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M:28 Bible Study Evolves into ‘Global Movement!’

1/26/2016

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Learn more about how this study is changing lives around the world!

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT).
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Here at International Students, Inc., we have truly experienced the overflow of God’s mercy in the past year! One of the ways we have experienced His continual grace is in the growth of our M:28 Global Discipleship platform. M:28 has evolved from a fast-growing evangelistic concept to a global movement. Thousands of believers and nonbelievers around the world are gathering in various environments based on the M:28 model.
 
I would like to share with you one of the many amazing M:28 stories we have received. This one beautifully highlights how the M:28 Discovery Bible Study is literally changing lives around the world! The ISI staff member who sent in this testimony, writes:
 
“Botan, a Christian from Japan, was to arrive soon in the United States, where he would conduct doctoral research during his six-month stay. Even though it was Super Bowl Sunday, I felt like God wanted me to reach out to my ‘brother in Christ.’ I showed him around town and helped him purchase some things for his apartment. I asked if he wanted to watch the Super Bowl with my family and me. He said, ‘Sure.’ After the game, I asked if he would like to attend a traditional Bible study group or an M:28 group. I told him that the M:28 group would help him grow faster, but would require homework—sharing what he learned, inviting friends to the group, obeying, etc. He chose the M:28 study, which we did during his time here. Before he left to go back home to Japan, he told me, ‘When I go back, I want to start a Bible study. Not only that, but I now know how to lead a study!’ He gained so much in only five month’s time! One month after Botan returned to Japan, he had two people working through the M:28 study with him!”
 
Let us pray for Botan and other students who implement the M:28 Discovery Bible Study. The study is accessible for believers and nonbelievers and is spreading like wildfire! It’s incredible how the ripple effect of God’s Word can quickly spread from two people to two hundred! We praise Him for these open doors that allow His message to be heard.
 
In 2016, we anticipate a year of incredible growth in our M:28 Global Discipleship platform. That’s because M:28 seemed to reach a “critical mass” in 2015! We even had the top leader of a large denomination ask us for M:28 training for all of his returning missionaries and believers in key cities.
 
Another major denomination leader found out about M:28 and invited us into Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines––including training for his youth director to use it with the young people of those nations. We can hardly keep up with all the training and support requests pouring into our Home Office from all around the globe!
 
Please join me in prayer for the continued growth of the M:28 model which helps us to very well live out the Great Commission. As Jesus told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
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As His disciples, let us continue equipping students to know the heart of the Lord, so that they too, can go “and make disciples of all the nations” in places we can't.
 
For More Information
Learn more about the M:28 Global Discipleship Initiative.
 
Learn more about the M:28 Discovery Bible Study.


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International Students Continue Finding More Than They Expected!

1/11/2016

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Learn more about how we continue planting seeds of hope in the lives of future world leaders.
 
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end,” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT).
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It’s no secret that today’s best and brightest travel great distances seeking truth, wisdom and knowledge. Many of them even become influential world leaders. And because of God’s unfailing love for us and the dedication of my International Students, Inc. colleagues and volunteers, many of these international students continue finding far more than they expected.
 
What I am talking about here surpasses the quest for knowledge or world-class pedagogy. I am referring to the inimitable encounter with the Son of God.
 
Last year, with the help of more than 23,000 volunteers and a staff of 380-plus, our ISI team members initiated relationships with nearly 70,000 international students, with over 9,200 decisions for Christ.
 
One of our staff members shared with us an incredible salvation story that occurred after three years of ministering to one particular student. I want to share this beautiful testimony as a reminder that sometimes it can take time, a long time, for people to come to know Jesus as their Lord. But, every interaction with an international student is an opportunity to plant seeds of hope in the lives of these future leaders!    
                                                  
This staff member writes:
 
“We count it as precious every student who comes to salvation during his or her time with us, but if we had to pick one whose salvation stands out, we might choose Erica. The process took about three years, and if you wonder why it took so long, I’d have to point to the many hurts Erica had suffered at the hands of ‘friends.’ She no longer believed people anymore. It took time to win her trust, but once she got there, the transformation seemed instantaneous! Today, in Japan, Erica gives back by sacrificially loving those who aren’t always easy to love or relate to—the youth who attend the Sunday school classes she teaches at her church each week. Because of Erica’s investment and commitment, kids are giving their lives to Jesus! Every Christmas we receive a card from Erica with these special words: ‘Thank you. If it wasn’t for you and ICF, I never would have come to know the Lord.’ Those years of investments paid off! Erica serves as a stellar example of why we do what we do. Not only did she overcome great obstacles to accept salvation, but she has returned home to live out her own ministry calling in Japan.”            
                                                                                                                                               
Friend, the fruits of your labor, no matter how insignificant they may seem in your eyes, can be monumental in the lives of the students we are blessed to serve! Their first glimpse of Him and His compassion is the unusually genuine smile and handshake of an International Students, Inc. family member. They begin to hear Him in that person’s warm voice asking if they need help, or have anywhere to hang out that Friday night. Along the way, that voice will complete the introduction by sharing the truth about Jesus Christ.
 
In closing, I want to leave you with a passage from Ecclesiastes reminding us about His sovereignty in our lives even when we are not able to fully see it in the moment: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has placed eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end,” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT).
 
For More Information
Learn more about reaching out to international students.                       


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Great is His Faithfulness—Every Single Day!

1/4/2016

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As we head into the New Year, let us continue to trust in Him and Him alone.
 
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. Therefore, I will hope in Him,” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT).
 
Though I hope and pray you experienced several blessings this past year, it is likely that you faced challenges, loss, pain or grief. And if you didn’t experience these things in your own life, all you need to do is turn on the news to see, what appears to be, a world in constant turmoil. But, here is one truth I want us all to keep on the horizon as we move forward into the New Year: There is always hope in a new day, where a loving, merciful God has orchestrated a fresh perspective.
 
In this fallen world, we will always be inundated with the pervasiveness of evil. It is likely that most of us will always struggle to wrap our minds around such incessant headlines. Friend, let us all remember the truth: That God’s heart for you is good. That we always have hope.
 
We are reminded in Scripture that “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. Therefore, I will hope in Him,” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT).
 
As we reflect on the past year, and move forward into the next one, let us take a moment to revel in the blessed calling God has given us: As believers, He has called us to share His love and compassion with those around us. For many of us, this calling involves reaching out to international students. One of our staff members shared with us a story that beautifully underscores why we do what we do. She writes:
 
“On a recent New Year’s Day, I felt industrious after taking down the Christmas tree and decorations, so I began cleaning up a bookshelf haphazardly stuffed with all manner of books. I came across a variety of Bible translations I use and refer to from time to time when looking for a better way to quote or interpret something from God’s Word. It made me so thankful to live in a time when we have access to so many Bible resources. It also made me wonder about the people in the Old Testament who survived with very little of God’s written Word.

So many times throughout the day, the Spirit brings to mind concepts, perspectives, warnings, and promises from God’s Word that help guide and protect us, and give us insight for issues we face. Without that insight and guidance, our lives would not be so different from the international students we serve! Without God’s Word, we would get tossed back and forth, never knowing the best route to take when making decisions. We would go back to and rely on the traditions and teachings of our ancestors and families. We would be limited to what our senses and intellects perceived and learned. Apart from Christ, life is really tough and offers little peace. This awareness filled me with a renewed compassion for the international students we serve, for they need Christ so drastically. Without Him, they will wander through life like a sheep without a shepherd.”
 
For more than 60 years, we have been sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with students from all over the world. We have helped so many find their Shepherd! And through ISI’s ministry, for the second year in a row, one international student accepted Jesus for every hour of every day of the year!
 
Truly, it’s been a year of exponential growth and blessing. It’s also been a year of sustained provision. Thanks to God’s grace and your faithfulness, this ministry finished our last Fiscal Year “in the black” for the 11th year in a row. Better still, 75% of our field staff are nearing 90% of support income!
 
As we begin 2016, I would like to thank all of our supporters, volunteers and staff members for the continued compassion you show to so many international students each year. I also want to encourage all of us to wait on the Lord. In this New Year, let us remember to pray and trust in Him and Him alone. We can always depend on Him.
 
For More Information
Get deeper into the Word by reading “What it Means to Live as a Christian Following Jesus,” by Dr. Doug Shaw.
 
Learn more about ISI’s training opportunities by visiting the ISI Training Website.



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