College students learn what how to RADIATE hope for 2012

International (MNN) ― What do you get when you team up college students, a mission, and the Bible?

You get: RADIATE 2011. It's a Bible conference from December 28 through January 1, hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ. Geared specifically for college students, it gives them a concentration of worship, Bible teaching, and discipleship.

The enthusiasm of youth fills the conference center in Baltimore, Maryland for four days, so what do you do with all that energy? You release it. This year's conference theme is "Be Free," and the students are encouraged and challenged to not only live in the freedom of Christ but also to radiate His love to the world.

As part of the conference, there is a day set aside for the participants to put their faith into action. This year, they partnered with Global Aid Network (www.gainusa.org) to assemble and ship vegetable seed packets to over 50,000 flood-affected families in The Gambia, West Africa.

With the help of roughly 1000 college students, 495 letters, 4500 Gospel bead bracelets, 1650 care packages, and 20,650 Harvester packs were prepped for shipping. The impact college students can make through GAiN USA means the ministry can address the needs of the families they've already been helping.

Harvester Packs shipped overseas provides a variety of seeds to plant crops that will yield 4 to 6 months' worth of food. Once the harvest begins, the food will provide meals to save a life, and the surplus food can be sold to provide income for education and healthcare.

In that region, there's growing food insecurity. The government says that upland rice and groundnut farmers are most likely to be affected by the shortages. The poorest households in urban areas will also have trouble due to rising food prices and cost of living. 

Global Aid Network has been working with a Gambian church partner since 2010 to address the needs. Their approach to meeting needs has opened some new Gospel doors in this Islam-dominated country. In some places, the team has been allowed to show the JESUS Film, too. Pray that the Gospel seeds planted take root.