Close

How to Know God

Do you ever wonder what Christians believe? Who Jesus is, what he did and why it matters? Get answers to these questions and more.

Spiritual Growth

Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth.

Life & Relationships

Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.

Bible Studies

Find resources for personal or group Bible study.

Share the Gospel

Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.

Help Others Grow

Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.

Leadership Training

Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are.

Video

Browse videos designed to help you grow spiritually, share your faith, and lead others well.

Language Resources

View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages.

Quizzes & Assessments

Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others.

Campus

Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.

City

Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city.

Inner City

Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.

Athletes

Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation.

Families

Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.

High School

Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school.

Military

Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide.

Locate Cru Near You

Explore Cru's global presence and discover how you can get involved in communities worldwide.

Events

Whether you're interested in conferences or local gatherings, there's an opportunity for you. Explore upcoming events and find your place to serve and grow.

Mission Trips

Explore domestic and global mission trips with Cru—serve, grow, and make an eternal impact. Opportunities for students, families, and professionals.

Internships

Explore Cru's internship opportunities—serve globally or locally, develop your skills, and make an eternal impact. Apply today!

Careers

Explore full- and part-time ministry careers with Cru—use your skills to impact eternity. Apply today!

Volunteer

Explore volunteer opportunities with Cru and use your skills to impact lives for eternity.

International

Explore global mission opportunities with Cru—serve, grow, and make an eternal impact.

What We Do

How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.

Donor Relations

Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.

Statement of Faith

What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation.

Our Leadership

Learn about Cru's global leadership team.

Cru Partnerships

When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.

Values

Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit.

Storylines

Showing God in action in and through His people.

Press

Access Cru's latest news releases, media contacts, and background information on our global ministries and leadership.

Contact Us

mailto:Donation.Services@cru.org

0

Pre-cancer: Susie’s journey of doubt before a brain tumor

Susie Thomas was mad. She threw her systematic theology textbook across the room in frustration. What she had been reading she had heard a million times before. It didn’t make sense nor did it satisfy.

As a missionary with Athletes in Action, she had hoped taking this 2-week class for Cru requirements would remove her questions, doubts and struggles about certain things in the Bible. She had asked her growth group to pray for a breakthrough.

Susie grew up in a Christian home, attended a Christian high school and was a Bible major at a Christian University, but she was struggling with what she saw as discrepancies.

“It was horrible and scary and sad and dark,” she says. “My whole life I had believed this. It has been my foundation for everything – every decision I’ve ever made and all of the sudden I felt like I didn’t have that foundation any more.”

Journey of Doubt

Her journey lasted for 3 years and included times of questions and crisis and tears and prayers. How long could she go on with her serious doubts?

Even with her doubts she loved her class, it reminded her of her college days and her Bible classes. One night she and her husband, Ben, invited her professor over for dessert and discussion at their apartment.

“I have a million questions,” she told him. “I just need you to listen and have an open mind and help me through this.”

Susie asked a lot of questions and even added more after the professor answered her initial questions. But she doesn’t remember if he said anything that she hadn’t heard before. Yet, her foundation was restored.

“I think it was this supernatural answer to prayer,” she says. “God was saying I hear you, I’ve seen you struggle. I know you’re not happy with these doubts and I’m going to meet you there.”

That night God lifted the burden off of Susie’s shoulders. She felt at peace and trusted in the word of God.

Unbeknown to her, 6 months later she would need the Bible.

She would need a foundation for truth.

Susie was 40 minutes into her Thursday morning aerobic workout when her vision changed and she experienced a weird taste in her mouth. 30 seconds later it stopped. She attributed the “episode” to the intensity of her workout. Yet, over 6 months these “episodes” increased for the mother of 3.

After she learned she was pregnant with her fourth child, “it pushed her to action” to see why she was having these symptoms. 6 weeks after scheduling an appointment, Susie met with a doctor and received an MRI.

Within an hour, Susie and Ben received a call from the hospital to return for more tests. The scans showed a “lesion” on her brain. It turned out to be a tumor roughly the size of a baseball.

100% Chance of Recurrence

While her surgery a week later was called successful, the tumor was diagnosed as a grade 3 malignant one with a 100% chance of recurrence and no known cure. Susie had to wait until after Annie was born in July before she could start radiation and chemo.

Her laser radiation treatments lasted for 7 weeks from Monday through Friday. She also had chemo and finished her treatment last April.

“My doctors are encouraged by what’s happening in my brain so far.” says Susie. “I should have 3 to 5 years before the tumor comes back and we have to go through all of this again.”

“It’s daily choosing to surrender to the Lord everything I am and everything that I have. Everything I desire and dream about,” says her husband, Ben. “Those desires and dreams include being married to this beautiful woman for as long as possible.”

“I hope that I grow so much in the love of Jesus, in His love for me and my love for Him that no matter what happens to my brain that in my heart I will be able to worship Jesus every day,” she says.

When Susie heard her friend read, “The Nearness of God is my good” from Psalm 73:28 it affected her. “Through all of this, even through that Bible crisis He was working when He was not answering my questions, but drawing close to me,” Susie says. “It just struck me that God works all things out for my good. And the nearness of God is my good.”

Follow Ben and Susie’s story on their personal blog.

Since 1951, Cru has helped individuals who grapple with integrating faith into daily life by offering practical steps and community support. As a result, countless people in over 190 countries have been empowered to move from passive belief to active faith.