I first arrived at Simon Fraser University (SFU) as a freshman away from Singapore. When I left in 2008 to follow God’s call to a specific field, I never thought that I would come back to Canada. However, I found myself back in Canada in 2014, and after listening to God’s call in this new season, I went back at SFU to serve as the campus director of ISMC. Since my time as a student at the university, the international student population in Canada has surpassed 600,000. Nonetheless, their spiritual and psychological needs remain the same. Our time in university is when many of us try to figure out our identities and make important life decisions, and being away from the comforts of home, such decisions become more apparent to — and difficult for—international students. I see so many students that I meet struggling with the same issues I wrestled with when I was their age. My own darkest moments occurred during my 2nd year, and it was at that time that I recommitted my faith to Jesus, which has made all the difference. My decision to follow Jesus, despite the cost, has brought me down a path that I would never have gone without the full knowledge of Christ’s love for me, other people and all of creation.

God has also blessed me with excellent mentors who saw my potential as a leader even when I was blind to it. Therefore, in the Fall of 2017, I enrolled in Fuller Theological Seminary to do a Masters in Global Leadership. Currently, I am the VP of National field overseeing our city teams within Canada. My passion is  to effectively raise up intercultural leaders who will seek the common good wherever God brings them.

Please join me in empowering international students in Canada to impact the world through Jesus Christ.

If you have any questions or are interested in knowing more about partnering with me, please email me at jillian.chong@ismc.ca.

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