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God’s Echo to a Lost, Wandering Child

1/30/2017

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Learn about one student’s journey to a beautiful new beginning.
 
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him,” Colossians 2:6 (NLT)
 
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. See His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take,” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
 
As we head into the New Year, I want to share some unconventional advice. Instead of creating a list of goals and the all-too familiar New Year’s Resolutions, I encourage you to just give up.
 
I am not at all talking about losing hope or giving on your dreams. I am talking about putting a stop to making resolutions. New goals and resolutions are not inherently bad, but they are almost always about relying on our own strength. Following through on our New Year’s resolutions means depending on our own determination and are often fueled by our own limited, temporal human willpower.
 
Scripture tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. See His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take,” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT).
 
In encouraging you to “give up on yourself,” I want you to cast your complete reliance on your Heavenly Father with all your heart. This is the secret to a successful new beginning!
 
Speaking of truly trusting God’s will, the following testimony shows what can happen when we rely on that still, small voice. One of our staff members sent in a story about Marie, an international student, who experienced a “new beginning” after attending an International Students, Inc. event.
 
Before attending one of our ministry retreats, Marie called herself a Buddhist. She knew nothing about God and did not understand why Christians would say that knowing God could grant someone eternal life.
 
Our staff member writes:
 
“God began revealing Himself to Marie during the retreat, where she met siblings Luke and Esther. Following the retreat, Marie attended a get-together at Luke’s house and met his parents. ‘It was then that I first heard God’s calling for me—His echo to a lost, wandering child,’ Marie said. ‘I felt it in an instant. It was sweet-sounding and truly beyond what I could comprehend.’ Luke’s mother became Marie’s spiritual mentor, helping to guide her forward on her spiritual journey. Marie said, “Peace is with me in all the things I do. I feel accepted and every time I think of how God would love me so unconditionally as to send Jesus to die for me, I can’t help but cry.’ God sought this girl until she found Him. It’s not something she takes for granted. Today, Marie feels completely new and eager to live according to the Word of God.”
 
No matter what time of year it is, or what our current life situation is, we can always be made new through the blood of Christ. Genuine change transcends our external resolutions and goals. True change involves much more than relying on our own willpower. It all starts with having the Spirit of the Almighty God at work within us, sanctifying and building us, conforming us into the very image of Jesus Christ.
 
For More Information
Read more testimonies from international students who have been blessed by our ministry’s staff and volunteers!
 
Learn more about how you can get involved with ISI.
 



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Serving the Lord—Behind the Scenes

1/23/2017

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Learn more about a student who was deeply affected by the kindness of a ministry staff member.
 
“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another,” 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
 
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many,” Matthew 20:28 (NLT).
 
Within our ministry, we are blessed to have thousands of people working lovingly behind the scenes to offer students the opportunity to meet and know Jesus Christ. From our staff members, to our more than 24,000 volunteers, it’s amazing how much effort and dedication goes into reaching students!
 
It’s humbling to think about all those who have prepared food, coordinated activities, prayed for students, helped with transportation, and so much more! Our ministry friends do so much without expecting anything in return. The following is an encouraging letter one of our staff members received from a former student. It really highlights how much impact we can have in the lives of students. The student writes:

 
“Hey dear Jesse,
 
Long time, no see! How have you been? I became a Christian and my spiritual birthday was on January 2! I want to thank you for your attention and solicitude and for the countless fancy foods and everything. If not for everything you did from the very beginning, I am sure I would not have experienced God’s love or seen His grace and glory! Thank you. When I think back and connect the dots of things that have happened in my life, I believe God had His plan arranged for me from the beginning. He brought me to where I am today, step-by-step, according to His plan. God has changed my life. I hope my story encourages you. I have also tried to share God’s message with my friend who still lives in China. I wish they could receive God’s love as well. I wish you a great day tomorrow. Thank you again for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with me.
 
Affectionately, your brother in Christ,
Chang”
 
In ministry to others, we serve with the hope that someone who does not yet know Jesus will one day trust in Him. And we trust that God will do the work in that person’s heart. As in the story of Jesse and Chang: A follower of Jesus reached out to an international student and the ripple effect of the Good News began—again!
 
I love seeing how God does His part by laying the groundwork for what will happen when somebody plants the seed and tells another person how they can be saved! Let us lift our staff members and volunteers up in prayer as they continue serving others, behind the scenes, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
 
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Matthew 20:28 (NLT).
 
For More Information
Interested in ministering to students? By their interaction with international students, ISI Friendship Partners receive cultural experiences which enrich their lives. Many become lifelong friends with their international students.
 
Learn more about how to reach out to international students.



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His Glory Moves Human Hearts Heavenward

1/16/2017

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Learn about a talented international student who met her Maker face-to-face and received His gift of eternity.
 
 “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).
 
It’s sad but true: popular culture has in many ways relegated the arts to something other than their original purpose. C.S. Lewis once wrote that “The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing...to find the place where all beauty came from.” With vulgarity so pervasive in many artistic venues these days, it’s easy to forget that art was originally meant to lift human hearts heavenward. I am reminded of a verse that captures this thought beautifully:
 
“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).
 
I truly believe that art can point a receptive heart to the source of beauty, and those with an ear or an eye to appreciate it often hear the Maker’s voice. I want to share a story with you about an international student named Susan. God planted eternity in her heart, and she listened to His call. Here is Susan’s story:
 
A gifted violinist, Susan came to the United States to hone her performance skills and launch her instrumental career. Like so many other international students traveling overseas to study, spiritual matters were the furthest things from her mind.
 
While looking for something to do over Christmas break one year, she heard of a Christmas House Party hosted by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Like so many non-Christians, she knew very little about the true meaning of Christmas. One of our ministry friends shared with us the incredible story of what happened when Susan listened to God’s call:
 
“Susan decided to attend a Christmas House Party after an International Students, Inc. staff member invited her and two other Japanese friends. The picturesque drive through the snow-capped hills was the perfect prelude to what would become an incredibly special evening in Susan’s life. While at the party, Susan heard the Good News of Jesus Christ for the first time in her life. She realized quickly that the beauty she found in music had a Maker, who desired a lasting and saving relationship with her. She quickly became aware that Jesus was more than the ‘baby of Christmas’ or a mere icon of Western Religion as she had expected. He was her God who had sacrificed Himself for her and He longed to transform her life in a way no music ever could. Susan began attending church and Bible studies the next semester. After that spring semester, she placed her faith in Christ and received Him as her Lord and Savior. Soon after, she was baptized. Susan then requested to continue Bible study with the wife of a local International Students, Inc. staff member so that she could grow in the Lord. Instead of just mastering the violin, Susan came face-to-face with the Composer of the music that had stirred her soul.”
 
Friend, I am thrilled to share that International Students, Inc. continues to reach one student per hour for Christ. Students like Susan are meeting the Great Composer face-to-face and are embracing His word and His gift of eternal life.
 
It’s astounding to me that there are currently 4.5 million international students currently studying across the globe, with 1.2 million in the United States. We estimate that there will be about 7 million international students studying in countries across the world by 2020!
 
Please pray that our ministry volunteers and staff members continue the Great Commission wherever they are and in whatever situation they find themselves. Please pray that students meet them with receptive hearts so that they can meet their Heavenly Father and His gift of eternal life.
 
For More Information

Visit our website at www.ChurchesReachingNations.org for more information on how to get started in a greater world missions impact right from your own community!

 


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International Students, Inc. Celebrates Another Milestone-Year!

1/9/2017

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It looks like this year we’ll not only repeat, but we’ll actually surpass that amazing statistic of one international student saved, every hour of every single day!

“For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you,” 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT).
 
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires,” Hebrews 4:12 (NLT).
 
 
As I write you today, seemingly “chance meetings” continue leading international students to encounters with a living God. I am going to share some of these “serendipitous happenings” with you to remind you that we who serve the Lord live in a totally different reality from the doom and gloom around us. Here are some of the highlights our ministry has been blessed with over the past year:
 
  • In the month of September, International Students, Inc.’s evangelism website hosted 1,000-plus students from Europe and India––most of them Muslims––who told us they accepted Jesus and asked to be discipled!
 
  • Our team released a specialized M28 Global Discipleship App that’s already being used worldwide to reach even more students with the Gospel. This App has given them the opportunity to study God’s Word!
 
And alongside these reports, God’s 2016 actual testimonies of changed lives include stories like this one:
 
When my wife and I were travelling in Asia, visiting some of our former students, we were invited to go to a city, which was a 16-mile train ride away! Anne, a former student, currently teaching in another country, was coming home to her country just to meet us. Anne insisted that we travel with her by van to her home city. We reluctantly agreed to make the trip. Upon arrival in the city, we were taken to see some of the sights. Along the way, the van we were riding in pulled over and stopped. Another young lady got into the van. She turned to my wife and me and said, ‘It is because of you that I have Jesus in my life.’ We had never seen this girl before in our lives! The young lady told us that, Anne, who is her aunt, used to write to her telling her what we were teaching her from the Bible in our Friday night student meetings. Anne was not a believer! The young lady in the van said that from reading her aunt’s letters about the Bible, she had asked Jesus into her life! She was now going to a regular Bible study in her city and seeking to live her life as a believer. What a thrill to learn of the working of the Holy Spirit and of the power of the Word of God in the life of this young lady. If we had refused to make this side trip, which was not in our original plans, we would never have heard about this new babe in Christ, and of the great power of God’s Holy Word to change lives without a preacher or missionary present!
 
Imagine riding in a van, in a foreign country, next to a complete stranger, having that person turn to you with tears in her eyes and say that because of you, Jesus has changed her life!
 
Friend, that person was speaking to you as well. Picture yourself in that van, hearing those words, because in a spiritual sense, that was you, too. Because of you––your prayers, your support, ––that ISI staffer was enabled to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with someone whose faith and gratitude reached halfway across the planet.
 
It looks like this year we’ll not only repeat, but we’ll actually surpass that amazing statistic of one student saved, every hour of every single day. Not only did we reach that milestone for the second year in a row, but we’re headed for a significant increase in the coming year. I look forward to continuing to share exciting updates with you over the upcoming months!
 
“For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you,” 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT).
 
For More Information
Interested in helping international students by preparing meals, hosting fellowships, or driving students to activities? Learn more about becoming an ISI Friendship Partner!

 


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Growing in Faith, Overflowing with Gratitude

1/3/2017

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Read about an international student who accepted Christ after letting her ‘roots grow’ in His word!
 
“Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness,” Colossians 2:7 (NLT).
 
“By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have
received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence,” 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT).
 
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing,” John 15:5 (NLT).
 
 
What a wonderful opportunity we have to share in the spiritual growth of students or others with whom we minister. As we take time to have Bible studies with students and watch them grow in their love for the Lord, we can also expect to be blessed and grow in our own faith.
 
I love hearing stories about staff members and volunteers who are letting their roots “grow into Him,” which inevitably creates a strong foundation for their Walk. It also provides a strong foundation for them to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with international students. As Scripture tells us: “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness,” Colossians 2:7 (NLT).
 
After being ministered to, international students are often inspired to then grow in His Word. One of our ministry friends shared an encouraging testimony about Rachel, who decided to accept Jesus as her Savior. Her digging deep into the Word brought about an exciting revelation! Our ministry friend writes:
 
“The day came when Rachel decided to trust Jesus as her Lord and follow Him. We had been studying the Bible together, as much as possible. Rachel was very desirous of letting God’s Word transform her life; she was diligent about obeying, integrating and applying the Word in her life, she struggled with questions, such as, ‘Why did Jesus have to die so soon?’ And, ‘Why couldn’t He stay on earth longer?’ Rachel struggled with her own flesh—especially in regard to repentance, or as she put it: ‘saying sorry’ to Jesus. Yet, I noticed that Rachel was growing in her faith as she shared her thoughts about the Father, the Son, and their relationship to us. One day, as we sat at my dining room table, Rachel looked at the flowers cut on my table and said, ‘I think Jesus is the graft that connects us back to God, our Creator. We are part of the flower that looks alive; however, unless we are reconnected, we will die. So, we need Jesus as the One who binds us,’ This was a profound truth to Rachel as gardening is an important hobby to her and her husband (he also works in the field of agriculture). We have not yet studied John, about the vine and the branches, but I wonder what her reaction will be!”
 
This experience no doubt inspired and blessed our ministry friend who was working with Rachel! Friend, stories like this are not unusual in our ministry. In fact, as the world grows darker and more ominous by the day, we are blessed with reports that reflect God’s incredible glory! Here are some of the many things we have witnessed in 2016:
 
  • An International Students, Inc. staffer serving in an elite management school reported that within days of school starting, 45 students had already signed-up for an International Students, Inc. Bible study. There was no need to even advertise––today’s thirst for God’s Word is that strong.

  • At a Texas campus, our staff were ushered into the Indian Student Association and a door willingly opened for Indian students to be involved with our ministry. This happened at a time when the Indian government is asking Christian missionaries to leave the country. What a creative and resourceful God we serve! When missionaries are sent home, God simply sends the country’s best and brightest “home” with them!
 
  • As the year’s countless campus Bible studies kick-off, ministry donors have graciously helped us buy and print another 5,000 copies of our International Student Study Bible for distribution.
 
As always, dear friend, we so appreciate your support and prayers! I pray for you this week that you “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.” I pray that your faith grows and that you will overflow with gratitude and thanksgiving! Thank you for your continued support, which helps us further our mission to reach every international student for Christ!
 
For More Information
Learn more about ISI’s Churches Reaching Nations initiative.
 
Learn how to minister to students from diverse backgrounds by reading ISI’s Religion Profiles.



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