Welcome to the Family

Another post, another blizzard--

Two stories for you today, both of which relate to Asian International Students from the first two weeks of school...

From Steph Schmaltz at Drake University:

"Alice" was a student who came to Drake at the beginning of the year. She asked the director of the International Student office if there was anyone who could teach her about the Bible. I know the director, so she connected the two of us.

Alice and I met up once and it looked a like a great opportunity to do a GIG, so we started to meet more regularly. As time went on it became more clear that Alice was more interested in the Bible as a way to learn about western culture and so the spiritual components I was trying to hit weren't as appealing to her. We kept in contact throughout the semester, but I was a little disappointed to say the least.

I ran into Alice at the second semester Activities Fair and she came rushing up to me, gave me a huge hug and said she wanted to get together because she had some things she needed to tell me. I obviously agreed to meet up with her and so we did just yesterday. I went to Alice's apartment and she began to tell me that she has been going to church for the past month and about a conversation she had a with a former Drake student who is a Christian. She then mentioned how along with our Bible studies first semester and the things that had been going on her life lately, she realized that God was not just something that influenced western culture. She said that she doesn't want to be the center of her life, but wants God to be the center of her life and she wants to follow Him and only Him!

At this point I began to tear up. First semester I was so hopeful for Alice to know Jesus, but was really disappointed when it felt like our GIG went no where. But there in her apartment, Alice thanked me for beginning to open her eyes to the spiritual components of the Bible because that is when she said she first started to wonder if there was something more to Christianity. She said her life feels different now and she has a peace she has never experienced before. She said, "I can't explain it logically, but my life I know is changed forever." Sunday afternoons Alice and I are going to meet to study scripture and learn more about what it means to be a Christian.

From Brian Smith at the University of Iowa:

My first bible study occurred this thursday-- I'm leading a bible study in the Asian Pacific American Cultural center, and it has been slow... As in, never getting more than 2 people there slow. However, I started sensing some change in momentum this semester, and students started to say yes. In particular, one senior student named Amber had been talking about inviting her room mate, a seeker student from Asia. Amber had been consistently inviting her roommate the entire past semester with no success, and I had been praying for the past semester that God would bring conversion in her life.

When I heard that 3 of the students who had expressed interest in my bible study (including one of the two regulars from last semester) were not coming to bible study, I wasn't sure what to expect. But... when I arrived at Bible study last night, I was surprised to see 4 students, and the first thing Amber said to me was: "Brian, we have good news!" Her room mate had just recently committed her life to Christ. She participated in the bible study, and had some of the more insightful comments of the group (not surprisingly).

Amazing that God works to bring transformation to people as we pray, even before we meet some of our students. Praise God that He is starting a student movement at Iowa, and that students are taking initiative and ownership of the movement.

THIS IS THE POWER OF COLLEGE MINISTRY. Not only do students carry incredible power in witness to their friends, both of these new sisters are from "closed" countries, but when they return, they will return not just having studied in America, but with the Holy Spirit empowering them to bear witness FROM WITHIN THE WALLS OF CLOSED COUNTRIES (places where you or I could have virtually no direct impact!)