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Fellowship: M:28 Inspires Community, Changes Lives

11/16/2015

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When we are in community, we have so many more opportunities to witness Him in action!
 
“But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin,”
1 John 1:7 (NLT).
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Our sovereign God truly wants people to know Him. He looks for opportunities to make Himself known through the people and the circumstances around us. He shows His power and authority by doing miraculous things and answering our prayers. When we are in community, we have so many more opportunities to witness Him in action.

One of our programs here at International Students, Inc. which blesses students, volunteers and staff with that strong sense of community is the M:28 Global Discipleship Initiative. In this setting, students discover God on their own directly from the Word in the safety of a supportive community.

I want to share with you a story sent to us by a family who volunteers to hold M:28 Bible Studies in their home. A few years ago the family hosted an M:28 study with a young, unbelieving family—Michael, Kate and their two daughters—from Central Asian Republic. Our volunteer family shared their M:28 experience with Michael and Kate:

“One week, Michael and Kate shared that Kate’s stipend for her studies in the U.S. wasn’t enough to cover the expenses of their whole family. They decided that Michael needed to get a job, but were concerned that his limited English skills could prove challenging. The following week, our friends reported that Michael got a job at McDonalds and his earnings would cover the gap in their needs! And Kate got an internship with the city government. God is so good! After this, our Bible study became more important to them. They wanted to get to know this God who helped them so much. Before long, Michael showed his ‘God awareness’ when he responded to a decision they had to make by saying, ‘We should think about how God would want us to act.’”

The daughter of this Friendship Partner family also played an important role in the M:28 experience for Michael, Kate and their two daughters. The girls hardly spoke any English when they began the M:28 Bible studies. After a while, all three girls became the best of friends. Our volunteers also shared this wonderful story about the interactions between their daughter and Michael and Kate’s two daughters:

“During the M:28 Discovery studies, our daughter saw it as her responsibility to be a ‘missionary’ to the girls while they played. She invited them to our church’s children’s program and when the older daughter became a lover of Jesus, we rejoiced!”
So, not only did the parents grow in their faith, but their daughters’ lives were touched as well with the oldest becoming a follower of Jesus!

In M:28 Bible studies, students of all ages are imprinted from the very first day with the DNA of spiritual multiplication! Friend, I want to take a moment to share with you just how excited we are by this growing initiative by giving you some incredible
M:28 updates:
  • 3,740 leaders have been trained in M:28 Global Discipleship in 31 states and 16 countries

  • We project over 93,500 people have been impacted by M:28

  • The M:28 training manual was recently updated and simplified

  • A specialized M:28 Smartphone App is currently in development

This initiative has been highly praised by our staff and volunteers for its effectiveness. Students are responding with more than ever signing up for M:28 Bible Studies in their areas!

In closing, I want to share with you a passage from Acts that mirrors very well the community and fellowship aspect of our M:28 initiative:

"They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved,"
Acts 2:46-47, NLT.


Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to reach every international student for Christ. We are grateful for you and your support as we move forward with our M:28 initiative, which will continue changing lives around the world!
 
For More Information:
Learn more about the M:28 Global Discipleship Initiative.
 
Learn more about some of our other Bible studies.



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Merciful -- God’s Provision Paves New Paths, Opens New Doors for ISI!

11/9/2015

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God has assured us that ISI’s ability to reach every international student for Christ will continue—in full force!
 
 “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NLT)
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We often do not get to see the full-cycle work of International Students, Inc. right before our eyes. With that being said, I would like to take a moment to share with you some of the large-scale blessings our ministry is experiencing. We thank God for His provision over special events and strategic initiatives including:
  • 96 students attended our TRUE Leadership Events in Pennsylvania and California this summer, with several students requesting to hear more about Christ
  • 131,709 Gospel presentations have been made on our Global Media Outreach evangelism website, with 6,394 people accepting Christ, and 5,259 requesting discipleship
  • 3,740 leaders have been trained in M:28, with a projected 93,500 people impacted!
 
These may look like numbers on a page, but each one represents a life…one eternal soul, changed forever through an encounter with Jesus––made possible by friends like you! It’s true: without God’s faithful provision of prayers, financial support, and staff and volunteer efforts, we might never have had the chance to share new life in Christ with lost souls.
 
In the following story, an international student from Taiwan writes in her own words the impact International Students, Inc. has had in her life:
 
"Last year, I thought I was about to die. I prayed for getting into the Promised Land... Here I am. I am alive! God brought me here. God passed on a vivid message in my dream—to know God is to know our sins. My Friendship Partner, who played an indispensable role in my spiritual journey, helped me interpret the message with the scripture from Galatians 2. My heavenly father, I trust you because you are so merciful, faithful and patient. You’ve been waiting for me for a long time, and you’ve done immeasurably more than I asked or I imagined. Now I profess: I turn to you and I trust in you. I found new life in Jesus. Jesus is my Savior. Jesus is my Shepherd, my Savior."
 
What a blessed calling––to help transform lives in this way! This student now gets to live the rest of her life knowing that she has been "crucified with Christ," as explained in Galatians 2:20. The entire verse is a beautiful example of what happens when we die to ourselves:
 
"I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave  himself for me," Galatians 2:20, NLT.
 
Each of the thousands of international students touched by ISI has a unique story. And what is exciting is that God has assured us that ISI’s ability to reach every international student for Christ will continue—in full force! God has given us this hope by constantly opening new doors here and overseas, giving us creative ideas to reach international students more effectively, and moving new donors to reach out every day with fresh sources of provision.
 
I would like to close with the words of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:1: “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.” Friend, please pray for our new SALT initiative: “Strategic Advance Leadership Teams.” SALT includes a targeted shift to mobile platforms for increased global outreach, and expanded church mobilization, over the next three years, made possible by God’s generosity and faithful intercessory prayer.
 
We look forward to updating you on this and other initiatives! Your prayers of support bless us beyond measure.
 
For More Information:
 
Watch ISI’s comprehensive video series on a variety of leadership topics. ISI is committed to helping international students grow, both in business and spiritually. We hope you will find these videos helpful! Please check back often for new videos.
 
Become a Friendship Partner!



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Listening to that 'Still, Small Voice' Could Change the World

11/3/2015

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ISI Volunteers minister to entire family after acting on a little 'nudge' from God.
 
"Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him," –Deuteronomy 13:4 (NLT).
 
"If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors,"
–Deuteronomy 7:12 (NLT).
 
"You have declared today that the Lord is your God. And you have promised to walk in his ways, and to obey his decrees, commands, and regulations, and to do everything he tells you. The Lord has declared that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands," –Deuteronomy 26:17-18 (NLT).
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It's amazing—the ways in which we are able to bless others when we follow, trust, and obey Jesus. We don't always understand or see what He is doing, but what a true blessing it is when we listen to that “still, small voice” leading us to serve others.
 
In this story, a husband-and-wife team demonstrate the power of listening to "God's nudge." They joined ISI after serving with another ministry in China and Hong Kong for a number of years. Because of their experience, they have a special place in their hearts for Chinese students. Our volunteers were gracious enough to share the following testimony with us. They write:
 
"During one of our first fall semesters of ministry with ISI, we learned of two young Chinese men. These young men were living in a graduate student apartment with nothing but bare walls. Feeling God's nudge, we gathered up a lamp, card table, two folding chairs, spare dishes, silverware, pots and pans, towels and some bedding and marched over to their apartment. I will never forget how their faces lit up with surprise and gratitude when they opened the door and saw the things we had brought for them. After we exchanged names, one of them took me aside and told me, 'I have come to your country to learn the name of God. In my country, we cannot learn His name. But, I think He is the God of the Bible.'"
 
As profound as that moment was, the story doesn't end here! A few weeks later, the couple introduced this student to the Bible and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him. The student ended up giving his heart to Jesus! He then told our ISI volunteers: "My wife comes this Christmas. She will become Christian, too."
 
Not only did the student's wife become a Christian, but their five-year-old daughter became one as well! I love how this story highlights the way in which our obedience to the Lord can result in the literal changing of hearts and minds! While reflecting on the testimony above, I am reminded of a passage in Deuteronomy that says to, "Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him," (Deuteronomy 13:4, NLT).
 
I pray that in this coming week your mind and heart are open to Jesus' voice—that you hear and respond to each whisper, idea, or nudge even when it might not make sense at the time. It's likely that the still, small voice will end up blessing you and others in ways you could have never imagined!
 
For More Information:
Learn more about becoming an ISI Friendship Partner. In this role, you get to volunteer directly with an international student. It will be a huge blessing for the student and for you!
 
Learn  more about becoming a Ministry Partner with ISI. Ministry Partners are churches or individuals who are either beginning international student ministry or want to be a part of a team of people who labor together to reach international students for Christ.




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