In 2005 God used EveryStudent.com, a small team in Orlando, lots of volunteers, and one web programmer to bring 37,000 people to indicate a decision of faith in Jesus! This is stunning, and it indicates that God is changing the landscape of ministry for Campus Crusade for Christ.

Back in November our Russian language evangelistic Internet ministry project began working with EveryStudent.com. In the course of discussions I asked the director of this ministry what her needs were and if she could use any help. She was very enthusiastic about this, and the more we talked about it, the more I began to see a “Jerry-shaped” need in Orlando.

At this point in time (mid-December) we were wracked with indecision. On the one hand our situation here is an ideal ministry opportunity. On the other hand, when God moved us here it was for a short-term assignment and committing to stay long term didn’t feel like where God was leading us.

This need in Orlando changed our perspective. With it in sight, God’s original direction in our lives made more sense.

After much more prayer and wise counsel, we finally made the decision to move to Orlando and work with EveryStudent.com. While it is extremely difficult to move away from the job here and our friends, we see this as an opportunity to follow God’s direction in a new and exciting way.

I will still be working with Tom Seely (who will remain in Budapest) to start Internet ministries in Eastern Europe and Russia. Only I will add the work of helping to start Internet ministries, based on EveryStudent.com, in other parts of the world as well. It’s an opportunity to do what I am passionate about, using the experience and skills God gave me, only on a more global basis. Cathy is excited, too, because she has an opportunity to continue working with the short film-based outreach project we have both worked on here from time to time.

When we told the kids, Audrey was very excited, but the other three of us knew we had some difficult goodbye’s ahead. Overall we are excited about the change but sober about leaving friends. The next few months will be full preparing for another big move and transitioning projects so they can proceed with my help from Orlando.

Our biggest project, the Russian language evangelistic Internet ministry, is still moving ahead. Our initial “test site” continues drawing visitors who indicate their decision to trust in Jesus for the first time. In the last month there were 43 more indicated decisions. Keep praying for this as we develop the next phase of this project, a Russian language EveryStudent.com.

Thank you for praying for us through this process!

This is just a synopsis of what God took us through to get to this decision and next ministry opportunity. Along the way it was the most difficult decision we’ve ever made. How did this much clarity suddenly emerge from seven months of fog? You can read the rest of the story at www.hertzlers.com/decision.

  Category: Ministry
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