I want them to See

My name is Faye and I am from China. In 2012, I came to New Brunswick to finish high school because Canada is well known for its welcoming multiculturalism. The Canadian teachers and students at the Christian school I attended in Saint John made me feel at home.

The following year, I attended Douglas College in BC. Sometimes I felt really lonely; I didn’t know how to get involved in Canadian society. But one day, a Chinese girl told me about FOCUS Club while we were walking to class. Even though I was shy, I decided to attend. What a great opportunity to have fun, eat nice food, and meet international students and local students. That’s where I learned more about Jesus and how great the good news is. I felt loved by others and enjoyed being with those lovely Christians, regardless of their age. I saw lots of joy in their lives, even when they had difficulties. 

As I learned more about Christianity, I desperately wanted to have a pure life. I couldn’t do it by myself, because I was weak and knew Jesus was the only One I could rely on. The Lord knew my thoughts, and prepared me with a new job where I met my future husband. We became good friends and discussed the Bible and Christian books together. I started to read the Bible every day, attend a Mandarin service, and go to a young adult fellowship. I became a Christian in 2016 and we married the following year. Our daughter was born in 2018.

God listens to my prayers, solves my confusion, shows me my problems and provides strength and encouragement. I try to honor His Word by how I conduct myself. I desire to be a good wife, mother and daughter because I want my family to see the characteristics of a Christian woman in me. Even though it is difficult for family members to recognize the changes, I want my life to clearly show that God’s teaching and guidance makes a tangible difference.

Faye F
Former international student

“We met our student on her porch. She was very thankful for the care package and so friendly and talkative. She was so open to sharing her feelings and struggles in Canada, even on our first meeting.” – Care Package Volunteer

A year ago, as the ISMC London team was trying to figure out how to facilitate relationships between volunteers and international students in this new and strange COVID culture, we asked God to provide creative ideas. The answer came in the form of a Facebook message with a suggestion: care packages for international students.

It seemed like a great idea, but could we make it happen? The logistics would include fundraising, volunteer recruitment, buying supplies, and two Zoom training sessions for care package volunteers, along with a new website where international students in London, ON could sign up for a care package.

A month later, a small group of volunteers spent the morning assembling 100 care packages that contained, among other things, a snack from the student’s country of origin and a taste of Canada.

We encouraged the volunteers delivering the care packages to follow COVID protocols, to spend a few minutes getting to know the student and to ask if they could stay in touch. We also encouraged volunteers to ask if they could pray a blessing for the student. A volunteer shared that this was the first time she had prayed aloud for a person in their presence, and it was the best experience of her life!

We have heard from many students how much they appreciated the gift and meeting a new friend. Many had texted or messaged to say thank you before their volunteer had even arrived home!

Some volunteers who are new to ministering to international students have been amazed at how easy it is to connect with a student. They have stayed in touch, often with socially distanced visits. Many have had deep and meaningful spiritual conversations, mostly initiated by the students themselves.

ISMC London is delivering more care packages this month. Please pray for our international students and the volunteers who will connect with them. Learn more at LondonInternationalStudents.com. 

Stuart Smith
City Director, ISMC London

Dear ISMC Staff, Volunteers, Students and Supporters,

It has been a long hard year living with Covid-19 and being separated physically from you and my extended family outside of Canada. For my family in Vancouver, the stress of this pandemic has been exacerbated with the exponential rise of anti-Asian violence in communities around Canada and the US. It is extremely upsetting that most of these attacks—name calling, spitting, punching, head slamming—have targeted children, women and the elderly of Asian descent.

In the midst of all these attacks, eight peoples’ lives were taken, including six Asian women, in a shooting in Atlanta. This crime was perpetrated by a young man who blamed these women as the source of his temptation for his sexual addiction. Hearing that his crimes were in no way racially motivated made my fellow Asian-American, Asian-Canadian, and other Asian brothers and sisters feel that our experiences and our pain are not heard and do not matter, as if we are invisible.

However, to God, all of us matter. In Scripture, we are told that every one of us is made in the image and likeness of our God (Genesis 1:26-27). In the gospels, we are shown over and over again that Jesus sees the men and women who are in pain and suffering. When Hagar ran away, the angel of the Lord met her and she said of him, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).

To my fellow Asian-Canadian and Asian brothers and sisters living across the country, God sees us and He hears us. We are not invisible. To my fellow Canadians of all other backgrounds, and internationals living across the country who have been affected by any form of racism, God sees you and hears you too. You are not invisible, either.

At this time, I invite you to come together and surround our Asian-Canadian and Asian brothers and sisters in our communities by:

1. Listening to our stories and withholding judgement
2. Being a part of the solution by denouncing anti-Asian racism in your areas of influence
3. Reaching out and asking if there is a way you can serve and support them so that they can feel safe getting groceries or going for walks.

As we remember and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection, let’s remember that Jesus chose to take on a particular flesh and embodied interdependence across ethnic and social lines as He walked the earth. May the redemptive power of the gospel be displayed as we come together as one body to pursue justice and reconciliation, so that everyone may know Jesus by our love for one another (John 13:35)*.

Yours humbly,
Jillian Chong
VP, National Field
(With the support of the National Leadership Community of ISMC)

*A summary of the Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of Covid-19 by the Asian American Christian Collaborative.