How much does it cost and what’s included in the price?
Your cost of $9,500 includes airfare, food and housing, in country travel, and administrative fees and tuition.
How do I pay for this?
If you are a current student, you can pay for Study Abroad with Cru the same way you would pay for any other study abroad program or a semester at your home university using personal funds, loans and scholarships. Please note that you will need to check with institutions giving you loans and scholarships to make sure you are following their requirements before leaving. We will probably encourage you to raise an additional $1,500 to $2,000 for ministry and program expenses.
If you are not a current student and are going on this trip for the purpose of missions only, you will be able to raise support to cover the full cost of your semester. We will give you the same training and tools to raise support that Cru has used to help thousands of college students take part in our Summer Projects.
What will the college coursework be like?
First- don’t worry, your classes will be taught in English! You will have class each morning from 8am-12pm and primarily focus on learning the local language. This is definitely helpful with ministry! You will also enjoy learning about local history and culture and possibly even study martial arts. Our spring 2013 team really loved all of their teachers and even had fun hanging out with them outside of class a few times. They also said that although you are taking a full load, you shouldn’t worry about how much you will have to study. You will still have plenty of time to focus on ministry (your number one priority), have fun with friends and explore the city.
How do I get my credits to transfer?
You will be studying at a major university with many foreign students, so classes should transfer without a problem to your home campus. And, we have already done all of the hard work for you. We will provide you with information about the school, course descriptions and syllabi, and copies of former students’ transcripts. You can then take these to your study abroad office before leaving and fill out their required forms to be assured that your credits will transfer back- before you ever get on the plane. You will have an opportunity to earn 12-16 credit hours of language and elective credit.
**Please note that most American universities require you to apply separately with them to study abroad (this is standard no matter where you go and is usually a simple process as long as you meet basic academic requirements).
Who can be accepted into this program?
College students in at least their sophomore year can apply. Recent graduates are also encouraged to apply.
What would a typical week include?
Monday through Friday mornings will be dedicated to academic work. Your afternoons will involve building relationships with national students through a schedule established alongside the Cru staff living in the city. During the evenings you will have more personal time, team time and study time. Saturdays will usually be spent relaxing or hanging out with your national friends, and on Sundays you will get to worship at an international church in the city before joining your team and others for a special lunch (often enjoying American food).
You say we’ll go in teams. How many people will that be?
We are aiming for teams of 6 to 10 women and men with one full-time Cru staff member.
What kind of ministry are we likely to do?
Students on campus are generally eager to get to know the English-speaking foreign students around them. They are also incredibly open to learning about Jesus. Our previous teams have found that if you make yourself available, you will usually get a chance to share the Gospel. That’s why we want to make you available!
We have also found that being full-time students and living on campus opens many doors for ministry that are hard to come by otherwise. You’ll walk out of class and you’ll already be in a field ripe for the harvest…think of it as just living your life on mission. East Asia is a sensitive country, which means ministry will have a slightly different “feel” than you may be used to, but there is also a lot that is similar to other places. You will meet students, go deeper with them and share the gospel all within a few weeks. And Lord willing, you will get to disciple new believers who pray to receive Christ. In 2013, our team saw 10 people trust Jesus! So, if you’ve ever wanted to be James Bond for Jesus, eat a lot of rice and noodles and get transfer credit at the same time, then this is the place for you.
How easy is it to communicate with East Asian students?
By the time they reach university, most students have already studied English for 6-8 years and are at least conversational in English. Many students actually speak English extremely well. We also use bilingual tools that are a great resource for explaining more complicated matters.
Where will we live?
The entire team will be housed in a dorm recently built by the university for international students. It is really nice and right on campus (only about two minutes from your classroom building). Picture a typical American dorm and then add your own bathroom, enclosed porch, refrigerator and TV. Most meals will be eaten in the school cafeteria or at a variety of restaurants only five minutes from your dorm. You will also have a hot plate to cook simple meals in your room.
Why do you say “East Asia” and not get more specific about the country or city?
In order to maintain security of missionaries and believers in the area, we do not disclose this information publicly. We will individually let you know as you go through the application process, but we cannot post it on the web. You will be expected to be conscientious in your communication and follow a set of guidelines we give you.
What was the experience like for students who have gone before?
“The community God provided in my team is still beyond me. I am so blessed to have served a long side them for those 5 months. I could never have known how perfectly the Lord would provide for me; through our fellowship, trials, challenges and triumphs. I’m blessed to have had all of that with them.” –Olivia (St. Louis)
“It’s pretty awesome to think that we all earned 12-16 university credits while serving as missionaries overseas. And being full-time students living on campus really threw open doors for us to share the gospel with Asian students! It was so easy to gain trust, build friendships and enter into valuable spiritual conversations which resulted in great fruit.” –Brian (Colorado State)
“I feel like I have been trained more in sharing my faith, connecting with students, and living life with them. I also learned to be more humble. Looking back at how prideful I was it not a fun experience. There is always something I can learn from everyone. I am definitely going to take what I have learned and apply this next year as I am working with Cru.” – Kevin (SIUE)
What is the application process?
If you have applied for a Cru Summer Mission Project, the process will be very familiar. You will complete an online application form and provide contact information for references. After reviewing your application and references, we will contact you by phone to get to know you a bit and later notify you regarding your acceptance. We will then help you walk through the very simple process of being accepted to our university in East Asia.
Note: You will also need to apply separately to study abroad through your home university.
Where and when do I apply?
Visit the East Asia Study Abroad project page
Application deadline has been extended to November 1, 2013.
Who do I contact for more information?
Please email Jason or Brian at studyabroad@cru.org. We’d love to hear from you!
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