The Summer Campaign of 1970
In June of 1970 college age Christians boarded an old 1951 school bus and launched out to reach campuses with the gospel. The initiative was called the summer blitz. We were motivated by radical Biblical truths expounded in the books True Discipleship and Think of Your Future by William MacDonald, and others by Bill Bright, George Verwer, Roy Hession and Dale Rhoton. On the bus were evangelists, disciple makers and trainees.
We left Colorado Springs around mid-night and I drove the bus south on I-25. As the old bus climbed Raton pass, I had to keep down shifting finally into first gear (which we called “old grandma” in those days) to make it to the top of the pass. The next day the bus broke down in the desert of New Mexico and our shade tree mechanics worked on the bus while the rest of us sat under Mesquite trees and prayed. By God’s grace within a short time, we were back on the road to Las Cruces.
We spent two weeks evangelizing New Mexico State University, then headed to Tucson and Arizona University where we shared the gospel for two weeks. Seventy-five people made professions of faith and a new church got started. At night we slept on the concrete floor of a Baptist church and spent the days on campus witnessing.
Next, we drove to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and shared Christ for two weeks during which several students came to Christ. Two young men volunteered to stay and establish a church with the new converts, so we knelt in the parking lot with them and prayed for their success before driving off to the next campus.
The church did not start without difficulties. The new leaders went into a 7-11 to buy a cold drink but when they came out their bicycle had been stolen! Then they borrowed a Mercedes Benz from Christian friends and accidentally wrecked it! Nevertheless, a dynamic church emerged.
We traveled on to the University of Texas in Austin where we shared the gospel for two weeks, sleeping on the floor of the Baptist Student Union, bathing by hosing each other down with a garden hose. There wasn’t much money, so we were living on oatmeal, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and free day-old donuts. We weren’t able to get a church started there at that time, but another team started one later.
We drove on to the University of Houston where through collaborative effort a team established a new church. The summer came to an end and some of the team members went back to college, while others of us continued to reach our “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth”.
“There is no question that God used a catalytic leader and team to launch a new movement in the summer of 1970 that has swept many parts of the earth. His leadership was like spiritual thunder and lightning.”
“God used the multiplying teams to light a fire in the hearts of thousands of young men and women that has never gone out. In fact, the fire has spread to countless multitudes around the world.”
We made mistakes like the apostle Peter made mistakes for which Paul corrected him. Peter and the apostles were the thunder and lightning of their day. Who will be the thunder and lightning today? RUN Global teams are raising up leaders that have that potential. Will you pray for and support the young men and women whom God is raising up to be His thunder and lightning today?
God used Su and me to launch RUN Global 15 years ago and now we have about 200 full time Nepalese and Indian gospel workers and over 2000 volunteers who reach a million people a year. Some might become the apostle Peters for their nations. Will you pray for them and support them so that the ends of the earth may be reached? They need your help. We train and coach. We manage and supervise so as to maintain high quality and authentic work. You can trust us to keep the work genuine and on target. I promise you that we will not let you down.
Your partners,
Mike and Susan Keator
