Drake Students Spending
Spring Break in Germany

By Sara Bouska
Cyber News Staff Reporter

March 13, 2002

While some Drake University students are planning spring break getaways to beaches and warm weather, five Drake University students are going across the world to share the Gospel. Walnut Creek Community Church is sponsoring a mission trip to Dortmund, Germany, March 16-25.

The team going to Germany consists of 20 adults and students from Walnut Creek. They will be staying with families from the church in Dortmund.

"We are going to help a church expand and we will be evangelizing to college students on a college campus," Jessica Seeley (AS2) said.

Although Seeley speaks German almost fluently after living there, she emphesized that you do not have to know German to speak with the people there.

"The German education system is different. The students start taking English classes in fifth grade and you must be fluent to attend a university," Seeley said.

Team members have been meeting every two weeks to train for evangelizing. They have been using the book,"How to Share Your Faith without an Argument," by Bill Fay as base for thier training.

The Process is to survey the German college students by asking them questions and letting them think about them, not to give any answers. Some of the questions are: "Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?" "Who is Jesus?" and "Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?".

The next step is to read through six verses and ask what thier response is. They are then given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Christ.

Seeley hopes to share the Gospel with at least two people and hopes that one will accept it.

The team is hosting parties and sporting events in order to gain relationships with people before asking the questions.

"My biggest fear is initiating the conversations. I have done door-to-door evangelism which is more intrusive, so this should be easier than that," Bianca Niemaszyk (E 2) said.

Niemaszyk also said this outreach will be easier because they will be working in bigger groups, unlike the door-to-door evangelism, where she went with one other person.

"I am goign because Europe usedto be the center of Christianity and now it is dead. Since I have lived in Germany, I have a concern for the country," Seeley said.

Free time is also scheduled into the itinerary. Though they haven't decided exactly how they are will spend their free time, some people would like to take a Rhine River cruise where you would see castles, vineyards and cathedrals.

"My goal is to be an encouragement to the people there. Without encouragement, it is easy for a church to die," Seeley said.

Niemaszyk said, "My biggest prayer request is that I makea friend [from Germany] to keep in contact with. I want to have more than just a small impact on someone's life.

Walnut Creek Community Church supports the Campus Fellowship organization of Drake University's campus.