My Promise to God

Story of Michael, an international student in Montreal.

A pastor’s son, Michael comes from northeast of Batala, India, near the Pakistan border. Most of his home town are Hindus; 80% of the province are Sikhs. His dream: to spread the gospel to all who do not know Jesus.

Before coming to Canada, I promised God that if it is His will to send me to Canada—a country with better opportunities and higher salaries—I would do my best to support missionaries in my home town to spread the gospel and build churches. I thank God for His faithfulness in this journey. 

Coming to Canada was not an easy process. Since I didn’t know anyone, I had to figure out everything by myself. In addition to studying, I worked part time as a busboy in a Montreal night club. It was the worst job ever for a non-drinker! I prayed to God for an open door, and He blessed me with a new part time job as a web developer, which aligned with my academic background of software development.

After my studies, I worked full time in a web/application development firm. With this income, I have already begun to fulfill my promise to God and actively support the building of the River of Life church in my hometown Batala (Support this project). It will have a capacity of more than 3,000. Right now, around 400 attendees meet under a tent for Sunday worship. Please pray for us. My dream is to see those in my hometown come to Jesus and to see missionaries and pastors financially supported so their children can get a good education.

While the River of Life Church in Batala, India, is constructed, the congregation of 400 holds services under a gigantic tent.

In addition to helping spread the gospel in my hometown, it is a pleasure to use my gifts to help the development of ISMC’s new website. I first connected with ISMC when I saw a Facebook post that called for volunteers to help with web development. After good discussions with Syncia Chan (ISMC staff in Montreal), I was really inspired by the mission’s vision of reaching international students with the gospel, equipping them to impact the world. What a great fit! This is exactly what God called me to do. May He bless and equip many more international students to impact the world for Jesus!

ISMC President Dr. Yaw Perbi introducing Michael Bhatti, from India, at the recent Global Campus conference in Toronto.

Story of Justus, an international student in Waterloo

Growing up in a small Chinese town, Justus (name changed) studied hard, longing for a better future, dreaming of the world beyond the mountains around his hometown. His childhood dream came true when he travelled to Canada for undergrad and grad studies.

My journey to Jesus began in 2015 when a scholar in my research group invited me to a Bible study with an ISMC friendship club called FOCUS (Friends of Overseas College and University Students). Because of her warm and enthusiastic encouragement, I accepted. What a life-changing decision. 

Without friends and while adjusting to life in Canada, I often felt helpless and sometimes desperate, so being invited to the Bible study was a blessing. I was moved by the kindness, warmth, genuine love, and care of the FOCUS Club. It was the kind of community for which I had been searching for years. The worship songs deeply touched me; I felt every word was specifically for me. The peaceful and comfortable environment vanquished my anxieties.

Knowing Jesus has had a great impact on my life. Sunday morning services fill my heart with peace and joy, helping me maintain a good emotional balance between studying and other aspects of life. Knowing that God loves me gives tremendous strength and I no longer feel lonely and helpless, no matter what difficulties I face. 

I am especially grateful for trustworthy brothers and sisters in Christ and the Christian professors God has brought to my life. From them I receive much encouragement in my journey of knowing Jesus. Their sincerity and love makes me want to be a better person and to contribute to the FOCUS Club community. This summer,I facilitated a Bible study group with three international students who recently accepted Jesus. This gave me the confidence and desire to establish a similar Bible study group at my university in China. Please pray that I abide in Christ. As long as I keep closely connected to Jesus and follow His guidance, anything I do will impact those around me wherever I go.

Fun time at FOCUS Club for international students in Waterloo   

Kenji, a former international student in Canada, is an Operation Mobilization missionary in Reiho.

Born and raised in Japan in a devoted Buddhist and Shinto family, Kenji Kondo’s home town of Reiho is in a rural region with 2,000 years of history. The community never had a church or record of missionary activity.

I flew to Canada when I was 20—my first airplane ride. In Calgary, when I realized how little I understood English, I knew I was in big trouble. But God brought loving Christians into my life to help me find a job and a place to stay. Even though they invited me to their church, I was determined not to become a Christian.

I returned to Japan after a year and realized that life in Japan was not the same for me. I didn’t know back then about reverse culture shock and had no Christian friends. Out of emotional pain and grief, I went back to Canada. I stayed with ISMC missionaries Danny and Elma Kroeker and learned English at the Calgary FOCUS club for international students. My student time in Calgary was wonderful and fun—I enjoyed the FOCUS club so much, but was still determined not to become a Christian.

After completing the ESL class, I moved out of the Kroeker home to look for work. What a challenging time! I remember being on my bed because of a back injury and crying out to God in tears: “You are not a good God. Ever since I came to Canada and started hearing about You, my life has been going down hill. If You are the loving God that Christians told me about, You should heal me and help me!” In retrospect, I know it was not God’s fault, it was me who ignored His continuous invitations.

A few years later, I accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord in a Japanese church in Calgary. I joined a mission organization and served in their Canadian head office. In 2005, I married Sandy, an ISMC staff member. Later, together with our son, we moved to the Philippines for two years of mission service with Operation Mobilization.

Ever since accepting Jesus, I’ve felt God’s gentle reminders about friends and family. Not one of them knew about Christianity, but it was easy to say, “I left Japan and will never return!”

But God gave me a burden for my home country. Six years ago, my father’s cancer situation led my family (my wife Sandy and two sons) to relocate to my hometown where we find ourselves ministering to my own people.

It is so exciting to see what God is doing here. Last year, many short term mission teams came from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, USA, and Canada! We had two groups from Alberta, and I was delighted to meet my Canadian friends again, including the one who helped me find a job when I first came to Canada. How interesting it is to see God bringing me full circle in life. I am grateful He changed me from a stubborn unbeliever to a passionate kingdom worker.

Thank You, Jesus, for using ISMC as part of my transformation journey!

Wednesday night chapel is presented in English, Japanese, and Japanese sign language (and occasionally other languages). Foreign guests are always welcome!