NE Regional Conference

Praise the Lord that He met us as we came together near Rutgers University in NJ.
 

118 gathered: ISI staff, key volunteers, int'l students and other partners in the ministry, who came from 23 cities and campuses throughout the Northeast, with all ages (early 20's through early 90's) from 15 cultures- our group was larger and more diverse than ever before.  

• Excellent keynote sessions with Paul Borthwick encouraging us to press on with persistence, patience and obedience, and encouragement from Dr. Doug Shaw, our ISI President.
• Very good pre-conference training in Mslm and Hindu Ministry, M:28 Bible study leading and learning more about the Chinese student.
• We prayer walked at four Rutgers University campuses as well as at Princeton University.
• For the prayer walks the Lord provided us with a sunny 50 degree afternoon!! A good gift after a long winter!
• God seemed to speak to each participant.  One example: during sharing Sunday morning on how God spoke to us, a Cornell Indian graduate student had tears as he shared of the conflict at home between Indians and Pakistanis; yet he had incredible fellowship with two Pakistani brothers who were with us this weekend.  Secondly, four years ago as we prayer walked at Cornell, he was deciding to apply to Cornell for graduate school.  He felt like he was an answer to our prayers for more laborers at that Ivy League school. We were so blessed to see in front of us an answer to our prayers!

Is this the real God?

When we first got involved with international student ministry at UConn many years ago, we were so blessed to see God actively working in supernatural ways. Over the years, we have been excited to see several different students receive physical healings that opened their hearts to Jesus.  One student, motivated by seeing God work supernaturally, laid her hands on a broken scientific instrument she needed to use for her research and God repaired it.
Most recently a student from a country that is atheistic asked "How can I know that this God you are teaching about is the real God?"  So, Richard asked "Are you still having pain?"
"Yes," she nodded.
After receiving permission to pray with her we agreed with Jesus command to heal the sick (Luke 10:8-20; Matt 10:7,8).  Richard spoke healing and told the pain to leave in Jesus name.  Her eyes opened wide with surprise and delight AND her heart opened to the revelation ... this is the real God!

(I have abbreviated the story and left out some details to protect the student).

It doesn't end here ...

We love to connect students to American friends.  Everyone benefits and life long friendships are often the result.  Of course, we always hope and pray that our friends will embrace our best friend, Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, but that doesn't always happen.  Nevertheless, we still make wonderful friendships that we cherish all our lives.  We know so many stories of students finishing their degrees, going home AND THEN, discovering their best friend!  The following is one of the most recent:          
> Can I tell you an exciting thing I just heard this morning?
>
> Our friend Fred, who we met two years ago while he was studying here in the US, returned to Thailand this summer.  We've been praying for him, and when he left prayed that God would continue to draw him and open his eyes.  Well he just sent a message that he was just baptized yesterday in Thailand!
> God is moving.  It's true.  And this reminds me that it is God who works.  We can host Bible studies and explain who Jesus is - but it is His work that pierces hearts and opens blind eyes to see and understand the mystery of salvation.
>
> We have had a great semester of encountering hungry hearts, searching and eyes opening to the Gospel.  So as we're finishing a semester - lets turn to God in prayer to ask the Lord to do a mighty work in the hearts and minds of the students that we've been in contact with.

So do not be discouraged in doing the right thing.  Even when we do not see the results we expect or hope for in our time or way, God is faithful!  He brings forth the fruit in the right season. 

Holiday Reflections

It is after the holidays ... time to rest up from merry making, present wrapping and unwrapping, cooking and eating, and people-ing.  We enjoyed it all this year.  We have much for which to give thanks.  We were blessed with family visits and we blessed others by being visiting family.  We traveled many miles in safety, no small feat considering the weather.  We ate lots of good food and enjoyed the company of many good friends.  We received many good gifts!

 Perhaps the best gift of all was hearing an international student friend share her enthusiasm for the gift of peace she has received from Jesus!  In sharing a conversation with a relative in her home country she told us "I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, and now I have peace."  And so we rejoiced with her and the angels rejoiced with us too! Truly this is the best expression of the "reason for the season"!

Perspective from a Co-worker in the Vineyard

Perspective

I tweeted about my $161 traffic ticket yesterday. But there was more than that to it. Here's the more:

I knew I was speeding. I knew I was guilty. The unmarked car was a fancy one (probably a state vehicle) so when I saw it pull out and follow me, I knew I was done.

I rolled down my window and immediately said I was sorry, remembering that confession, although good, does not excuse me from consequence. I still had to pay. I handed over my registration and insurance card and waited. Guess who appeared?

An Asian looking man walking toward me on the highway! My window was rolled down so when he walked past I asked him if he was going to UCONN. He said yes. I asked if he wanted a ride. He asked how long it would take. I looked back at the policeman writing up my ticket and said...probably about 5 minutes. He smiled and climbed into my stinky van which usually smells like rotten vegetables or dead animals at any given moment.

We chatted and the officer came back with my "reduced fee" ticket since I had such a good driving record. The Asian man started asking him questions about driver's licenses and international driving. The police man looked at me, confused. I told him I'd take care of it.

As we drove away, I learned that I had picked up a Visiting Scholar. His wife was here: she didn't know a lot of English. And his daughter was at a university in NYC on a full scholarship. He had just gotten here 4 days ago and wanted to be dropped off at the AT&T store so he could get in line with all the other internationals who were waiting in a long line to get their new IPHONE!

We exchanged business cards. We had a conversation. It was typical conversation to be had with a new international (only some of you will know what that means!...like ISI people and the like). As I drove away, I had a thought about Someone.

The price of that connection was $161. But the Someone I am thinking of paid much more to ransom and redeem my soul. As I found myself moved to tears over such a thought, I was thankful for the ticket and a chance to meet a new soul who could possibly change the world.

Eternal purposes made of mundane, daily life things. Ah, that's what He does.

Aligning with God's Call

  We have been praying for a destination for over 2 years, since we had a sense that we would be moving.  Last year our Regional Field Director asked if we would be willing to move to the Washington D.C. area to focus on re-building the ministry there.  After a season of prayer we felt that this was God's direction for us.  Taking a deep breath, we started making preparations for the move.  Then life events happened:  funerals, engagements, weddings ... and timing for the move came firmly under God's control, not ours (of course, it is always in His Hands, we just recognized it). 
  Now, finally, our home is for sale and we await the next step and the miracles that are needed to complete the move.

Glory mixed with Sadness

We were jolted by the call from my sister. My brother, Bob’s, pneumonia treatment had suddenly morphed into major cancer spread once the imaging was completed. Bob moved to the local hospice and we had only one lucid visit before the drugs took him into unconsciousness to avoid the pain of progressing disease. During my last visit, I still took time to address Bob’s spirit and speak into him the Word of Life. I prayed with him and read Scripture. I was very, very glad for the sense of the Lord’s Presence and Peace. Bob was in hospice barely a week.

I had the privilege to officiate the funeral and grave-side services, though it was difficult. Even the steady soaking rain seemed determined to drench us and our hope. Of course, the only true Hope is in Jesus, and He will never be destroyed. “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness./ I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but whole-ly lean on Jesus’ Name.”