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The Good News — at our Fingertips

5/27/2015

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”
—Acts 20:24 (NLT)

Each of us not only has a story—we are a story.

Our theme?

The power of God working in our lives. We often underestimate how one individual’s story or testimony can change another person’s story. Sometimes one person’s story even changes the lives of many other people.

It’s easier now to share our stories in light of the variety of social media outlets at our fingertips.

One of the ways International Students, Inc. is reaching people with the hope of Christ is through our iStudents Smartphone Application. It provides a valuable bridge to help tell the greatest story: How God reached into our world and our sin to pay the price so we could be reconciled to Him.

The iStudents App is free and easy to use. It continues to receive a great response and so far has allowed us to connect with international students even before they reach the US!

It is by God’s grace and His amazing love that we have the power and desire to reach the nations for Christ. He is constantly weaving the tapestry of our lives for good, which we experience in so many tangible ways.

The iStudents App is a wonderful way to help the Word of the Lord spread rapidly. Thank you for your prayers and support. I encourage you to download our App if you have not already. It will change your life…and possibly someone else’s.

For more information, Download iStudents App here.

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His Word, Like Rain Falling on Dry Lands

5/18/2015

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“There is a wide-open door for a great work here.” —1 Corinthians 16:9 (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 join and marrow. It exposes our innermost thought and desires.” --Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

At a time when more and more doors seem to close against the Gospel worldwide, I want you to know that God continues to provide International Students, Inc. with amazing opportunities. The story I am about to share with you is one that stirs me unusually each time I hear it. This student testimony highlights the incredible way in which God’s open doors can be found in unlikely places:

"I was born to be an atheist, just as I was born to eat with chopsticks. But after two years here, I completely changed my mind and made the decision to follow Christ. This happened when things started going crazy my second year. I had to deal with never-ending tasks every day. I kept worrying even at night and couldn’t fall asleep.

In this time of great stress and anxiety, I found a link to a daily prayer website on a professor’s homepage. From the online prayers, I read that God is in control of everything. He loves me unconditionally, and knows all my worries and needs.

These words poured into my heart, just like rain falls into dry lands and brings life and hope. So at that time, I put aside my atheist assumption, and accepted that God does exist; otherwise, I was dying. I started to pray every night, and experienced life dependent on God and the power of His Word.

What a beautiful description of His peace. Thankfully, in this hour of great triumph and fruitfulness, students are finding it in Him. We are so glad this student found that link on the professor’s website! Click here for more student stories like these from our 365 Devotional Book!

We are blessed to be able to reach so many students—whether it be through an online connection, a Bible study, or a trip to and from the airport.

Did you know that last school year, International Students, Inc. reached 65,000+ international students? This is a sizable increase! Most amazing is the increase in decisions for Christ—nearly 9,500! We anticipate exciting news in numbers for this school year as well.

One of our thriving outreaches is the M:28 Global Discipleship model. We have now trained more than 3,500 leaders in at least 16 countries, which we conservatively project is impacting over 87,500 worldwide!

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Sowers of the Seed

5/12/2015

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“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” --Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) --Romans 8:24-25 (NLT)

There was a time, not too long ago, that I gazed out of a window overlooking the hazy rooftops of 11 million people living under the world’s most polluted sky. Delhi, well-known as India’s capital, is also one of the largest cities in the world.

As I stood at this window from several feet in the sky, I thought about how, at first glance India in its entirety may feel drenched in crushing humanity and spiritual bleakness. However, I see it as a place that rings continually with hope.

For example, I have learned how God is replacing the dwindling number of missionaries in India with strategically placed Josephs and Daniels in high places of influence within the country’s government, education and business sectors.

Do you know what this means?

This means that in Delhi, alone, there are 11 million ever-growing opportunities to meet Jesus Christ and find new life in Him. There is no greater gift than Christ!

What is truly exciting is that this wild hope extends beyond Delhi. It extends beyond India. It extends beyond the physical and political boundaries throughout the countries of the earth.

I want to share with you a remarkable statistic that highlights very well God’s abundance of hope—evident everywhere. We are blessed at International Students, Inc. to be able to reach 25 souls a day. In the next 60 minutes, another heart, which might not have ever experienced Christ, will be saved forever.

This overwhelms me with gratitude for God’s promise of life and renewal. I am reminded of the Miracle of the Seed—the marvel of that tiny object growing into a source of blessing. Luke 8 talks about being “sowers of the seed,” which International Students, Inc. is blessed to be able to do in the lives of international students. Matthew 13 assures us that when you sow a seed, you then enjoy good results.

I would like to share some stories that, I believe, mirror the beauty of “sowing the seed”:

A professor in a Hindu-controlled, elite university system and a brother in Christ, whom we have encouraged and befriended for years, was appointed a faculty president over all 14 campuses there.

This provides us with yet another open door from which we can engage with graduates of a system that has already produced a flood of students and high-tech megastars to America.

A second door in India has opened as well. Not too long ago, another long-befriended professor was appointed vice-chancellor at one of the largest, most renowned universities in the country. At least 700 of his graduates have come to America for further work.

Doors continue to open in this way—this is definitely worth rejoicing!

When we see through the eyes of God, every day is the beginning of a new miracle. Outside, the world may continue to appear littered with images of hazy rooftops and dire situations, but I encourage you to hold on to the constant hope in Jesus Christ. There are miracles occurring every day, every hour. Thank you for visiting our blog. May you be blessed today and the days to come!

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Introduction

5/4/2015

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“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”—Matthew 28:19 (NLT)

Imagine sharing a meal in your home with the future president or prime minister of another country. As Americans, we are uniquely positioned to open our homes and hearts to the hundreds of thousands of international students—from all over the world—who choose to study in the US each year. It is estimated that one in four international students studying in the US today will lead the world tomorrow, and by the year 2025, half of the world’s leaders will have been an international student. This makes our role at International Students, Inc. even more important.

Our missions-mandated foundation changes lives—every day. I believe International Students, Inc. to be the most strategic ministry in the world. Recently, while reviewing our materials, which include a myriad of research projects and narratives highlighting the amazing ways in which God is at work, I was reminded about something quite significant: Each student has a story to tell.

This has prompted me to start a blog to capture and share these and other inspiring stories. It is our prayer that these stories help reveal the inimitable way God’s grace is intricately interwoven throughout the lives of these students, whom we are blessed to know and with whom we share Christ’s love!

For more information:

Watch this ISI video “Who Knows” to learn more about the impact you can have on the life of an international student.

Read more stories about how ISI has helped students from around the world.

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The Good News — at our Fingertips

His Word, Like Rain Falling on Dry Lands

Sowers of the Seed

Introduction

Click here to view a special Message from Doug!

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