ISMC’s Fifth President

In 2005, Cam Janzen was already serving interculturally through the ESL ministry of a Chinese church, but he was looking for more relationships and fewer grammar lessons. So he started to explore other opportunities to serve international students. That’s when he came across International Student Ministries Canada and began a conversation with then-President Paul Workentine.

Following God’s leading, Cam and his family joined ISMC Vancouver in 2006. “It was an exciting and very stretching time,” says Cam. He remembers being on his own at Simon Fraser University, developing friendships with students and partnerships with a church on campus. And God was at work! The first student Cam led to Christ became an ISMC student intern, then staff. This student introduced his future wife to Christ, and now their family is growing in faith. “I discovered that this ministry not only crosses cultures, but generations,” says Cam. “I’ve seen this multiple times.”

Cam’s ministry was filled with student activities

After several years in Vancouver, Cam and his family transferred to the University of Saskatchewan to be closer to family, where they continued sharing their lives with students from around the world. As city director, Cam’s ministry was filled with Bible discussion groups, gym nights, potlucks, and social activities, though he also made time for deeper relationships with individual students.

But Cam’s role was also changing, and as he assumed national leadership roles, he stepped away from coordinating big events. He first served in returnee ministry leadership: “A positive change I’ve seen in ISMC is the focus on trying to find God-connections for graduates moving home or elsewhere for further studies or work,” he says. “We might not be able to keep close contact with every student, but we can do our very best to introduce them to someone who will walk with them in the next part of their life adventure.”

Then, about five years ago, Cam became ISMC’s executive vice president. “The transition was life-giving,” says Cam. “Along with serving students, I truly enjoy building into the lives of ISMC staff. I’m passionate about caring for our staff and do my best to equip them for their ministry contexts.”

ISMC’s 40th year brings another significant change to Cam’s role: next month he becomes ISMC’s fifth president. While Cam was serving as vice president under Yaw Perbi and then under Jakob Koch, he never considered the role of president. “But Jakob showed us a model of leadership that resonated deeply,” says Cam. “I am excited and humbled to be in a position to encourage and grow ISMC as we begin our next 40 years.”

Cam is looking forward to seeing how God continues to bring together people of various cultures and life experiences to reach out to international students in innovative, simple, yet effective ways.

What does it mean to be a lawyer, for instance, or an engineer, or a working artist and a follower of Jesus? How do you live a life of discipleship in that marketplace?

Such are the questions that Daniel and Sandi McDougall help international students explore. As ISMC city directors in Victoria, BC, they connect life with Jesus with life in the marketplace for the students they disciple.

Daniel with University of Victoria Grad Students

They don’t do it alone. In fact, Daniel and Sandi light-heartedly refer to themselves as “God’s appointment secretaries.”

“I connect students who are in different faculties with people who are actually working in the marketplace and are themselves Jesus followers,” explains Daniel, “people in the medical field, legal field, engineering, teaching, whatever.” These connections allow students to ask hard questions of Christians who know the realities and language of the profession. Occasionally, students even spend time with these individuals in their workplace.

While debriefing, Daniel will ask the students, “Is this what you thought practicing law would look like?” or “How do you deal with clients in a courtroom? How do you honor people there and still be a good lawyer?” Such questions make students think deeply about how to echo Christ in the real world. These questions help them realize they can be a Christian professional, not just a Christian at church.

It doesn’t end with workplace connections.

“The student’s whole life isn’t just a profession; it’s relationships and sports and travel and family and even struggles and dysfunctions,” says Daniel. “There are different layers of connection. So there is no one single person that can address all those things in their life.” So they help students develop relationships with Christian mentors who can speak into different areas of their lives.

Daniel cooking with students

“In discipleship, so much comes organically,” explains Sandi. “Sometimes I have the answers, and sometimes I don’t. I’ll say, oh, let’s look at that together.”

Relationships can last long after students leave Victoria. “I keep in touch with them, and share scripture that has encouraged me,” says Sandi, “and often through that, a conversation will spark.”

Please pray for the ISMC staff and volunteers who are walking alongside international students as they learn to live out their faith in their chosen professions and in life as a whole.

Sandi with a Colombian Student that she Mentors

Check out Daniel & Sandi’s ministry profile.

Interested in learning more about becoming a career mentor? Fill out the volunteer form.

When studying the story in Mark of Jesus healing a blind man, a student said: “that’s a good analogy of how Jesus also opens people’s eyes who are spiritually blind.”

Profound insight from someone new to the Bible.

God uses His Word, faithful volunteers and the Holy Spirit to open the eyes and hearts of many. We are often privileged to accompany international students on their journeys.

We connect with students by serving their practical and social needs. We develop relationships and invite them to activities where they will begin to hear the gospel. Some who are interested will start attending the Alpha program or Bible Discovery groups and going to church.

For example, in the Niagara Region last fall, we met four students from China through our English conversation circle (practical need) and monthly dinners (social need). They developed relationships with volunteers and heard about Bible Discovery. They are now attending a Bible Discovery group and have started going to church. During this process, staff and volunteers are loving them and praying for them by name. Only God can cause the seeds that are being planted to grow, so we pray much, love unconditionally, and keep planting!

We have been using the Bible Discovery method for quite a few years at Niagara College and Brock University. It is simple, easily reproducible, and works well for groups or one on one. Discovery Bible Studies provide questions to help students discover the Bible for themselves rather than someone teaching a Bible passage. We use the same carefully worded questions every week to discover together what the passage says and how it can apply to our lives. Students learn the questions and can use them for their own Bible reading or with friends and family.

Some students lose interest, but others continue and become followers of Jesus like the Chinese student who studied the Bible with us for three years, even continuing on Zoom after he moved away. He recently became a Christian. Or the family from a closed country that participated in Bible Discovery with a volunteer. The whole family became Christians and were baptized.

Praise God for bringing fruit from the seeds that were planted!

Hilda Vanderklippe
City Director
ISMC Niagara Region

Other students discovering the Bible…

I’m still very new to all this, but you leaders have given me a picture of who God is by the way you accept me and treat me.

– Chinese student

I like Bible Discovery because it deepens my understanding of God’s love for us.

– Filipino student

A Colombian student eagerly shares what she has learned with her mother every week. She is from a Catholic background, but has never really read the Bible before.

– ISMC staff member

I look forward to attending the Bible Discovery group every week. I love how you challenge me to share what I learn with others. I feel reading God’s word together nourishes my soul.

– International student

Learn more

1. Alpha is a video series that explains the basics of the Christian faith with testimonies from around the world: alphacanada.org
2. Bible Discovery uses questions to help students discover the Bible for themselves: m28global.org or dbsguide.org
3. Christianity Explored is a 7-week Bible study series that introduces people to Jesus: christianityexplored.org

Volunteer

Interested in volunteering to help international students discover the Bible? Contact your local city team or apply at ismc.ca/volunteer

As we open our Tuesday evening Zoom call, the screen populates with the faces of twenty or so students. About half are international students from Vancouver; the others join from around the world. All are eager to practice their English, chat with each other, and engage with that night’s conversation theme.

The FOCUS English Conversation Club launched in February, modeled after The Speaking Club. Students identify themselves by level and participate in three 20-minute sessions of one-on-one conversation in breakout rooms. We post our conversation theme and questions ahead of time, so even students with lower English levels can join in.

The goal of the conversation club: to empower international students by creating a comfortable setting for practicing English, and to be a bridge to other resources.

As an ESL teacher who also learned English as a second language, I find that many international students wish they had more opportunities to practice speaking. Students come to Canada with high hopes of becoming fluent in just a few years. While they find an abundance of opportunities to improve their reading or listening, speaking opportunities are surprisingly rare. Students feel their English isn’t good enough or think they are wasting someone’s time. A conversation club is a safe place to freely speak and learn English, regardless of level, with someone who is willing to listen.

The FOCUS English Conversation Club includes students from Vancouver & around the world

Our conversation club provides a platform to share about other resources, including workshops, social gatherings, FOCUS Club events, church events, and Bible studies. We end each meeting with announcements and post opportunities on social media.

The evening includes conversation questions that relate to faith, spiritual topics, and big questions of life, and we see God using these questions to reveal those He is drawing near. This summer, when a student asked about faith, I was able to share the gospel; you never know what kind of work God is doing in people’s hearts. Our job is to create opportunities, to be ready to share the gospel though our words and lives, and to invite people to Jesus.

If you’d like to participate in an ISMC ESL ministry, please connect with us through ismc.ca/volunteer.

ISMC has a FOCUS ENGLISH Discord Server that connects up various ISMC ESL ministries across the country. Feel free to check it out or to invite an international student you know to join: https://discord.gg/kSS4HDXDHA

COVID canceled many opportunities last year—but in a few cases, it made them more accessible. ISMC Vancouver annually hosts a student leadership retreat. Last September, we turned the weekend in-person retreat into an eight-month pilot project involving about a dozen student leaders from across Canada.

At ISMC, we strive to walk alongside our students on their unique leadership development journeys, preparing them for the good works God has created them to do. The purpose of the student leadership pilot project: to inspire and empower international students to play their unique role in God’s mission.

The eight-month project included a rich combination of online retreats, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring. Students explored their own stories and those of others, discussed scripture, learned and practiced spiritual disciplines, and examined their strengths. They looked at God’s grand story and learned to craft their own spiritual narratives. Throughout it all, the students were mentored by ISMC staff, volunteers, post graduate students and alumni as they dug deeper into the concepts they were exploring.

The students discovered that God is interested in their lives, even the hard things they’ve experienced. This encouraged them to persevere through their struggles, to grow closer to God, to seek healing, and to bless others with their stories.

It was a breakthrough for several students to learn that what they previously saw as odd or frustrating about themselves could be a display of their strengths! The students learned to appreciate how God made them; they learned to use their passions to serve and bless others, embodying the theme of Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

ISMC anticipates developing this student leadership series and is hoping to expand to other cities—especially if COVID restrictions allow for a hybrid program. Please pray for the students as they continue to apply all they learned during the program—and please pray for the next iteration of the leadership development series launching in winter 2022.

Support the ISMC Student Leadership Fund.

Jillian Chong
Leadership Development Director,
ISMC Vancouver

“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

These were my words in 2001 to Paul Maxwell, then ISMC president, when Heather and I joined the organization in Kamloops. I had hesitation and anticipation. Now, 20 years later, we are still with ISMC.

We came to ISMC from a mission and pastoral background. Though lacking university training, we had experience in cross cultural ministry and hospitality; Heather had international cooking skills. These assets attracted students to Jesus, as most of them weren’t necessarily looking for academic prowess, but instead for friendships and hospitality.

Hundreds of international students come to university in Kamloops from countries closed to traditional missionary outreach. The world was on our doorstep and most churches were unaware of the opportunity. With the confirmation of our church elders and at the invitation of the mission, we were willing to build a ministry reaching international students in Kamloops.

Some ministry highlights:

The day my closest friend from China, Rocky, was baptized. After three years of praying and showing God’s love, which included going to China to visit his family with him, Rocky gave his life to Christ. Over 100 attended his baptism and heard his testimony.

Our first (of three) international friends tour in 2008 began in Kamloops and saw us take a vanload of international students on a two-week trip across Western Canada to share in churches and FOCUS Clubs. A life-changing experience for many!

Moving to Vancouver in 2010 had challenges: a high cost of living, and deciding where to begin. So many colleges and universities! But God provided a three bedroom house with a big yard for an extremely low price. Then He began raising leaders, volunteers, and students to lead the work at Simon Fraser, Douglas College, UBC, and Langara, replacing Heather and me. Annual fundraisers and speaking in churches brought many new partnerships.

Nothing happens without prayer and God’s Holy Spirit. Taking students with me to give testimonies in meetings provides powerful examples of God at work. Asking Christians to cook, drive, or even host a student for dinner demonstrates how anyone can be involved. Forming partnerships with churches motivates involvement. When foreign missions start in our backyard, we impact the world.

Last year was challenging with COVID restrictions, so instead of hosting student groups, we (with the help of a donor) gave 90 gift packages to lonely and isolated students. About 20 of the gifts included 20 hand made scarfs and home made Christmas cookies. For many, it was their first Christmas gift while in a foreign land. God’s love is not restricted or limited!

Galatians 6:9 says we should not become weary in doing good, “for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Yes, results take time. We need to lay good foundations, persevere, learn from others, and keep planting seeds. One day there will be a great harvest if we pray and do not give up.

Bert & Heather Kamphuis
Consultants, ISMC Vancouver

Students from around the world are saying, ‘“Me, too!” to Jesus. They want to know their Creator in a real and personal way—a way they never knew was possible!

I have served as part of the ISMC team on the Pacific coast for 19 years; what a pleasure to hear students saying, “Yes!” to God!

Dora*, a student from Hungary said, “Me, too! I want to know Jesus!” She said yes to a relationship with God. Our personal friendship grew into a friendship with her Creator. Hani*, from a Muslim background, became my friend and a friend of our extended family, but soon became Jesus’ friend. She said, “Me too! I want to know Jesus!” What a thrill to meet amazing students from around the world and become friends. They become a big part of our lives and we love being invited into their lives. How exciting to see them understand that God cares about all aspects of their life, including family and marriage.

An Iranian student was grieving over a broken relationship and through her tears, I learned she was also missing her family. I invited her to dinner several times, as well as to our Focus Club (an international students club), to church, and to fun events with my family and sisters. One day, she gave her life to Jesus and enrolled in the Alpha evangelistic course, going through it twice and serving as a volunteer. Her sister has just arrived in Canada and we are praying she will also say “Me, too” to Jesus.  

Dora, the Hungarian student, had told me, “I trust God has a great husband for me like He gave you, Skye.” Years earlier, I accepted a mission call to instruct at a teachers college in Szombathely, Hungary, in the Department of Canadian Studies. I had already entrusted my future to God; little did I know He had prepared a handsome Nova Scotia forester, Randy, for me. We married in 1994, taught at different universities in western Hungary, and lead Alpha courses for students who had known only Communism. Years later, thanks to the Internet and snail mail, I reconnected with Dora, who had prayed for a Christian husband. How exciting to learn she was marrying a joy-filled Christian man. Now, this dynamic couple reaches out through education and ministry in Budapest. 

For the past twenty years after returning from Europe, Randy and I have served with ISMC, ministering to university students in Vancouver. We and our family have had many opportunities to inspire a sense of wonder and faith in international students, introducing them to the Creator who already knows and loves them deeply.

It is simple to befriend international students. It’s a ministry that could be in everyone’s heart, being kind to one of the tens of thousands of international students God is bringing to Canada. They don’t need anything from us—money, housing, or food. All they need is a friend. We can do that. Every church could and should have a ministry to international students, from high school to university.

One day I met a Saudi student in a park. He and his little family were flying home to the Middle East the next day, after six years at UBC. I wanted to cry when he told me that not once had he been invited to a Canadian home for a meal—never mind a Christian home. What a missed opportunity for Canadian Christians to show hospitality to a stranger and demonstrate God’s love in a practical way.

I volunteer as a university chaplain in a multi-faith centre at a Vancouver university and Randy instructs international university students. Each week, Randy joins male students at an Alpha Bible study or just hangs out with them over chicken wings. The rest of the week is spent teaching, tutoring, and coaching students from China, India, and Iran. Our children, Chloe, 21, and Luke, 19, grew up serving international students. Each Saturday night for 16 years, they helped us host Focus Club and dinners for internationals at our Richmond church. Many nights, they gave up their beds for an international student who needed a place to stay. Chloe and Luke attend Trinity Western University; Chloe served a term with YWAM in Papua New Guinea and Luke plays soccer for the TWU Spartans.

Randy and I encourage every church to be intentional in reaching international students—high school or university—as well as immigrants. Encourage students in your church to invite internationals for dinner or to church or social events like Christmas, Easter, or a hockey game. Like I said, international students need friends far more than they need money, a place to stay, or ESL lessons. All it takes is a simple invitation to your home and into your life. What a great opening for them to learn about your spiritual journey.

As Dr. David Aikman, former Time magazine bureau chief (Beijing, Moscow, Jerusalem) told me, “Reaching international students is probably the most strategic and cost effective missionary work possible. All they need is a friend.”

I would love to see every Canadian church ministering to international students. Randy and I have a passion to help churches reach them. We invite you to contact us if we can help you get started!

Skye and Randy Fulton
Campus Directors, ISMC Vancouver

*name changed

Last year, ISMC opened a new way to strengthen the church by offering free consultation and resources. This will help churches impact the world through their international student ministry (ISM).

Having served with ISMC for over 20 years, first as a volunteer and then as staff, I am honored to initiate this national catalytic department. My primary goals:

• to discover, connect with, and strengthen churches already doing ISM;
• once this new ministry establishes itself, we want to look for churches near campuses with foreign students and invite them to try ISM.

You might ask, “Isn’t ISMC already doing this through its local teams?” My answer, “Yes, we are! But have you ever met a mission with enough staff to do everything?” Our local teams run fabulous campus ministries, but need help. Churches are perfect for students to meet Jesus and grow in their faith and, depending on the church’s population, there could be 50–1,000 “staff” available to love and help international students.

A personal note

Last year not only saw my ISMC position change, it was a transition into marriage and family after over 40 years of singlehood. I got married to Randy Wiebe on August 18 and we live in Manitoba. I see 2019 as a year to build on these new foundations. If anything in this article resonates with you, let’s connect. My new email address is twylla.wiebe@ismc.ca.

Twylla Wiebe
Church Connections Catalyst, ISMC National Team

A friend made a profound statement: friendship consists primarily of shared experiences.

Working together on a team toward a common goal is a powerful catalyst to build friendships. It is a fuel that empowers the sense of belonging. This thought put a desire in my heart for the London FOCUS Club to work together on a meaningful project.

When such desires come from God, He always opens doors! My sister works with Christian Horizons, an organization which provides supportive housing services for developmentally delayed individuals. She mentioned their partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build a house for three men with developmental disabilities. She asked if I would like to bring some international students to help build that house. It seemed like a God-provided volunteer opportunity for our internationals.

Quite a leap for them to participate—not one had ever been on a construction site, never mind be involved with a building activity.

Our crew, an 18-year-old Korean, a young Vietnamese lady, five Korean ladies, and me, suitably outfitted by Habitat with safety training and equip ment, was divided in half. Interesting—a team with differing backgrounds means different working styles and understanding. For example, I measure with inches and feet when building; everyone else was accustomed to metric measurements and did not understand when I wrote 22 7/8 . When I switched to metric, the confusion disappeared. As the Bible says, we need to be quick to adapt so we can live in harmony (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Each student thanked me profusely for the opportunity to participate; two want to become regular Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

Here’s a note from an 18-year-old young man who has been studying in construction. He is one of the two who wants to volunteer regularly.

I was exhausted after a day of hard work, but felt happy to help people, and enjoy a meaningful experience with the team. Thank you for inviting us!

It occurred to me that out of the earth’s seven billion people, the eight of us were the only ones sharing the experience of working together on that Habitat build in London on this special day. The bonding experience and precious memories will definitely be remembered!

Stuart Smith
City Director, ISMC London