spend time listening to God’s voice as He guides me to set goals and make plans to reach every future leader on the urban college campus.  I trust the Lord to teach me new strategies this summer through the Spirit-led training given by senior Cru staff in Colorado. I also trust He will raise the financial support that my team and I need to implement those plans this upcoming new school year.

            Please pray for me as I hope to incorporate all three reasons God has called me to staff in these plans. Those are: to help Christian minority students make their faith personal; to build up young women in Christ so that their hearts would be set on Him; and to bridge the gap between the majority and minority cultures in the Christian world.

            Please also pray that the Holy Spirit will lead His children to give to this purpose so that every college student will know somebody who truly follows Jesus Christ. I imagine a day where young minorities are working as missionaries alongside the majority culture to advance God’s kingdom everywhere. Will you help in making this possible this year? Will you consider giving a one-time $100 gift or making a monthly pledge?

In order to reach college students (like Sharon pictured left) with the life-transforming truth of the Gospel, I need be fully funded by supporters like you. My monthly support is currently 30% shy of where it should be to receive full paychecks and when retreats, conferences, or training occur, those funds are depleted even more for payment of these events.

Would you consider helping meet my one-time needs for this summer or beginning your monthly gift today?

Visit give.ccci.org/0597677 for more details on how to give or email me at edithann.morales@cru.org

Everyday of my life...

Luke 21:4 "For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

I am a full-time missionary. My boss is God. Every day of my life I choose to serve Him and His mission to accomplish His vision through the organization formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, now called Cru.

Using a picture survey to start spiritual conversations

I spend my workday talking to students who have always 'known" Jesus but don't fully know His transforming love (discipleship & training). I spend multiple days a week starting spiritual conversations and building relationships with the students, faculty and staff that God brings across my path who don't yet know Him (evangelism).

Tammy  (my director) & I at a Jersey Metro staff mtg

Twice a week I gather with a group of individuals (my staff team) who are deeply in love with Jesus and passionate about seeing the same vision come to reality across the state of New Jersey so that it ultimately impacts the world. Together, we pray for the college students that flood the campuses and the faculty that guide those students in their knowledge of this world. Together, we listen to God and pray about how He may want us to encourage one another and encourage the students to action; Action in prayer, action in planning and action in stepping out on faith to see those plans come to pass.

Because this is what I do with my time, I have a team of supporting friends and family who financially support me to be able to be on campus without concern of finances or food or shelter or health. From financial gifts of $10/month to annual $800 promises or even groceries for a few days, stamps for the week or gas cards in the mail. Because of people like you, I can be used by God to reach the increasing number of students around the world. Thanks you.

If you would like to help in any way, check out the how you can give note on my facebook page or visit give.ccci.org and use account number 0597677 or simply ask me.