Story 4_Rough Draft

"Lovin' on Laredo"
Cru travels to Laredo for Mission Trip

By: Judy Lynn Drazan

Campus Crusade for Christ at Texas State University, Cru, traveled to Laredo for a mission trip during Spring Break.

The Texas State Cru website states that Campus Crusade is an international, interdominational, Christian, student organization. According to the Cru website, Dr. Bill Bright launched Cru at the University of California at Los Angelos in 1951, and there are now 1, 029 campuses in the United States.

Thirty members of Texas State Cru participated in "Lovin' on Laredo", the Laredo mission trip. The mission trip was from March 10-16.

While there the Cru members stayed at Laredo Stepping Stone, a housing project created to serve missionaries or missionary teams and provide outlets to serving projects.

The first day the Cru members helped "Volunteers Serving the Need," a serving project that helps area veterans and their families. The serving project provides free food, gifts and even birthday cake to area veterans and their families.

The Cru members helped Gigi Ramos, originator of the serving project, organize donations and gifts, do administrative paperwork and pray for her ministry to expand to another location nearby. Ramos owns a thrift store that funds the serving project.

"Cru pulled together to help as much as possible in the little time we had," said Meagan McErlean.

The second day the Cru members attended Well Bible Church. The church is led by Brent Davis and meets every Sunday to have services in the park with the local homeless. The church's mission is to reach out and build relationships with ones society tends to forget.

The Cru members also visited the Texas A&M University International campus. The members had a prayer walk in an effort to allow Campus Crusade for Christ to form there.

The last two days the Cru members worked with Kids Camp and Hunger Rescue.

"Kids Camp was a fun way to connect with the kids," said Hollie Benson. "We played and laughed and shared the Gospel with them in a four act play."

Hunger Rescue permitted the Cru members to interact with the homeless and get to know them by name. Hunger Rescue gives 150 homecooked meals to the homeless every evening.

The Cru members helped many people and touched many people's lives while in Laredo.

"I wanted to go from the beginning," said Elizabeth Lopez-Flores. "Just thinking about going made my heart leap for excitement."