In March we took 2 separate Spring Break trips to Big Bear, CA with international students from San Diego, CA; Irvine, CA; and Yuma, AZ. We just got back and we (Bridges/Cru Staff) are exhausted! They were such amazing trips that allowed us to have important and beautiful moments with these students that we wouldn’t have otherwise. To highlight these 2 weeks, I want to share with you an article written by Lauren Kish, my friend and fellow Bridges Staff who was also on both Big Bear trips.

Remember what it was like to be in college? Life often felt like a blur, as you balanced your social calendar with the responsibilities that came along with being a student. You may have frequently pulled all-nighters as you sought that elusive "A", or maybe you worked a part-time job as you tried to keep up your friendships. Whatever your experience, although things may have changed since you attended university, students today still struggle with many of the same pressures. Because of this, we (Bridges) wanted to offer a change of pace this Spring Break to our international students here in San Diego.

With UCSD and San Diego State having two separate Spring Break weeks, we hosted two, back-to-back trips to the snow covered mountains of Big Bear, CA. Each week had its own "feel" with the unique combination of personalities, but the overall purpose of our time was to relax, develop deeper friendships, and explore Who Jesus is in a safe community. As the pictures below display, we hiked, ventured out into nature, and delighted in the presence of friends, new and old. There may have also been some late night games played!

The highlight of the week was our theme, "Encounters with Jesus", in which we explored four separate occasions when the Lord interacted with Peter, the paralytic, Nicodemus, and a Samaritan Woman. Although each of these people had their own pain and hesitancy that may have kept them from Jesus, we discovered how He uniquely met each one with His mercy and lovingkindness. To give us a vivid picture of these stories, every evening we gathered to watch an episode of "The Chosen", a powerful portrayal of what Jesus' life and ministry on earth might have been like. The following morning, we would study the corresponding passage of Scripture we'd seen acted out the night before, being sure to emphasize the authority of the Bible and the artistic license taken by the show's creators. Our discussions were lively, with the students asking several insightful questions and sharing their observations.

Our Bible studies were guided by three questions:

1. What do these verses say about God?

2. What do they say about people? and

3. What does faith or obedience to God look like from what we've read?

At the end of the week, each individual shared what he or she had taken away from our time in the Word. Here are a handful of thoughts from the staff and students who attended:

Here are some photos from Big Bear: