"I'll never forget my first Altitude conference, because it was the first Chi Alpha conference I ever attended... and our campus was hosting it!

As students re-pioneering the group at Texas A&M-Commerce, my newlywed wife and I were SO green to campus ministry and didn't even know where to begin. God had given us a burden for reaching the nations and students on our campus, so we surrendered to the call. We had no formal training and no idea that the next few years of this journey would take us through roads that included seeing international students and addicted, religious, and apathetic others come into relationship with Jesus. And it really all started on campus...with Altitude.

In September of 2005, the 10+ campuses with Chi Alpha groups here in the North Texas district came all the way out to East Texas to serve our campus for the weekend. We held worship services and intense times of prayer for each of the campuses represented, and God helped us to launch a vibrant, brand new season of ministry on our campus.

I'll never forget the intercessory prayer time led by John Deisher (XA Campus Missionary at Texas A&M University) at a local church after we had a huge, open worship service on campus right outside the student center. Somehow, even though it was only the first few weeks of school and Chi Alpha's first time to be on our campus in over ten years, we managed to build relationships with dozens of Commerce students that lined the front of the sanctuary for prayer. Many of these students ended up becoming the core that helped us to pioneer the group. Since then, we've had the opportunity to see students from Korea, Malaysia, India, China, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, and more come to faith in Jesus and deepen their relationship with the Father.

I've been to 5 Altitudes since this first one, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do this year in 2011. It's now my honor to see new students year after year experience the freedom and missional heartbeat of this incredible family called Chi Alpha.

If there's ANY way possible...don't miss this year's Altitude conference in Dallas. If you have to, sell your roommate's XBOX or get rid of an old textbook you seriously won't need...it will be worth it!"