“Different country. Different people. Scared to talk because of my accent and scared I’d say something wrong. How were people going to see me?”

Friend, when Thelma talks about adjusting to life in Canada, you can just feel the pain in her struggle. She arrived in Kelowna, British Columbia in the summer semester knowing no one. While English is one of the official languages of Zimbabwe, the pronunciation is quite different, and she found people couldn’t easily understand her. The time change made it difficult to talk to family back home, and she hadn’t made any friends here yet. She quickly found herself sliding into depression.

“I used to pray for friendships and connections every day,” she says.

One of the connections that God sent her way was Edla, another Zimbabwean student at Okanagan College. Edla was a student leader with ISMC Kelowna’s campus club. Thelma noticed how Edla loved the Lord openly, and accepted his invitation to check out some ISMC events.

“The first event that I actually remember was a Bible study,” shares Thelma. “I had never been invited to somebody’s home, because in my culture we never used to visit people’s places. So when I moved here and was invited in, it was a heart-touching moment.”

Thelma recalls the welcoming environment, and a space to openly talk about Jesus without being judged: “I felt like this was the right place to be at.”

You see, Thelma knew of God, but more as a holy vending machine, tied up with traditions and superstitions. “I wanted to take and take,” she admits, “but I didn’t want to live the Jesus life.”

But as Thelma saw people around her living out a personal faith, she started to realize that she wanted to know with certainty that God loved her too. And she realized that she had to fully surrender.

“We noticed that Thelma gained confidence in her interactions with the new friends she was making through our ISMC gatherings, says Kelowna City Director Rick Wilgosh. “We noticed a definite uptick in her spirit. While she’s able to mask her inner worries very well, she is now addressing those issues as they come up through prayer and seeking advice.”

Thelma explains: “It took a lot of Bible studies, it took a lot of going to church, it took a lot of praying, to the point that I realized that God sees me and I am His child. That’s when I knew this was real and I had to let Jesus in. That was the turnaround for me.”

Thelma is thankful for those who mentored her and led her to Jesus.

Today, Thelma reminds people that they’re not alone when they’re struggling with loneliness or mental health issues. “The first thing you need is Jesus. Then you need to be open and not afraid to be vulnerable. Seeking help and being open is important—it takes courage. You may find you need to open up to a counsellor or someone in the church. You take that step of faith. For me, part of opening up meant going to therapy. You need to have confidence that Jesus is there. And community. It takes community to help overcome loneliness.”

Thelma asks us to pass on her thanks to all of you, who have invested in building community for international students like her. “Thank you for those who contribute,” she says, “your impact is noticed and it makes a difference in the world.”

Let me echo that. Whether you give, pray, connect directly with international students, or all three—you are providing community for lonely international students, you are drawing students to the love of Jesus, and you’re preparing them to reach out themselves to those around them. Isn’t that a great cycle to be part of?

May God Bless You,

Cam Janzen
ISMC President & CEO