Students
Partners
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (Isaiah 55:8, NLT)
Whenever there has been a major breakthrough—the Wright brothers, splitting the atom, or even something as non technical as Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile or Florence Nightingale changing nursing forever—it was because someone exceeded the conceptual framework of that day.
Two years ago I wrestled in prayer about the 10/40 window, the area between latitude 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north, which is the hardest to reach with the gospel. The Lord spoke clearly to me, “Yaw, I am thinking outside the window.” What did He mean and why did He say that? Was there something in there about exceeding a conceptual framework? By God’s grace, after multiple months of multiple people tirelessly working on our latest publication, Thinking outside the Window is just off the press.
The urgent message of Thinking outside the Window is something the whole church, especially Canadian Christians, needs to hear and decisively respond to.
Leiton Chinn, Lausanne senior advisor for International Student Ministries – ISM, says “the book expands strategic considerations by including new topics, such as leadership development and supports development of the ISM workers, that are not usually addressed in the basic core elements of ISM training, and that comprise the three earlier books… The three prior works were written in America and primarily for an American readership, though the first two authors were originally from Asia (Obien, Philippines, and Lau, Singapore).”
In this new book, journey with my family and me as we testify to God’s guidance, goodness, and grace in directing and redirecting our plans to fulfill the Great Commission. The book highlights the reality of the strategic nature and biblical basis of diaspora missions and international student ministry; it includes statistics that are applicable worldwide.
The final part of the publication introduces new and additional exhortations for ISM including support from abroad.
The book presents inspirational elements and rational, strategic propositions with a call for believers to exchange personal ambitions for God’s best plan and purpose. Not unlike exceeding a personal conceptual framework.
Visit the website http://thinkingoutsidethewindow.com to find personal or small group general discussion questions as well as scriptures and other resources to explore for each of the three parts and 15 chapters of the book Thinking outside the Window.
Dr. Yaw Perbi
President
ISMC
Seeking a Leader of Leaders!
God is On the Move and He is moving a huge number of people to study in Canada. Ontario alone has over 48,000 post-secondary international students! (Source: Council of Ontario Universities)
God is calling His Church to see the ready harvest. ISMC is calling for a Leader of Leaders! We are seeking to fill the position of Ontario Regional Director. This leader will be:
For more information on this position see: https://www.ismc.ca/page.aspx?pageId=47
Of the 400 internationals at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, PQ, about 85 are from China and 15 of these are actively involved in the student association. I was invited to their mid-autumn festival and shared the excitement and joy of around 40 students celebrating a cultural tradition.
In the winter semester, I connected to Student Association President Cherry Chen, a biochemistry and psychology student. We talked about our faith in Jesus and I shared the love of Christ. Cherry joined our weekly Bible study and we built a closer relationship which gave me opportunity to become her leadership role mentor.
During this year’s Chinese New Year, we enjoyed another unique experience, celebrating with 120 students and members from local churches. This brought students and community into a dynamic relationship and helped churches have a clearer vision of the role they can play in reaching internationals.
Cherry and other students from the student association participated in our winter fun day, enjoying cross-country skiing for the first time. They also came to an Easter dinner at my place, and after watching The Life of Jesus, Cherry gave her life to God and accepted Jesus as Savior.
How amazing the Lord is! Not only did our relationship with Cherry lead her to Christ, it brought blessings to my husband and me! Here’s how: just before leaving on a trip to China, we attended Cherry’s citizenship ceremony and met her mother. This gracious lady took us to lunch and offered to have her brother pick us up at the Beijing airport.
I meet regularly with Cherry as mentor and am excited to see God moving this young leader to impact the lives of other students.
Joanne Kingsley
City Director in Sherbrooke
At a recent Conversation Club U-talk session, U-talk Director Connie Laing was asked by Ju, a newly arrived Korean student at VanWest College (Kelowna), “Could we get together for a couple of hours a day so I can practice English?” Ju had recently declared she had just become a Christian, so these sisters in Christ naturally struck up a relationship which encouraged discussions on culture, family, spirituality, and personal life.
When together in Connie’s home, coffee shops, and parks throughout Kelowna, they studied the Bible about Jesus and Christianity. Ju wanted a higher English proficiency so she could invite fellow VanWest classmates to Bible studies.
How wonderful to hear of this young believer’s desire to reach others! God doesn’t require people with great talents to be effective ministers of the faith; He wants those who are available to be equipped to advance the kingdom.
Connie would be the first to say that availability encourages meaningful relationships which lead students to know Christ.
Thank you Connie, Ju, and ISMC team members across Canada for your availability in bringing the gospel so freely and lovingly to our international friends.
Rick Wilgosh
City Director in Kelowna
“Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” (Philippians 2:2, NASB)
“The Great Commission is too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together” (Steve Moore).
When asked to be ISMC president over two years ago, I initially said no. ISMC wanted me to work on shifting the mission’s organizational culture to the intentional development of leaders. But I had my own Canadian charity with global operations, one I had founded; I was already doing a similar work.
That is when the Lord used precious words from a mentor, Doug Carter, to pierce my soul: “For a long time the kingdom of God has not advanced as it should because of egos and logos.” That is a sad reality in today’s missions, when really, the only ego that should matter is the glory of God, and the only logo we fight for is the cross of Christ!
Yes, I am certainly glad I accepted the position. I had no idea that International Student Ministry (ISM) was in God’s next chapter of missions and that He wanted to not only leverage His gifts in me but also the experience and curriculum of The HuD Group1 to benefit the kingdom.
A new wind of networking, partnership, and collaboration is blowing in the ISM part of the body of Christ. Late in May, for example, I met with fellow national directors of ISMs of Power to Change2 and InterVarsity3 to talk about collaboration and partnership, to ensure that ZERO international students in Canada are unreached with love and the gospel over the next decade.
We want to go beyond networking, we want to partner. Why? Because we share a common interest. We need to regularly communicate, plan, and work together to achieve this common interest, this common vision. The vision—reach EVERY international student in Canada—is far beyond the capacity of any one partner.
In October we want a follow up meeting. Not only do we realize we truly are better together, we are humbly acknowledging what Steve Moore put so succinctly, “The Great Commission is too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together.”
Dr. Yaw Perbi
President
ISMC
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Shahzad Sardar, accompanied by his wife Priscilia, returned to Canada from Pakistan in early May and completed a three-month internship with ISMC in Montreal. One of the greatest lessons learned from his supervisor, Yaw Perbi, ISMC president, was about God’s purposes and finding affirmation of His calling. Both Shahzad and Priscilia had already felt God calling them into ministry for many years. “We see how God prepared us for a ministry to international students,” he said, “by bringing me to Canada as one.” He attended Bible college in Edmonton in 2010.
Shahzad enjoyed his leadership lessons—a particular internship highlight was attending ISMC’s biennial staff conference in Pinawa, MB, in July. The love of God shown to Shahzad and Priscilia by the ISMC family made a huge impression. Shahzad said the conference was not only encouraging, “but better equipped us for ministry because we now can see the big picture of what God is doing across the country through ISMC.”
In Montreal, Shahzad met many international students and learned the importance of sharing the love of Jesus to impact the world.
“When I came as an international student, the love of Jesus shared with
me made a life-changing impact.”
Shahzad and Priscilia’s second training phase takes them to Vancouver, where ISMC has ministries on seven campuses. Shahzad looks forward to participating in an established and thriving ministry so they can bless Vancouver’s international students and ISMC’s volunteers and staff.
Our biennial ISMC staff conference held in Pinawa, Winnipeg, was a great success for staff and leaders from across our great nation. We enjoyed three days together—three good days of learning, encouragement, and relationship building.
Challenging devotional times caused us to think about leading more like Jesus and about leading more people to Jesus.
ISMC President Yaw Perbi presented the challenge of growing as a mission and catalyzing other Christians to action to fulfill our Big Dream. And what a dream: that in ten years, every international student who comes to Canada will have an opportunity to be loved and led to Jesus.
Special speakers gave instructions on how to minister to students from India and the Middle East.
In addition to workshops, we had plenty of time for networking and brainstorming. It is interesting, as we seek to encourage others, we get encouraged too!
Yes, God is at work and many positive comments have been received about our valuable time in Pinawa.
Last year, I came to Canada. At the time, my English was so poor. While one of my roommates, Vivian, she introduces me to FC (Focus Club), but she doesn’t tell me it’s a Christian club. Just like open every Friday nite, there is a lots of IS (International Students) like me, & it also offers free dinner.
En~ (um…) it sounds great. BCZ (because) I can improve my english and also make friends over there. That is really what I’m looking for at that moment~ unfortunately, I was not very comfortable that day, bcz my back was really painful. But I still try to go FC with an exciting and curious heart.U can imagine that a loneliness IS find a place, The people over there are so kind and friendly, & they give me a feeling which is just like at home.
Everything goes smoothly at the beginning, we hv dinner and games. However, the pain comes from my back becoming stronger. After dinner, we sing worship song together. I suddenly realized that this is a Christian club and I hv to leave. But the song calms my anxious heart and heals my backache. I still can remember the song’s name which is 10,000 reasons. So I decided to stay at here until it finished. And then, we hv group discussion.
Before I leaving, there was a nice lady who prayed for me – Karen, who also introduced me to my friendship partner family. That was my first time to be prayed by a stranger. I was really touched by her. Gradually, I try to pray and read bible. Last semester, my Christ(ian) mentor lead me to become a real Christian. She asked me: Do you want to be Christian?
There were so many kinds of refused words in my brain, bcz I thought I wasn’t ready to be a Christian. But a yes jumps out of my mouth. She tried to make sure that I really wanted to become a Christian, and I keep saying
Yes, I want~
Now, I read the Bible, pray to God and go to church.
That’s my sttory. I am very thankful to focus club and ISMC for opening their hears to international students.