Julia grew up in a Spanish-speaking church, but since she started attending college at a predominately white university, she missed having a spiritual connection that felt like home. She had been involved with Cru for a few years, made friends and grew in her faith. But she noticed that among 600 students involved with Cru, there were virtually no other Latino/a students. She suspected that others felt similarly to her—they wanted a place on campus that felt like home. So she set out to launch Destino, Cru’s ministry among Latino students. She got connected to the Destino distance coaching team and got some ideas for getting started. The first week of classes, Julia met 34 Latino/a students interested in Destino, and 16 came to their first meeting!
”So, um, what do y’all want to do?” Julia asked. They replied, “We want to study the Bible!”
Caught off guard by the turnout, she asked, “So, um, what do y’all want to do?” They replied, “We want to study the Bible!” Students on college campuses want a relationship with God and to find meaning in their lives! Having a special outreach focused on engaging Latino/a students uncovered this thirst for truth and significance.
Devin is on staff with Destino in St. Louis, MO.
Photo Credit: Mark Grapengater