Wednesday, April 28, 2010

in My Defense...



One of the joys of international
student ministry is friendship. In the many friendships formed with students come important milestones that we get to share in because we are the closest "family" geographically. For the students aiming at a Phd, the oral defense of their thesis is a grueling event at the end of 5-7 years of study. Most times we are able to attend these events and watch with joy and pride to see a wonderful presentation, which we sometimes even understand. It is always a blessing to witness God at work through a process as He refines His beloved and brings him/her successfully to a new level. So it was on Good Friday as our friend Akinyi successfully defended her thesis and won her second doctorate. We are so proud of her, as she worked so hard and kept on in spite of incredible difficulties. She pressed on and won the prize! We are rejoicing with her and challenged to keep on to win the prize. Philippians 3:12, 14.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Good News


At our NorthEast Regional Staff Conference our President Doug Shaw shared many facts and stories to encourage us not to be intimidated by I*lam. We are experiencing unprecedented favor in two Asian nations with an outbound student program which connects students there with ISI here before they leave home. A recent study indicates 70,000 m*slims received Christ in 2009 in the USA. An Im*m in Ir*n recently complained that many 20-30's from their country are receiving Christ when they come to the USA. He complained that "someone" is picking them up at the airport, feeds them meals, invites them to friendship circles and Bible studies and then leads them to Christ. "Who are these people?" he asked. It is a blessing to know the impact of ISI through staff and VOLUNTEERS is being felt /heard around the world. President Shaw shared another student story about a m*slim student who arrived here, in the USA, hoping to hear about Jesus, but no one told him or invited him to church. He drove to a church and parked in the lot but no one invited him to go in. After doing this for 4 weeks in a row, he just went in and sat in the back of the church. At the end of the service, he went forward to receive Christ! That is good news, isn't it! Let's be bold in reaching out in love as followers of Jesus and invite "them" to come in.