Short Circuit Vol 1 Num 1

Short Circuit

Volume 1

Number 1

May 2000

This is the first issue of Campus Bible Fellowship's webletter. Don't confuse the title with an electrical accident. Rather, think of it as our way of taking you through the circuit of some 25 campus ministries by means of short reports with pictures.

Did you know that there are almost 15,000,000 collegians on America's secular campuses and that almost 500,000 of them (1 in 30) are from foreign countries? Without question, the most responsive ones to the Gospel are those from foreign countries, especially China. Nowhere among our ministries is this more evident than at Florida International University (FIU), the school which is highlighted in this issue.

There are three CBF Staff assigned to this Miami campus: Evelyne Metzler and a couple on deputation, Ken and Marty Taylor. Ellen Reed is their invaluable assistant. Every month students here are coming to know Christ as their Savior. 23 trusted Christ as Savior last year, and 14 were saved last semester. Here's the testimony of one of them:

    I used to be an atheist. I didn't believe that supernatural things existed, and I also felt how strange it was that there were so many people who believe in something invisible, untouchable and incommunicable. Although I did read some Bible stories in China, I thought they were only fabricated stories at best and that there was no difference between Bible stories and Chinese myths. So I read them just for fun to increase my knowledge.
     But I changed my idea as my Bible study with Evelyne went on. If there were no God, where did the world come from? We cannot find answers from science in which many people put their trust. Now I believe that it is God who created the world and gave us everything which is necessary, including science. It is ridiculous to use the knowledge that God has given us to design reasons to deny His existence. I have faith in God now, although it is not strong enough. However, I believe that it will grow as time goes by and I continue to believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior. The most important thing for me is to believe in God and follow the example of Jesus Christ our Lord.
     Now I have cultivated the habit to read the Bible every day. By reading the Holy Scriptures, I get peace and strength. I often share my knowledge about the Bible with my family members. It is really nice. I would like to thank all the people who have helped me to get into the Gospel and God's principles. I particularly appreciate our Lord.

The lifeline of the FIU ministry is one-on-one Bible studies. Typically, there are 15 of these each week. Once in a while a few of these expand to two to four students. In addition to this, there are weekly group Bible studies. A fall spaghetti supper, a Christmas Party and a Spring Retreat are annual highlights, and there are monthly socials such as airboat rides and beach picnics.

Chinese and Japanese sisters at a supper

CBF Christmas Party--1999

CBF Group and mascot in the FIU Yearbook