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ISI: Planting Seeds, Sharing Truth through Growing Initiatives!

5/31/2016

Learn more about how we are ‘taking God’s Word’ to others!

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11 (NLT).

“The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others,” Mark 4:14 (NLT).

How does a Believer navigate a world cluttered with chaos and uncertainty? Although it’s not always easy in our fast-paced culture, it is vital to keep God’s word with us throughout the day. His Word is our greatest shield. As the Psalmist writes: “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you,” Psalm 119:11 (NLT).

As a ministry, ISI is burrowing down even deeper into the bedrock of God’s Word. I love seeing how God is working through our staff and volunteers to plant seeds “by taking God’s word to others,” Mark 4:14 (NLT). I want to share with you some of the many highlights we have experienced in recent months that reflect the planting of such seeds.

The Tejas Student Retreat
The Tejas Student Retreat is an annual camping trip for international students. Sponsored and run by International Students, Inc., participants experience an American camping trip over Spring Break in Texas.

Once again, the retreat shattered all known expectations. Long before the event, staff members were asked to spend four hours daily in prayer for its success. Worldwide, we’re blessed to see response rates of 10%––one out of ten asking to learn about Jesus. At the Tejas Student Retreat, half of unbelieving student attendees asked to know more about Jesus! What an incredible testament to the value of “taking God’s Word to others.” Thank you to all the volunteers and staff member who ministered to students during the retreat!

For pictures and videos of the Tejas Student Retreat 2016, visit http://utaisi.phanfare.com/7119301.

The Church Mobilization Initiative
We are also thrilled at the re-launching of our Church Mobilization Initiative. Currently, we are seeking to add 1,000 new church partners over the next three years to be trained in M:28 Global Discipleship and ministry to international students. Our approach will include live and online training events, personal follow-up and key resources and tools for effective ministry. We currently have 476 ministry partners and 1,917 partnering churches from several denominations. We are looking forward to continued growth and success with this exciting initiative!

M:28 Global Discipleship Training--in Kenya!
One of our most effective ways to “plant seeds” is by way of the M:28 Discovery Bible Study. As you may know, the study continues to spread like wildfire across the US and overseas! We recently experienced a bold response to the M:28 Bible study in Kenya, where student returnees and ministry staff led a training. The results are astounding: The country is actually setting aside a place for M:28 training in a government office building! This came after 50 people, including the nation’s Majority Leader and House Speaker, attended an event.

Elsewhere in the country, 92 pastors crammed into a room meant to hold only 75 individuals. Afterwards, the chairman came up and vowed that M:28 will have offices where the government is. In another special event, government officials handed out certificates vowing to give M:28 a home from which it can hold regular trainings on an ongoing basis, then go on to impact the city, state, and even the world!

Thank you, friend, for your prayers, support and encouragement as we continue “planting seeds” of Truth and Hope in the lives of international students! Please keep us in our prayers as we move forward with our mission to reach every international student for Christ!

For More Information
Learn more about ISI’s Tejas Retreat.

View pictures and videos of this year’s Tejas Student Retreat.

Learn more about ISI’s Church Mobilization Initiative

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TRUE Leadership Inspires, Encourages International Students

5/23/2016

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Students are forever changed following annual TRUE Leadership Conferences!

“Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other,” Romans 15:32 (NLT).

Held in various locations across the United States, our TRUE Leadership Conferences provide international students with training and tools to enhance their current and future professional goals. For one particular student, attending one of our TRUE Leadership Conferences turned out to be the blessing she never saw coming. The student, from East Asia, said she was at first “skeptical” about attending the five-day conference. She recently sent us her testimony, which wonderfully illustrates the effectiveness of the TRUE leadership principles and how she used them in developing a nonprofit.

Here’s what she said in her own words:

“I was working on starting a nonprofit organization in the spring of 2014. Our organization helped Asian international patients and families who came to [our area of the US] to receive medical treatment for a very rare eye cancer called Retinoblastoma. We provided the patients and families housing and traffic information, helped with their communications with doctors and hospitals, and offered free English classes. To be honest, I went to the TRUE leadership with a skeptical mind. However, when the retreat ended, I was so glad that I went there, because I learned so much and all the skills I learned helped me to start the nonprofit I was working on. The great team building activities at the retreat inspired me and I even tried some of them in my nonprofit. More importantly, the awesome staff and cohort at the retreat taught me to open up to new people and new ideas. The communication skills and leadership skills I learned greatly helped me to reach more people and organizations when I was building and working on the nonprofit. It was not only me that benefited from the TRUE leadership retreat, but also my fellow volunteers at the nonprofit, and the families from East Asia.”

This year, our TRUE Leadership Conferences will be held in California, North Carolina and South Dakota next week. We are excited to see how the training strengthens and encourages the student leaders who attend! What’s more is that many international students who attend TRUE Leadership Conferences gain much more than professional development training: they gain the truth and wisdom of the Gospel. Several even accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!

I would like to share two brief stories that show just how powerful the TRUE Leadership Conferences can be in the lives of attendees. Both stories were submitted recently by one of our ministry staff members. He shares some experiences that came from the 2014 TRUE Leadership conferences. Our staff member writes:

“One particular highlight was hearing that a student made a commitment to Jesus the weekend following the conference. This Asian student had been very involved in Christian ministries for more than three years on his campus. Some of the local ministers thought that he was already a believer because of how involved he was in their activities. A combination of graduating the previous term and attending TRUE brought him to a decision point, and one of his Christian friends led him to Christ. He jumped in with both feet and is now taking classes at a local church’s school of ministry!

Another highlight has to do with some of the conference attendees who were already believers. Over half of our students were already Christians (11 of 18). This gave great opportunity for these believing students to encourage each other in their faith, leadership, and outreach to their peers. One of the Christian student coaches commented: “I came here in confusion, searching for things, but God had a completely different plan as I understand the purpose behind my struggles and I got to connect with and encourage people.”

Please pray for students, staff members and volunteers attending our three TRUE Leadership Conferences—that they are continually lifted by the Word of God and serve as a constant encouragement to one another during our conferences!

“Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other,” Romans 15:32 (NLT).

For More Information
Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference at Camp Oakhurst in California.

Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in North Carolina.

Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in South Dakota.

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TRUE Leadership Conferences: Students Hear the Gospel, Learn to Follow Him

5/16/2016

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Several students who attend our conferences not only find Christ, but return to their communities on fire to share the Good News with others!

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners,” Romans 5:8 (NLT).

“Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’” Luke 9:23 (NLT).

From zip-lining to kayaking, our True Leadership Conferences offer international students an adventure-packed five days in some of the most picturesque areas in the US. Not only do they get to experience God’s incredible beauty, they also get to walk away with top-quality leadership training. The tools and ideas learned at our conferences are important for students and their future impact. As an added bonus, conference participants oftentimes develop life-long friendships with fellow attendees! The best part, though, is that students get to hear the truth of the Gospel. They get to experience God’s love for them in a way that can change the course of their entire lives!

I am thrilled to announce that our conferences will be held in the following locations this month:

California, near Yosemite
North Carolina, near Asheboro
South Dakota, in the Black Hills

To further highlight just how much our annual conferences impact international students, I want to share a testimony sent in to us by some of our staff members. They write:

“TRUE Leadership literally transformed the design and impact of our ministry to international students here at our university. Before TRUE, we primarily functioned as a staff-driven team. However, after returning from TRUE, students said, ‘We need to keep doing what we did at TRUE. We now see that we really can lead and impact our fellow students. We want to create the same kind of welcoming community we found at the TRUE Leadership Conference so that students can dialogue and discover the message of the Bible.’ Thus began the summer experiment of having students design and lead a Saturday night group. We eat dinner and then discuss a Bible passage, led by students. The experiment is now in its second year with 25 to 40 students attending each week! We’ve seen many come to Christ. One of our students, who was recently baptized, testified, saying: ‘I loved the Saturday night Bible study. I learned so much and my husband and I would continue discussing all the way home! I’ve decided that the Bible is true, I am a sinner and Jesus died for me. I want to follow Jesus.’”

What an incredible testament to the power of the God’s Word to create a ripple effect! We see this happening every year: Students who attend the TRUE Leadership Conferences return to their communities and want nothing more than to share what they’ve learned. These students inspire many to become His followers.

Please join us as we pray over the students and volunteers who are attending this years’ conferences. We ask God to open their hearts and minds so that they can hear the Gospel as they have never heard it before!

“Then He said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me,’” Luke 9:23 (NLT).

For More Information
Watch this video to learn more about the 2016 TRUE Leadership Conference.

Download the North Carolina TRUE Leadership Conference Brochure here.

Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in California.

Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in North Carolina.

Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in South Dakota.

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Students to Experience Full Cycle of Evangelism at International Students, Inc. TRUE Leadership Conference

5/9/2016

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Learn more about how these conferences are affecting international students!

“This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,” Acts 10:36 (NLT).

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:7 (NLT).

“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord,” 2 Peter 1:2 (NLT).

Every spring, International Students, Inc. hosts TRUE Leadership Conferences across the US for international students interested in enhancing leadership and professional development skills. Year after year, we hear reports of how attendees are receiving so much more! We are greatly blessed that these students not only gain invaluable information to further their careers and future professional goals--they also experience the love and Word of God.

These week long conferences are held in some of the most beautiful areas of the US. This May 2016, they will be held in North Carolina, South Dakota, and California.

As we near the dates of these conferences and the exciting opportunities they bring to international students, I want to share with you a testimony from one of our previous conferences. The story involves one of our ministry friends and an international student named Penny.

When our ministry friend first met Penny, a visiting student from East Asia, our friend sensed an openness and eagerness in her heart. Penny attended Bible study faithfully each week and even began hosting the study in her own home. On the outside, Penny appeared full of joy and warmth, her smile lit up the room. But on the inside, she was wounded and ashamed. She is a single mother, her marriage having lasted little over two years. In East Asia, to be a divorced, single mother is to live a life of failure, shame, and self-degradation.

As Penny learned about Jesus Christ at Bible study, our friend could see her heart opening up to truth and yearning for His grace in her life. Penny was afraid, though, to commit her life to following Christ in a country where to do so would most certainly incur more shame and risk for her and her daughter. Our friend then invited Penny to join her at one of our TRUE Leadership Conferences. With a scholarship donated by a local church, Penny was able to attend the event. Our friend writes about the experience:

“God had Penny at the TRUE Leadership Conference for much more than team building and encouragement. He had heart-work to do in Penny that needed focus and tending. On the second day of the retreat, the speaker talked about building honest, healthy relationships; the importance of giving and receiving forgiveness was discussed at length. In the afternoon, each student was given an invitation to write a forgiveness letter to someone for whom they harbored bitterness or grudge. I sat silently on the edge of the room praying as Penny poured out her heart on paper. Long minutes passed and tears flowed as she finally put words to the hurt her heart suffered due to her ex-husband, failed marriage and single parenthood. In those moments, she was able to not only identify the pain that bound her soul, but to forgive her ex-husband and herself for how they failed their marriage and each other. Penny later told me that writing that letter was a life-changing moment for her. Before that moment she used to weep frequently over her loss and dismal future. After writing the letter she found freedom from her past, hope for the future, and an end to her tears.”

In the weeks and months following TRUE Leadership, Penny participated in two Bible studies, including an M:28 Discovery Bible study! Penny and our ISI friend met often. They discussed Penny’s life, her future, and God’s desire to have her whole heart. Penny often referred back to the forgiveness letter at TRUE Leadership and how her life took a new direction from that moment.

On Penny’s trip home to East Asia, our ministry friend writes:

“Penny led her mother to Christ! Praise be to God for this full cycle of evangelism and grace!”

I look forward to sharing more stories like this in the upcoming weeks! Let us all pray that the students who attend our conferences grow in the knowledge of the Lord and that they experience His amazing grace and peace!

For More Information
Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in California.
Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in North Carolina.
Learn more about the TRUE Leadership Conference in South Dakota.

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The Lord is Both ‘Present and Accounted for’ Throughout International Students, Inc. Ministry!

5/2/2016

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We are truly blessed with the provision to carry out the Great Commission!

“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy,” Psalm 68:3 (NLT).

Why do I say that God is “present and accounted for” in our ministry? It means that everywhere I look, I see signs of God’s presence and direct involvement in all we do!

God’s presence means everything. Moses pleaded for it. Jesus promised it whenever two or more of us gather in His name. His High-Priestly Prayer proclaimed that it would abide with us forever. And today, we see countless examples of that presence in our outreach to international students. I would like to share some of the many examples of God’s presence we are experiencing here at International Students, Inc.:

Tejas Retreat

Our Tejas Retreat at Pine Cove Ranch in Tyler, Texas proved such a mind-blower that standard expectations fail to explain what took place. In our flesh, we don’t understand the full power of how and why God visited the event as He did; however, we do have an idea of what might have played a small part. You see, long before the event, staff members were asked to spend four hours daily in prayer for the retreat’s success. What kind of success, you ask? Worldwide, we’re blessed to witness response rates of 10%––one out of ten attendees asking to learn more about Jesus. At the Tejas Retreat, half of unbelieving student attendees wanted to know more about Jesus!

Northeast Regional Retreat

Our Northeast Regional Retreat, located in our nation’s capital, has come a long way since the days of 30-40 attendees. This year, over 100 staff, volunteers and guests gathered in Washington D.C., where we’ve started a venture to reach the growing number of thousands of new international students. The venture has already made contact with 1,000 students, 100 of whom have made decisions for Christ in 10 months!

Church Mobilization Initiative

We are also thrilled at the re-launch of our Church Mobilization Initiative. We currently have 1,917 church partners, with the goal of adding 1,000 new church partners in the next three years. Our desire is to train and equip them in effective international student ministry in order to accelerate and increase outreach efforts to international students in their areas!

I trust this small sampling shows how powerfully Christ is present and accounted for in our ministry right now, along with a glimpse of the ways which God makes His presence known as we reach out and minister to the international students in our midst. I am reminded of the Psalmist who said, “But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy,” Psalm 68:3 (NLT).
Let us rejoice in Him and His peaceful, joyful presence in our ministry and in our lives. Also, thank you, friend, for all you do to help us to fulfil the Great Commission. We are blessed with the provision to carry it out. Truly, if God has commanded us, He will take care of our needs.

For More Information
Learn more about our Tejas Retreat.
Learn more about our Church Mobilization Initiative .

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ISI: Planting Seeds, Sharing Truth through Growing Initiatives!

TRUE Leadership Inspires, Encourages International Students

TRUE Leadership Conferences: Students Hear the Gospel, Learn to Follow Him

Students to Experience Full Cycle of Evangelism at International Students, Inc. TRUE Leadership Conference

The Lord is Both ‘Present and Accounted for’ Throughout International Students, Inc. Ministry!

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