Hey there!

My name is Matt Ray, and I am a 21 year old sophomore at CIU.  I was born and grew up in Indonesia, and I spent the two years before coming to CIU living on a ship and travelling to 23 different countries!  Here at CIU I am in the Intercultural studies program, with a minor in music.  This coming fall I will be the RA for West 2 hall!  I am looking forward to getting to know many of you personally, and experiencing God and life with you!

I can remember the first time I visited CIU as a *sophomore* in high school 5 years ago.  A group of us prospective students were enjoying some ice cream from the cafeteria when a bearded man joined us, asking questions about where we were from and what we wanted to study.  I assumed he was a professor, and asked him if he worked at CIU.  "Yes," he replied.  "In fact, I work here as the President!"

Meeting President Murray was just the beginning.  The professors at CIU are *godly men and women* who love to build relationships with the students.  I believe that our *God-centered community* is a great environment to learn to *know Christ*, to become a person who is mature and complete (James 1:4), and to gain an education.  If you come to CIU, we will have a blast getting to know each other, living together in the dorms, and *studying God's Word*!

I pray that as you seek to follow Christ, *he will lead you* to the place where he can best mold you and use you for his kingdom purposes.  I also pray that if he brings you to CIU, that you may come with an open heart to him, seeking to learn and to be stretched!

In Christ,

Matt Ray