From Shared Meals to Beautiful Friendships

For the past several years, our church has partnered with International Student Ministries by hosting monthly International FOCUS Dinners. Students are invited to the church for a potluck meal, and what started with just a few tables has grown to our auditorium full. It’s been pretty exciting.

It’s provided our church family with an excellent opportunity to get to know these students, to hear their struggles of living in a new country, to laugh together about putting ketchup on potato chips and milk in bags. But also to celebrate their victories and to know how we can better pray for them.

Many of the students are not followers of Jesus, but I have yet to meet one who wasn’t open to us praying for them. And the reality of it is, these conversations and prayers wouldn’t have taken place apart from these FOCUS Dinners. So I thank God for the simple act of sharing a meal together to develop friendships with students from all over the world. It’s not uncommon to hear the students say that this is the first time that they’ve had a meal with a Canadian. This is a great opportunity we have to share the love of Christ with these students through this act of hospitality.

One of the beautiful results of these dinners has been friendships that have resulted between those in our church and international students. We’ve had the privilege of helping them with everything from rides to speaking English to invitations to spend Christmas together. As a church, we’re also involved in the Friends for Dinner initiative where families open their homes to students for special holiday meals. Sharing meals around the holidays like Easter and Christmas provides a natural opportunity to talk about what we are really celebrating.

So I love the opportunity that we as a church family have been given of coming alongside international students and loving them in the name of Jesus. I thank God for the doors that He has opened for us to be able to share, in relationship, the gospel of Jesus Christ with students who have never heard it before because they come from countries that are closed to the gospel. So I thank God for the partnership that our church has with International Student Ministries, that through this we are able to participate in the work that God is doing in drawing the nations to Himself. And that, I think, is pretty exciting.

Mark Farrow
Lead Pastor
Stoney Creek Baptist Church

The audit of our fiscal year ending June 30, 2021 is complete and we can report that we had a surplus for the year. Our expenses for 2021 were almost the same as in 2020, while our income increased. The surplus in our National Ministries Fund has allowed us to build up our reserve funds and put us in a strong position for the coming year.

As you can see, our funding comes primarily from donations. Your gifts to support our staff, city teams, National Ministries Fund and special projects enable us to minister to international students. How grateful we are for increased donations this past year that allow us to confidently plan and deliver programs to serve international students across Canada!

We aim to keep our fundraising and management costs to reasonable levels so the majority of your donations go into ministry programs.

Thank you for your financial support of our vision to “enable international students to impact the world through Jesus Christ!” If you would like a full copy of our audited financial statements, please email finance@ismc.ca and the auditor’s report will be emailed to you.

We’ve seen creative expressions of ministry across Canada this year.
Let us share a few glimpses with you… (Click to enlarge)

A Hungry Student Cannot Hear the Gospel

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17 NIV

When Michael was unable to come to a Christmas dinner because he was inundated with projects, my wife and I packed the turkey and trimmings and drove in the cold Montreal winter to deliver a warm meal. Meeting immediate and physical needs opens the door to meeting deeper, eternal needs. It did for Michael. In the classic words of William Booth, “You cannot warm the hearts of people with God’s love if they have an empty stomach and cold feet.”

The first time it really struck me that ISMC needed a benevolent fund to help with the practical and urgent needs of international students was when an Iranian student in Winnipeg almost dropped out of school because things had unexpectedly gone bad. Coming from an honor-shame culture, I could imagine the heart-wrenching deliberation she had gone through before mustering the courage to approach me for help. Fortunately, we were in a position to bless her with the tuition fees she needed. She now has a heart wide open to the gospel.

Jesus, knowing this, began a conversation over literal water with a broken woman who needed the eternal water of salvation. That conversation led to eternal life for the Samaritan woman and her whole town (John 4).

We at ISMC are so proud of our staff and volunteers who have extended Jesus-inspired kindness during this trying COVID season, from offering accommodation and providing meals and mental health support, to delivering care packages. “What is the use of preaching the gospel to men whose whole attention is concentrated upon a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive?” William Booth asked, echoing the apostle James’ question above (James 2:15-17).

Will you invest in the ISMC Benevolent Fund to meet the needs of international students, especially in these COVID times? Your practical kindness will touch eternal needs, as your gifts open doors for students to experience the gospel in action.

Thank you for your benevolence, in Jesus’ name.

Yaw Perbi
ISMC President

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most of our ministry activities, leading to new initiatives and opportunities. Thanks to technology, we can now reach international students across borders!

Zoom Across Borders was initiated by a student leader to stay connected with international students during the pandemic lockdown.

After a season of Zoom gatherings, the M28 Bible study group enjoyed their final session under a lovely gazebo on a beautiful summer day.

Bike trips became a main summer activity for international students to connect in real life.

Blueberry picking is a fun cultural activity for international students and volunteers.

Preparing and delivering care packages was a new experience initiated during the pandemic to share love with international students in a practical way.

Following COVID-19 regulations, several staff hosted students for cooking and dining during the Thanksgiving weekend.

In responding to COVID-19 limitations, a group of volunteers prepared and delivered Thanksgiving turkey dinners to students.

International students at a FOCUS Club celebrated cultural events from other countries—a great way to learn new customs and traditions.

Bert and Heather Kamphuis have been on staff with ISMC for almost two decades! They pioneered ministries in both Kamloops and Vancouver. Now in their seventies, Bert & Heather remain active in hospitality and mentorship while sharing their experiences ministering to international students as consultants for ISMC.

“Be kind. Be calm. Be safe” For months now, BC provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry has ended each of her Covid updates with these words of wisdom. The words have shaped attitudes in BC and have contributed to the province’s success in reaching its pandemic goals.

“Be kind” are words of wisdom in a pandemic, but they are equally applicable to ministering to international students. Here are some words of wisdom that have shaped our attitudes and success in working with students over the years:

Be kind
Simply being kind opens the door to many opportunities for sharing the gospel with international students.

Be faithful
Friendship is not just a single event, nor does it end when a student graduates. Some of our relationships go back 19 years and have spanned continents.

Be hospitable
There is no substitute for hospitality—making students feel at home when they visit you. What a blessing to become their “Canadian” Mom and Dad (and now Grandma and Grandpa).

Be generous
Giving of your time to meet felt needs is part of the tangible Christianity that makes an impact in students’ lives—including 5 am airport rides and emergency phone calls in the wee hours of the morning.

Be prayerful
Students’ lives are touched when you pray for them and with them. Show them how God answers prayer.

Be sensitive and thoughtful
Events such as birthdays, graduations, and national holidays (theirs and yours) offer opportunities to learn and to share God’s love.

Be a listener
You can bring down barriers and misunderstandings by listening, learning, and asking questions. Sometimes all students need is a sounding board and someone to care.

Be willing to take risks
Interacting with different cultures always comes with risks, whether it’s trying unfamiliar foods or flying across the world. We ended up in China during SARS—but this adventure not only encouraged our Chinese friend but also touched the lives of his family members.

Be a team player
This ministry isn’t meant to be done alone, and what better testimony to the students than to see brothers and sisters in Christ working together in unity. Introduce students to a local church so they can become part of that church family.

Be Christ-like
This is the bottom line. Don’t compare yourself to others but do what Christ would do. As someone once said: “You may be the only Bible some people will read.”

Bert Kamphuis
ISMC Consultant

We first got involved with ISMC more than ten years ago in Burnaby, providing hospitality and praying for the ministry.

Some years ago, when Karen and I tried to sell our home, there were only few visits and no offers. While we waited, ISMC staff member Bert Kamphuis asked if we had room for a student from Korea. “Could this be a way out of our turmoil?” I asked myself. We had three vacant rooms, and since welcoming that Korean student, the rooms are always full. This is how we began our journey as a homestay family!

Hosting international students has blessed us with new friendships, rich cultural experiences, and the opportunity to share our faith! We introduce students to *FOCUS Club and Christian community events. Some join us for Sunday service and as we journey with them, they become part of our family, often calling us their Canadian mom and dad!

This year, we started a weekly ESL class and use Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Bible stories as teaching platforms. Our group grew quickly as we continued to trust God for guidance and provision. Our prayer? To see all our students come to Christ.

God sends these international students to Canada. Providing a safe and comfortable home is the perfect way to share Christ’s love; when God opens hearts, they can become, not only members of our family, but members of Christ’s family.

These students can impact the next generation and access to people groups back home that we can’t. If we disciple them with Christ-like leadership, they will be equipped to share the gospel in their language, free of culture barriers! What a strategic open door to reach nations for Jesus!

Please pray for us and for students to open their hearts to our Lord.

Herbert and Karen Dhum
Volunteers, ISMC Burnaby

*FOCUS stands for Friends of Overseas College and University Students. It’s an international students club led by ISMC staff and volunteers.

Please pray for the ministry in Vancouver, and consider a donation to the Vancouver Team to reach students through hospitality.

Last December marked the fifth anniversary of Friends for Dinner in Montreal. I am in awe of how God has used this friendship and hospitality program to mobilize families and churches across the city to share Christ’s love with international students.

Because many international students struggle to integrate into the Canadian culture and community, they have few, if any, Canadian friends. Their desire for friendship and meaningful connections with locals has opened a door for Christian families to welcome students into their homes for culture and faith exposure.

Last December, through Friends for Dinner, 40 students from 15 nationalities with varied religious backgrounds celebrated Christmas with Christian families across Montreal. In addition to delicious meals, some host families shared the Christmas story, sang worship songs, and offered a Bible.

We had a terrific time and good conversations about God.

We discovered each others’ backgrounds and cultures. After dinner, we played games and prayed. Thank you for this wonderful moment!

It was a fun and awesome dinner night! The family is so friendly and they have lovely singing voices!

I had one of the best nights in Montreal, so far!

We had a wonderful time of experiencing Canadian culture and traditions. Thank you for this opportunity!

Thanks to our church partnerships, we have a strong network of Christian families supporting us with their strong friendship and hospitality. For some families, receiving students for dinner is part of their home culture, one that excites their children. What a joy to see entire families ministering together!

In 2019, we want to see Friends for Dinner available, not just for major holidays, but throughout the year. Just imagine: students from around the globe regularly visiting Christian families for dinner. And just imagine: seeing these friendships lead students to meet Jesus!

Will you join us?

Learn more by visiting Friends for Dinner website.
*Please note that Friends for Dinner exists in communities other than Montreal.

Syncia Chan
Friends for Dinner Coordinator, ISMC Montreal

ISMC Winnipeg experienced tremendous outreach opportunities over the past year. Our programs, including ESL workshops, furniture and household donations, airport pickup, and the hospitality ministry, reached students from many nationalities and backgrounds.

During Easter this year, we launched our first Friends for Dinner, a great friendship and hospitality program that connects international students to Christian families for dinner at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. This Easter we connected 18 students from Iran, Brazil, China, and Africa to six Canadian families. Among these students, eight were invited to their host families’ church, and continue to attend Sunday service and weekly fellowships.

An Iranian student said,

I am so grateful for this opportunity to connect with a Canadian family that accepts me and opens their home! I became friends with their son who attends my university. He invited me to join the Bible study class on campus. I look for- ward to making new friends and exploring faith with other students.

Another outreach ministry we initiated was airport pick up. In August, 15 students received warm welcomes from our amazing volunteers. We are grateful for a solid and growing volunteer team that loves international students and willingly serves in various capacities.

Equipping our volunteers is an important key for effective ministry work. We recently embarked with our local team on a one-day Meaningful Evangelism seminar by OMF Canada’s Andy Smith. Learning about different methods of evangelism in the 21st century was beneficial to our volunteers because they meet students at our weekly FOCUS Club gatherings. We anticipate further equipping our volunteers with evangelism strategies in a cross-cultural context.

Joseph Seidu
City Director, ISMC Winnipeg

Glory to God—who orchestrated every step —ISMC has a new website. It offers more flexibility, a better viewing experience, and has much more affordable maintenance and service fees! We are blessed by the incredible help from a former international student who helped in the development process. What a joy to have former international students blessing international students!

Join us in praying that the new ISMC website will bring greater impact, effective outreach, and divine partnerships!