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God is Using ISI to Reach Students in 10/40 Window!

7/25/2016

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Learn more about a discovery that made our jaws drop!
 
“But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high,” Psalm 3:3 (NLT).
 
It surprised me just as much as it surprised others in our office when we learned of a discovery made by one of our staffers. She noticed an amazing connection among three facts, none of which would be significant on its own. Yet, together these three disparate statistics added up to a stunning revelation with far-reaching spiritual consequences.
 
  • Fact One––The nations sending out the most international students. By itself, the list is fairly predictable: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and others. Predictable, that is, until you pair it with Fact Two.

  • Fact Two––55% of the top ten countries sending out the most international students are also on the list of nations expelling and barring foreign missionaries. And amazingly, when you triangulate both with Fact Three, the information gets even more interesting.

  • Fact Three––Not only are these nations keeping missionaries out, but half of them are also on the Open Doors watch list of countries persecuting Christians inside their borders. What does it mean? For us at ISI, the conclusion is startling.
 
God is using international student ministry to target the Gospel’s most determined foes!
Here’s a story that shows just how our ministry is impacting students from these countries. One of our ministry friends sent in the following, he writes:
 
“Steve met Jason during a monthly International Students, Inc. supper. At one point, each person was asked to share what was most important at the moment. Steve said he desired to live for God. This caught Jason’s attention. He emailed Steve later: ‘I was born and grown as a Christian, but my mind doesn’t accept the fact that my life is given by God for the Glory of God. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior, but I do not recognize Him in my life. I hope my faith will grow here during my stay.’ After that, Steve and Jason met at least twice a month. Jason rediscovered Christ and Scripture, and shared those lessons in daily phone conversations with his wife, who was in Asia. Knowing he would return home soon, Jason planned another big step: he wanted to leave the security of a corporate position for the insecurity of self-employment so he could mentor others. Jason continues to inspire Steve with his thoughtfulness and excitement in living a God-centered life.”
 
As we move forward with our efforts to continue reaching students from countries on the Open Doors watch list, would you pray for God’s Word to move mountains in their lives? Would you pray for His Word to be a shield around our staff and volunteers as they minister to these students?
 
I am reminded of the Psalmist who said, “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high,” Psalm 3:3 (NLT). It is my hope and prayer that the glory of the Lord will continue holding our heads high as we reach out to students from nations often hostile to Christianity.

Friend, thank you for your prayers and ongoing support as we speak the truth of the Gospel into the lives of international students! I look forward to sharing more exciting updates with you through the summer months!
 
For More Information
 
Read testimonies from students impacted by our ministry.

Learn how to become a prayer partner for ISI.





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He is Doing His ‘Good Work’ in Us!

7/20/2016

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Learn more about an international student who found purpose in her life after deciding to follow Jesus.
 
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus Christ returns,”
Philippians 1:6 (NLT).
 
In such a chaotic society, with so many choices and possible “roads not taken” to explore, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and sometimes even aimless—as if we are just wandering without purpose. I want to remind you of the fact that we, as Believers, have great purpose! Following Christ brings more meaning into our lives. Only through Him, can we feel truly alive. He is always there to guide us. As the Psalmist writes:
 
“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me and Your right hand shall hold me,”
Psalm 139:9-10 (NLT).
 
When we know our purpose is to bring glory to Him, we discover that He heals our hurts and fills in the imperfections. He will always guide, lead, and hold us. All we have to do is believe in Him.
 
One of our ministry staff members shared a story with us about an international student whose testimony shows just how amazingly our lives change when we decide to follow Jesus. When Ruth came to the United States from the Philippines, she stopped attending church. Our staff member writes:
 
“Ruth had never been excited about church before, but had still gone, out of respect for her mom. Once she arrived in the US, though, that changed. Most of her friends were atheists. And that was fine with her. Why did she need God when she was having so much fun? Her life was perfect the way it was. But then her cousin came to visit her in the US and let Ruth know that her 11-year-old brother had died in a bicycle accident. Ruth immediately went back to the Philippines. ‘I was confused, hurt, angry, miserable and desperate,’ she said. ‘If the hospitals there had been any better, my brother would have had a chance. I was about to explode.’ After two weeks, Ruth returned to college in the US. Though she studied twice as hard, she couldn’t do anything else. She sank further into depression. Then, God led her to join a Bible study, she finally talked about her brother, let tears flow, and started to heal. That night, Ruth trusted Christ as her Savior. In a moment, she released all her frustrations and hurts into a positive outlet. Her life has more meaning now, and she knows God has a purpose for her.”
 
Just as Ruth found Christ during what was probably the darkest moment in her life, we must remember that He is there for us at all times. It is our belief in Him that brings us radiant hope! No matter what we are going through, it is important to remember that “...the God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus Christ returns,” Philippians 1:6 (NLT).
 
Praise God for the incredible work He is doing in you! If you feel called to learn more about how you can minister to international students, please take some time to visit the websites below.
 
For More Information:
 
Volunteer Opportunities: International Students, Inc. offers several ways that you or your church can volunteer to serve international students. Take a moment to read about ISI’s volunteer opportunities.
 
M:28 Global Discipleship Model: Students around the world continue discovering God on their own directly from the Word in a community setting. Learn more about how you can get involved.
 
Church Mobilization Initiative: International Students, Inc. is reaching out to pastors and churches to talk with them about the possibilities to get involved in international student ministry! Learn more about our Church Mobilization Initiative.

 
 


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M:28 Impacting Hearts and Minds Around the World!

7/11/2016

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Learn more about our blessings and unexpected gifts from the Lord!
 
 “Then Peter replied, ‘I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. This is the message of the Good News for the people of Israel—that there is a peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,’” Acts 10:34-36 (NLT).

Boldly approaching the Lord with our hearts and minds wide-open for His provisions can open doors we’ve never seen before, and give us responses we never anticipated. Hebrews 4:16, in fact, exhorts us to “…come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” We see this time and again in His unexpected gifts to our ministry.
 
One of His many blessings has been the addition of laborers to the harvest. We praise God for more and more brothers and sisters joining International Students, Inc., a team which now approaches 400-strong––and even stronger through the multiplied impact of volunteers! We have more than 23,000 volunteers who help us greatly with our mission to reach every international student for Christ. Another incredible blessing is the fact that for the third year in a row, we will introduce at least one soul to salvation in Christ every hour of every day––24/7.
 
With the ongoing expansion of our initiatives, like our M:28 Global Discipleship, nearly every day brings fresh and exciting news. We continue to receive astonishing reports from an international student now traveling from village to village, planting M:28 churches across his native Nepal! Stateside, we’re now a part of America’s fastest growing Chinese church, which not only asked us to train key leaders, but bring M:28 to its 24-hour Chinese television channel. We look forward to hearing even more stories about how our M:28 outreach efforts are changing lives around the world!
 
One of our M:28 facilitators sent the following story to our office. It truly highlights how the study is impacting hearts and minds of participants. The facilitator writes:
 
“I have learned that I really have no clue what will sink into the hearts of our students or suddenly become clear to them. An M:28 women’s Bible study provided yet another example of that. Acts 10 spoke into some women’s hearts in unexpected ways. We read through the story of Cornelius and Simon Peter, and while I have read and heard it many times, I could not have predicted the response I witnessed from two Middle Eastern women in particular. This was wonderful for me because I saw God move in new and different ways. As I listened to what the women in the group had discovered in the Acts 10 passage, one of the women boldly declared, ‘This is not Allah!’ She went on to explain that Allah has favorites, and she could see clearly that God did not. Because we have learned to listen and allow Scripture to speak for itself, I contained my emotions and said with suppressed excitement, ‘I see your point.’ The Lord knew that these women would recognize and appreciate the ‘point’ made in verses 34-36. Even though I did not have a clue how it would speak into their hearts, I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit knows how to reach each of the hearts of the women to whom we minister. Every week, I leave our study encouraged as He reveals Himself more and more to the women. We continually pray for the Lord’s leading through Scripture we share and we love show to these women.”
 
As you can see, God has blessed the M:28 outreach in unimaginable ways! As the study spreads like wildfire through the US and several countries across the world, would you take a moment to pray for our study facilitators and volunteers? Would you pray for God’s provision and strength as they help students navigate this exciting, life-changing Bible study?
 
Friend, thank you for your prayers and dedication to International Students, Inc.! We look forward to seeing His light shine through the M:28 program as it continues to grow!
 
 
For More Information
Learn more about the M:28 Global Discipleship Initiative.
 
Learn more about becoming an ISI volunteer!

 


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