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In His Great Providence

7/31/2017

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As the world’s borders become increasingly hostile, God responds by sending an ever-increasing number of future leaders to our own shores!
 
 “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning,” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT).
 
A few months ago, I attended the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians in our nation’s capital. More than 600 delegates from 130 countries and territories attended the event. Naturally, I heard many stories, several of them deeply moving, compelling and even abhorrent. It’s important that I hear such stories, as our ministry is committed to counseling and discipling our students as they return to Islamic countries––and to China, and India––where persecution ranges from social and professional, all the way to martyrdom.
 
This is more real than we think. India recently kicked out 20,000 foreign organizations. China has vowed to crush Christianity, and Russia has moved to restrict religious activity to within church walls. And that’s not even counting Islamic countries where our brothers and sisters are being slaughtered. One recent article claims 90,000 were martyred last year for their faith. *
 
The bottom line here is this: We have an incredible opportunity to reach the world’s unreached groups right here in our own backyard, as so many of them are already here in the United States. One of our ministry staffers shared the following testimony:
 
“When our government released a list of the nations that send the highest number of international students to the United States, we compared it to a Christian list of nations that contain the highest number of unreached people groups. The two lists showed remarkable similarities. India and China were responsible for 330 ‘unreached and unengaged people groups.’ In addition, the two countries were also the top two sending nations of international students to the United States. Amazingly, eight of the top 10 nations with unreached groups ranked among the twenty top sending nations! This means that in His amazing providence, God has arranged for the countries most in need of outreach, to send the greatest number of leaders our way! It is our most powerful confirmation yet that there is no more strategic, safe, efficient way to reach the world’s most spiritually hungry nations. This brings home the testimony of a former international student who was also on staff for several years before returning home: ‘I came from Japan where it is rare to see people convert to Christianity. If I had been in Japan and missionaries had tried to reach me, I would not have listened to them. I came to the United States and wanted to learn the different culture, so I listened to the Gospel. Then, God spoke to me through the messages and changed my heart.’”
 
As the world’s borders become increasingly hostile, even closed to traditional missions, God responds by sending an ever-increasing number of future leaders to our own shores! Friend, His faithfulness and strength will always conquer the things of this world. As Scripture tells us:

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning,”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT).

 
We all have our stories––and their ultimate happy ending is the love of our heavenly Father. Thank you for your continued help in writing that great story of salvation in the lives of tomorrow’s leaders! Your prayers and support help us reach work toward our mission to reach every international student for Christ.
 
For More Information

Learn how to minister to international students who come from some of the world’s most unreached nations.


*Source: “90,000 Christians Killed in 2016, 1 Every 6 Minutes: Study” by Samuel Smith, The Christian Post, December 30, 2016.


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The Namesake

7/17/2017

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Learn more about an international student whose life changed when he discovered surprising information about his name.
 
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT).
 
“So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them,” Nehemiah 8:12 (NLT).
 
I know it can be tempting to skim over or completely skip the numerous “bagats” throughout the Bible. However, as someone who has read God’s Word with much scrutiny—both as a scholar and as a believer—I am constantly amazed that even the most tedious sections of the Bible can speak into the depths of our hearts and minds. His Word says it perfectly:
 
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT).
 
Friend, I encourage you to read and absorb all of God’s precious words. You never know what He may reveal to you! Take, for example, this incredible testimony sent in from one of our ministry friends:
 
“When I first began working with international students at my church, a very shy and quiet young man from Eastern Asia attended every meeting and activity we sponsored. Because we routinely had about 20 students, it took me a while to notice him. But one day, when Christy, a new volunteer came to her first meeting, Peter immediately bonded with the self-described grandmother-figure. She seemed to help him cope with the loneliness for his family back home. One day, after we all wondered out loud where he got his name, Peter told us he made it up. But, when Christy opened up her Bible and went straight to the genealogies of Jesus in both the books of Matthew and Luke, she showed Peter that his ‘made-up name’ showed up in the ancestors of Jesus. This intrigued Peter. He wanted to learn more about Jesus and the Bible. One day, while attending a discussion group led by Christy, Peter told the group that he didn’t feel ‘good enough’ to be saved. After the discussion had ended, Christy and Peter met one-on-one to discuss his fears. Soon, he had tears streaming down his face, as he invited Jesus into his heart. Even after he moved away, Peter continued to turn to Christy for guidance in his Christian walk. I learned that everything in the Bible could be used to reach the unsaved. I will never doubt the genealogies again, as I got to see first-hand how reading his own ‘made-up’ name writing in the Bible inspired Peter to try to learn more about this book. And in the end, he found salvation.”
 
Let us never skip over portions of the Scripture because we don’t think they apply or are appropriate. May we keep our ears open to hear what God says to us each time we read His Word.
 
For More Information
Learn more about our M28 Global Discipleship Initiative.
 
Check out our new M28 mobile app!



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Ray of Hope

7/10/2017

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As one who was rescued from the darkness of Hinduism, I understand why so many of our students are grateful to learn of the Good News.
 
“Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies,” Jonah 2:8 (NLT).
 
“For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son,” Colossians 1:13 (NLT).
 
In 1896, a precocious Indian boy had become so tenacious in his search for God, that he asked his parents to let him become a sadhu—a wandering Hindu beggar. By visiting the various temples where people supposedly found God, 12-year-old Ishwar Dawal, hoped to find Him, too.
 
Though he did not find the One True God, he did achieve a new and lofty title. For the next several years, Ishwar lived in India as a Yogi—a person of higher spiritual status in traditional Hinduism. Though quests through the temples of northern India proved sobering, his search for God ended there.
 
Ishwar Dawal was my grandfather, whom I could come to know years later as “Nana,” the Hindu word for grandfather. He lived in India for several years, from ages 12 to 28, as a Yogi.
 
During his boyhood quest through the Indian temples, one sadhu, claiming a steadfast union with God, turned out to be constantly high on marijuana. Most of what Ishwar found was ungodly. “If this represents God,” he said to himself, “Then I am against him.” It truly was a blessing when my grandfather, wearied by his futile search, returned at age 28 to his hometown. One day, glimpsing a large crowd in a marketplace, he dismounted his horse and ventured over to see what was going on. He saw a speaker—Miss Kate, a German missionary—sharing songs and a message about something unfamiliar: the Good News of Jesus Christ.
 
Ishwar was so intrigued by what he heard that he purchased a gospel of John booklet, and despite the danger of harboring non-Hindu literature, he took it home. In the weeks that followed, he voraciously read the book several times. Each time, he sought out Miss Kate for a grueling question-and-answer session.
 
One day, he announced to Miss Kate that he was ready to accept Jesus Christ and Christianity.
 
“Do you realize that because of your Hindu background, you may have to give up something?” Miss Kate asked.
 
“I am willing to give up anything to follow Jesus Christ,” Ishwar replied firmly, with no hesitation.
 
Even though accepting Christ as his Savior meant that Ishwar and his family had to escape in the darkness of the night and give up his career and stature in society, Ishwar spent the next 50 years leading thousands of lost souls to Christ. He even wrote a book about his life titled, Satya-Kiran, meaning “The Ray of Hope.”
 
“Nana’s” life plays a huge role in my own faith. As one who was rescued from the darkness of Hinduism and saved me into the hope and salvation of Jesus Christ, I understand why so many of our students are grateful to learn of the Good News from our countless ministry volunteers and staffers. Let us continue praying for God’s provision in reaching every international student for Christ!
 
“For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son,” Colossians 1:13 (NLT).
 
For More Information
Do you have a heart for international students? Learn how to become an ISI Friendship Partner!



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Planting Seeds of Peace and Prosperity

7/3/2017

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 We are blessed beyond measure by His faithfulness!
 
“Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest,” Psalm 85:12 (NLT).
 
“For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings,” Zechariah 8:12 (NLT).
 
 
I have been meditating lately on all the ways in which God is intentional throughout Scripture in His plans to prosper those who are faithful to Him. I am reminded of when He communicates to the people of Israel—through a prophet—that Jerusalem will be restored, enriched and prosperous:
 
“For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings,” Zechariah 8:12 (NLT).
 
Friend, we have experienced the unexpected in the past few months. He has been planting seeds of “peace and prosperity” in our ministry, and we are blessed beyond measure by His faithfulness. Please join us as we praise the Lord for the following:
 
  • Our website responses continue to climb sharply: a key measure of outreach to the most oppressive and closed regions on earth. Results include:
    • 270,352 Gospel Presentations
    • 17,561 Accepted Christ
    • 25,295 Requested Discipleship
 
  • At our recent “Tejas retreat,” 155 students and attendees heard one of the top five nanotechnologists in the world share his testimony and the students experienced an M28 seminar. Ten expressed a desire to accept Christ and 68 asked to speak with somebody about Jesus––an unusually high response!
 
  • Another blessed surprise is our ability to close on the purchase our new building! We’ve closed escrow and are working to move in this summer. Just the fact that we’ve reduced its indebtedness by half is a blessing for which we’re very grateful.
 
But perhaps our greatest blessing is our Lord’s simple declaration that He would build His church––one soul at a time. For us, every single one is a blessed surprise. Like an Asian professor’s wife whose eyes filled with tears when one of our ministry staffers introduced herself. Our colleague immediately sensed the woman’s spiritual state and asked, “You are a Christian, aren’t you? The wife nodded with a look of amazement. “I prayed to God this morning,” she replied, “and asked Him to lead me to someone who can teach me about God. He has answered my prayer!”
 
I am also reminded of a Chinese woman who had once been such a strong Buddhist that she had made three separate pilgrimages to climb a “holy mountain,” stopping every three steps to kneel with her head to the ground. Since attending International Students, Inc. Bible studies and accepting Christ, she has experienced peace she had never known was possible. She now spends several hours a day reading the Word, and thanks God for the chance to return home with her now-saved son––despite incredible spiritual warfare.
 
These, and so many more, have met their Savior through this ministry––thanks in part to your faithful prayers and support. These surprises are many and thrilling, but so is God’s provision through friends like you. Without that surprise, none of the others would come to pass. Friend, we wish you a prosperous week full of reminders—big and small—of His great blessings.
 
For More Information
Are you interested in ministering to international students? Learn how to become an ISI Ministry Representative, where you will do direct ministry and evangelism to assist ISI’s efforts to mobilize and train Americans in local churches.


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