For many Japanese, the traditional Christmas Eve meal is fried chicken, potato wedges and cornbread, all from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

In Japan, less than 2 percent of the population claims Christianity, so Christmas is an imported holiday devoid of spiritual meaning.

"Japanese have adopted Christmas because it is a fun, happy holiday," says Steve Clark, a staff member with Campus Crusade for Christ in Japan. "Because they are interested in Christmas, it is a key evangelism time."

To help Japanese understand the true meaning of Christmas, Japan Campus Crusade created The Peace of Christmas CD-ROM. As part of a monthlong outreach last year, they distributed 193,000 CDs on the streets, in churches and to friends. The disc included the JESUS film, Christmas songs and a story-and-slide show by Christian artist and Campus Crusade associate staff member Makoto Fujimura. When connected to the Internet, users could view a schedule of Christmas-related events in Tokyo.

"Many Japanese, especially the younger generation, are hurting," says Mieko Takano, a housewife and church leader. "Those who were given the CDs felt special." She mailed the disc in Christmas cards to several friends, giving her opportunities for deeper conversations about the true meaning of the holiday. Some even asked to go to church with her.

Japan Campus Crusade will give out a new version of the CD this year. It isn't fried chicken, but they hope to be establishing a new tradition.
—Jessica Cline

Patients and doctors benefit spiritually at the Neighborhood Christian Clinic.

Ben Williams pursued a medical career in hopes of reaching patients for Christ. But two years of mounting disillusionment were enough to make the crestfallen college student toss aside his application to medical school.

"The doctors I was working with were bitter about their profession and jerks to their patients," says the University of Arizona senior. "Medicine became disgusting to me. I no longer thought it was possible to evangelize in that field."

It wasn't until Ben, also a Campus Crusade leader at his school, started volunteering at an inner-city clinic that his discouragement melted away.

The Neighborhood Christian Clinic helps the needy population in downtown Phoenix, but it was designed to disciple doctors. Supported by philanthropists, the clinic allows underprivileged patients to receive full treatment (including labs and medication) for about $50-$60 a visit. But Dr. Dave Tellez, a critical-care physician and director at Phoenix Children's Hospital, started the clinic as a means to teach medical practitioners how to make their workplace their mission field.

Dr. Tellez learned some simple techniques at a 1989 conference hosted by the Medical Strategic Network, a Campus Crusade ministry that trains health-care professionals to reach their patients for Christ. Afterward, Dr. Tellez started to evangelize in his practice, helping lead patients, co-workers and even entire families to Christ.

Wanting to apply everything he learned from the conference about evangelism and discipleship, Dr. Tellez felt that God was telling him to open an inner-city clinic for the working poor and simultaneously show his co-workers how to pray with patients and discuss spiritual truth.

Since the clinic opened its doors in an abandoned downtown apartment house in 1999, it's grown into a new, 5,500 square-foot building, complete with a dental and chiropractic program.

On the inside, the clinic is a model of how to address the holistic needs of patients, which include their emotional and spiritual well-being. "There's true healing in that place," Ben says. "I can feel it every time I walk in there."

Despite tremendous growth, Dr. Tellez is careful to preserve his original vision. "We're not here to see how many patients we can see," he emphasizes. "Our goal isn't to see 10,000 people in 10 years; it's more to make 10 disciples in 10 years.

"There are wonderful stories about patients' lives being changed, and that's incredibly exciting," says Dr. Tellez. "But when you see a doctor's life change, you know that means that hundreds of more patients' lives will be changed because of that doctor."

Paul Lorentsen is one of those doctors. While his original passion for medicine was founded in social justice and helping the poor, his vision grew when he encountered Dr. Tellez. Dr. Lorentsen now directs the clinic and serves as the best example of blending the two visions of serving the poor and training doctors to evangelize.

"Taking a spiritual history is a very natural thing that we try to teach the volunteers," says Dr. Lorentsen. The clinic is a safe place for doctors to initiate spiritual conversations, and quite often the patients bring the subject up themselves.

Dr. Lorentsen and Dr. Tellez are also happy to see young volunteers like Ben latch on to their vision. "If it is successful, it will duplicate itself through the people that volunteer there and there will be other clinics like this across the country," says Dr. Tellez.

After witnessing how doctors in the Neighborhood Christian Clinic successfully and easily evangelize in their field, Ben is reapplying to medical school. His passion to help patients see God's love was rekindled by seeing physicians learn how to apply God's love.
—Valerie Payne

The entire prayer team fit in an authentic replica of Lewis and Clark's keelboat.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a journey that shaped the face of America. Starting May 4, 1804, these men and their team traveled West into new territory acquired by the Louisiana Purchase. They hoped to find a river passageway to the Pacific Ocean suitable for commerce.

They didn't find that river, but the information they brought back helped secure America's claim on the Northwest territory. Their journey helped start America's expansion West.

Exactly 200 years later, another group followed in their footsteps. But this journey had a new purpose: to pray for America.

"Lewis and Clark opened the territory for settlers to come in and for the land to be developed," says Susan Duff, one of the 12 people on the prayer journey. "We asked God to prepare the way for people's hearts to receive Him."

The prayer journey was the idea of team leader Earl Pickard, the director of Prayerworks, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. A member of the United States Strategic Prayer Network, Prayerworks seeks to motivate and train people to pray.

As intercessors—people who pray for another person or cause—the team asked God to rid America of anything that would hinder His purposes for the country.

Although Lewis and Clark's journey from Illinois to the Pacific coast took over a year and a half, the prayer team (which included one descendant from the original trek) made the journey in 17 days. Traveling in a van across 11 states—Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon—the team covered 3,000 miles, visiting and praying at historic sites, American Indian reservations and schools. "We wanted to touch people along the trail, meet with people in each state and pray with them," says Earl.

While traveling through South Dakota, the team learned of the state's extreme drought.

"The governor of the state, who is a Christian, said in the newspaper to pray that God would send rain," says James Nesbit, another member of the prayer group. Not only was the drought erased, but some farmers also had to delay planting because the fields were so wet.

Later, at a lookout in North Dakota, a man and woman were curious about what the team was doing. They asked team member Susan Duff, who explained the journey and then asked the couple if they needed prayer for anything.

"By the looks on their faces, you could tell they were touched," says Susan. "When people see someone who really cares, they are hungry for love and prayer. They want to know someone who actually knows a God who can help them."

One of the stops on the journey was at the Nez Perce reservation in Lapwai, Idaho. The team prayed for the residents at the tribal headquarters and at the school.

Historically, the women of the Nez Perce nation were able to strengthen Lewis and Clark's team, offering them rest and food. Likewise, the tribe was able to repeat history for the traveling prayer team. In turn, the team encouraged the Christians on the reservation.

"To have a group sent by God from a faraway place expanded our vision of the body of Christ," says Antonio Smith, pastor of N.A.M.E. Outreach, a church on the reservation.

The effects of Lewis and Clark's journey are still felt in America today. In the same way, the team hoped that their prayers will continue to have a significant effect on the nation.

Burdell Austin, another member of the group, banks on the power of prayer. "I believe this will change the history of this nation," she says. —Jessica Cline

Like most teenagers, Thai students feel insecure about relationships. Audio X Change, a Campus Crusade for Christ band comprised of Singaporeans, uses their songs' lyrics to address those insecurities and ultimately draw people to Christ. The group is part of ForeRunner, Campus Crusade's music ministry in Singapore. "Music reaches to the emotions of a person," says Dorothea (Dotz) Xu, a singer in the 13-member pop group of university students and recent graduates. "If they feel good about the music, they will think about the lyrics."

When the audience listened to the words at an Audio X Change concert, they also heard the gospel. During the band's two-week trip, they explained the gospel to 3,990 Thai students; with 121 indicating decisions to trust Christ.

Dotz, too, was thinking about lyrics. The whole trip long, she says, people sang "Here I Am," a song of surrendered commitment based on Isaiah 6:8.

Dotz had only planned to sing with Audio X Change for the short-term mission trip. But she gives credit to "Here I Am" for her decision to spend one year with ForeRunner. The music made a difference.
—Jessica Cline


Washington, D.C.
Christian Embassy

Thanksgiving may be a traditional holiday, but Trey and Kathy Smith's guests are anything but traditional.

Foreign diplomats and ambassadors from around the world fill their home as well as pilgrims, American Indians and the governor of Plymouth Colony. The guests in costume work with Christian Embassy, Campus Crusade's outreach to diplomatic, political and military leaders in Washington, D.C.

Each year, Christian Embassy hosts a series of Thanksgiving dinners. More than just a history lesson, the staff members hope the internationals will see the pilgrims' faith during hardship and apply that to their situations today.

Yvonne Saliba and her husband, the ambassador from Malta, attended a dinner. "The dinner tickled my curiosity to come to the Bible meetings [hosted by Christian Embassy]," says Yvonne. "I got so much love and understanding from lady colleagues that it made living in Washington bearable, even away from Malta and my loved ones."

Using the uniquely American holiday to draw guests, Christian Embassy staff members offer something much greater to be celebrated all around the world-the love of Christ. —Jessica Cline


New York
Campus Ministry

On a road trip to Hartford, Conn., obscenities poured from Richard Aguilar's mouth.

The University at Buffalo freshman was headed to Mission U, an annual Campus Crusade winter conference. Colleges from seven Northeastern states unite for seminars and intense worship, learning to enjoy a deeper love relationship with God.

That October, Richard had received Christ, but didn't understand Christianity's implications for his daily life. It wasn't until nearly 1,000 of his peers at Mission U jumped around him in wholehearted worship that he realized he, too, could claim the joy and peace that accompany the Christian life.

"For the first time, I saw believers in Christ filled with immense joy and uttering gladness to be where they were," he says. "This truly took me aback." The worship compelled him to make a fresh commitment at the conference to dedicate his life and talents to Christ. Over the past two years, Richard has played an instrumental leadership role in bringing Christ to his campus, and everyone has noticed.

And the passengers on the ride home to Buffalo noticed, too: The stream of words from Richard's mouth was purely praises about the new joy he found. —Valerie Payne


Update
The Jesus Film Project®

In September, Paul and Kathy Eshleman announced that he will step aside from his role as director of The JESUS Film Project. After directing that effort since its beginning, Paul will focus solely on his role with Campus Crusade for Christ's Global Leadership Team, serving as vice president of coverage. His role is to help all the Campus Crusade ministries that, like The JESUS Film Project, have a mass-evangelism focus, including Athletes in Action and Keynote.

Paul (left, at left) will be replaced by Jim Green. Jim and his wife, Nan, have served Campus Crusade in the United States, Africa and Europe for 42 years.

"I don't think there is anyone throughout the world who is more trusted by the international leadership than Jim Green," says Paul. "His heart is for the future, and that is exactly what we need to be looking forward to at this time."

To celebrate the JESUS film's 25th anniversary, www.JESUSfilm.org now offers hundreds of language translations of the movie online.

"We look forward to what God has yet to unfold in this ministry," says Paul. "It belongs to Him."
—Judy Nelson