
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety,”
Psalm 18:2 (NLT).
“For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory,” Psalm 32:7 (NLT).
As you may have heard, our ministry has been blessed with the resources to move forward with ongoing expansion in our outreach and technology efforts. Increasing our social media presence will help us reach even more international students for Christ!
This expansion involves working with students and gaining access to fruitful outreach opportunities. This includes utilizing the technology they use, such as specialized evangelism and discipleship websites and targeted Smartphone Applications. These opportunities will help International Students, Inc. reach students specifically in restricted access countries with whom we otherwise could not engage. Our Global Media Outreach (GMO) evangelism website shares Christ’s love with student seekers on the web and offers discipleship with online missionaries.
We’re growing our online missionaries to help even more students learn about Christ and receive discipleship! Many site visitors are from closed countries and we’re excited for an opportunity to reach them! It’s so encouraging to see how the website’s presence has already touched the lives of so many students. In the last 24+ months, the GMO Website has led to:
- 141,796 Gospel Presentations
- 7,174 Decisions for Christ
- 6,729 Discipled Students
Friend, it is truly inspiring and humbling to hear how the Lord is working in the lives of international students who come from countries where being a Christian—or associating with Christians—can be potentially dangerous. Our continuing online expansion will open doors for God’s Word to make its way into these places.
I am reminded of the power of the Gospel in the lives of students from such places when I think of a story one of our staff members sent in. It reflects the kindness of one of our volunteers, Joe, who deeply affected the lives of two students from an Islamic country.
When Joe first met the students, Aaron and Amy, he found out they were just traveling through Colorado, but that they would be moving to Texas soon to study. He knew they had come from a strict Islamic country because one of them was completely covered. Joe was planning to travel to Texas soon, and they quickly invited him to visit while there. Amy prepared a huge dinner and they shared their lives very openly. Here is the rest of the story, as written by our staff member:
“Joe offered to find an American friend for them during their stay in Texas. That friendship flourished, and upon completion of Aaron’s studies, they returned home to work in the oil business. They had to cut off all communications at that point because of security concerns.
Several years later, Aaron returned to study in another state. He called Joe and asked to be connected with Christian friends. ISI was able to connect them with a church and friends in their new city. Joe did not hear from Aaron and Amy again. However, years later, he was at a conference in Japan and met a pastor from the church where Aaron and Amy attended during their graduate studies. Joe asked the pastor if he happened to know them. He shared with Joe that both Aaron and Amy had put their faith in Christ. They were able to experience a wonderful time of discipleship while doing graduate work before returning home. Because of the extreme danger to Aaron and Amy, they returned as secret believers. When we think of them, we always say a prayer that God will protect them.”
Friends, I truly believe that Aaron and Amy, and other students who must return home as “secret believers” are walking safely in the Truth of the Gospel. There is no greater freedom than resting in the Good News of Jesus Christ. No one can take away your faith. No one can challenge the power of God. I am reminded of Psalm 18:2 (NLT): “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.”
Friend, would you take a moment to lift up our Outreach and Technology expansion initiative in prayer? Would you also pray for the students in restricted access countries who desperately need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ—that they will visit our site and get at least a glimpse of our Heavenly Father?
I want to thank you for being so intentional in praying for our ministry and the students with whom we are blessed to share the Gospel. You understand that despite your physical distance, you’re one of the most vital parts of everything ISI does! I pray you have a joyful week and look forward to sharing more exciting news with you in the near future.
For More Information
Visit our GMO evangelism website
Learn more about International Students, Inc., mobile app