9/11 story impacts the lives in college students in the U-S

By December 1, 2004

United States (MNN) — While terrorism continues to headline the news around the world, a personal story about the worst terrorist event in United States history is changing lives on college campuses.

Recently, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapters at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and Rock Valley College in Rockford hosted Sujo John who is a survivor of the 9/11 tragedy at the World Trade Center. Casey Beckley is InterVarsity’s staff worker in Illinois. “He worked in one of the towers in the World Trade Center and his wife, who was five months pregnant at the time, worked in the other tower. He basically came out and shared his story of how God had used the events of 9/11 to basically to begin a new thing in his life.”

Combined, 600 students attended the event. Beckley says the results were incredible. “We saw about 10 students at Rock Valley pray with Sujo to accept Christ on that Wednesday and then on Thursday we saw about 97 students at NIU pray the same.”

InterVarsity says the university is a strategic mission field for transforming society. Beckley agrees and it’s most likely to happen with younger students. “At the beginning of the school year we always try to target some of those Freshman and Sophomore students who are maybe a little bit more open to hearing the Gospel, or who are probably in more of a state of searching because they’re away for the first time and really want to find and solidify their own faith.”

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