"by Howard Whitaker T he beaches of the Newport-Bal- boa area in Southern California this spring became the scene of one of the most unique and effective evangelistic efforts of our times. Nearly 1500 young people came to Christ in a week-long thrust spon sored by Campus Crusade for Christ. Every year during Easter vacation approximately 35 thousand college and high school students converge on the Newport-Balboa area for a week of escape from the routine and the restrictions of campus life. Local residents and police brace themselves for this annual invasion which tradi tionally results in arrests running into the hundreds. These restless young people seem to have one goal which they seek to attain at any cost: to have a good time. During this week they try to satisfy a seem ingly insatiable thirst for pleasure. This year there were more than two hundred young people (of which 40 were Biola students) who went to the beach for a different reason. These were trained Christian stu dents who devoted the entire week to sharing the claims of Christ with their contemporaries on a person-to- person basis. To the amazement of local residents (and many Christians as well), it was found that students on the beach were not only willing to listen, but often asked, to hear what the Christian students had to say. The hunger of their hearts was apparent as they listened intently to the story of how Christ could give them a purpose and an abundant life to replace their own emptiness. In many cases their attention was so rapt that even the taunts of friends failed to disturb them as they heard how Christ could change their lives. Many bowed in prayer and invited Christ into their lives right on the beach in the pr es ence of their friends. One youth was literally car ried off bodily by friends, but he was so interested in hearing about Christ that he twice fought himself free and ran back to hear more. TH E KING'S BUSINESS
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