Mapping out the strategy for the University of Mobile’s (UMobile) “Great American Road Trip,” graduating senior Drew Ballesteros had a lofty goal for the university — to share the gospel in all 50 states during one academic year.
“We believed that if we stepped up our game, our university could somehow make history,” said Ballesteros, who earned a bachelor of science in theology degree from UMobile in May.
Joe Savage, executive dean of the School of Christian Ministries, said, “We prayed and said it is doable. When school began, we launched. Our students took on this initiative to make God known across this nation.”
The road trip began on the first day of UMobile’s academic year Aug. 19, 2014, and was completed April 19 in Maryland, several weeks before the academic year ended, according to Ballesteros.
The School of Christian Ministries started, spearheaded and participated in the road trip project. Traveling road trip groups consisted of students and faculty members from the School of Christian Ministries, Campus Life teams and music ensembles from the Center for Performing Arts.
The responses from those they met varied.
The United States was split into regions and each group of students and faculty members was assigned an area of the country to cover.
“In New England, people were extremely nice to us but were not extremely responsive to the gospel,” Ballesteros said.
In contrast, people in the Midwest were willing to listen to the message from students.
Willing to talk
“Overall numerous people had the willingness to sit down and talk with us as long as we were respectful and showed sincerity,” Ballesteros said.
Savage said, “To the best of our knowledge and according to our research, we are the first university or seminary that has taken the gospel to all 50 states in one academic school year.”
Students traveled during academic breaks and extended weekends.
Music ensembles toured across the Southeast, while Campus Life groups took ministry trips to New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Cleveland, Atlantic City and Salt Lake City.
‘He will provide’
Ballesteros said, “I believe our students learned to rely on the Lord to provide everything. Each team went out to different cities not knowing where they were going to lay their head at night, yet all of them were safe and had a nice bed to sleep in. … If God has called you to do something, He will provide for every single need.
“I hope the people outside of the school can learn that there are strangers in this world who actually care about them. The mission of this project was to not only share the gospel, but also bring light to a country that seems to becoming oh so dark at such a rapid rate.”
(UMobile)
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