IFES news

Florence! Home to famous cathedrals, museums and artwork, it is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, where tourists outnumber residents for almost half the year. Florence has also become home for Rebecca Holden, a young woman from England who decided to serve God with IFES InterAction as a team member with GBU Italy. It is not the beauties of Florence that attracted her, but the thousands of university students there who do not know Jesus as their lord and saviour. Becky wrote to us about the start of term: ‘Praise God for positivity – a welcome change from Italian pessimism! God’s grace has granted a great spirit of commitment in the hearts of our two Christian students, Andrea and Lidia. ‘On our first morning back on campus, we had some great conversations about Jesus Christ. Leonardo, a graduate in Italian literature, was a great admirer of Jesus and had been captivated in particular by the literary genius of the gospel of John. He could cite a lot of it off by heart! But while admiring Jesus’ conviction and teaching and even accepting his cross and resurrection, the life-saving message had little impact on Leonard’s life. He does not see that it’s his own sin that drove Christ to the cross. He says he wants to follow Jesus in his own way; Jesus as his example, not his Lord. ‘So many in Florence are still believing that they themselves, religion or the church can save them. Pray for God’s mercy on Leonardo and the many like him. Three other Roman Catholic guys we met have some biblical head knowledge, but don’t yet know God through Jesus in their hearts. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of Christ through the Scriptures.’ Francesca is another student with whom Becky has been talking about her faith. Francesca attends a monthly meeting of about 200 Roman Catholic students who talk about life experiences together. ‘Very confusing stuff and always a heart-wrenching experience. At the last meeting, a student was voicing the questions so many in that room have: “Where is Christ in all of this? How does this teach us you can be certain about him? How can I know any of this is true? Who will respond to my questions?” The lack of response and dismissal of these questions from those running the meeting was discouraging. ‘Yet I was glad to hear people asking the right questions. Pray that they would find answers in Christ – the joy, hope and peace that he brings as his Spirit works through his Word. Pray that their experience might be the outflowing from a faith and reality defined by the word, by Jesus, and not the other way around! We’d love for them to be led to study the bible with us!’ Give thanks too for the first GBU meeting of the academic year: 17 students attended, 10 of whom are Christians. Becky writes, ‘I looked on awestruck by God’s grace as we listened to Andrea and Lidia explaining with such clarity and passion what it means to follow Jesus. “We’re not asking you do us some kind of favour by coming along to GBU event,” they said. “We’re asking you to serve Jesus alongside us by proclaiming him to those who don’t know him.” Just a year ago these same students seemed so reluctant to commit. Too busy, unconvinced. But now they’re challenging others to share Christ in the university. Hallelujah!’ Give thanks with us for Becky and Andrew Lubbock, the team leader from Australia. Pray that God will give them wisdom as they work in a culture that is both secular and religious. Please pray for Francesca. She has been to a number of GBU events, but there's a lot of suspicion from her and others about what Becky and the others doing there. Pray also for continued passion for Jesus and boldness for this small group of Christian students: in Becky’s words, ‘May the Lord see fit to continue this deep, gracious work of changing hearts and glorifying his name.’

With the predominant influences of Islam and Orthodoxy, Central Asia is just one part of the world where IFES student ministry has to proceed with caution. There are many restrictions, both governmental and cultural, that limit an open discussion of the Scriptures and public proclamation of the gospel. This does not mean, however, that there is no work among students! In fact, we recently heard from a friend in the region about a country where she has been working. She told us about a joint programme run with the help of a team of students from Canada: 'The exchange programme at the university went well, with regular attendance of just over 20 students. This year's students seemed to want to feed the Canadian team all the time and really demonstrated national hospitality at every opportunity! 'Each Saturday we held Bible studies in English, which to our surprise, culminated in the last study having 14 out of 20 students attending. These studies gave a good focus for the Canadian students, to invite students along and also for starting conversations about Jesus. The last week of the programme was particularly fruitful in terms of deepening conversations with students often over dinner in the evening or whilst walking to the flat after a day at the university. 'Myself, I love it when the discussion starts off in English but then as the student gets into the topic, whether it?s life direction or forgiveness, we quickly switch into Russian because the discussion becomes more important to them than simply learning English. 'S is one such student who came to the last Bible study. She seems to have been told many things by relatives that have confused her. She's searching to find her own identity and see what life is about, but she fears getting things wrong. Over a couple of years she has been having dreams where someone in a crowd comes to her and says 'Fear God.' Please pray for her as she searches, for her to find Jesus, and for A and P to have opportunities to lead her into Scripture. 'As you know, we have been praying to be able to start up a leadership course in a university. Praise God that during the summer programme, after multiple rejections from other universities, one of the biggest rang A and asked her to come in to get things going with a contract. Please pray that this can be completed: it will be a good way of contacting new students, and getting to know them deeply, starting in the classroom.' Let's keep Central Asia in our prayers; that in a difficult context God's love will be proclaimed, and truth accepted, among students.

An interview with Shena-Marie Bacchas, IS/IVCF Trinidad and Tobago What is camping ministry? Camping ministry reaches out to students outside the school setting, allowing students to interact with others, self and God on a deeper level. It gives time for fellowship, building relationships with others, and also starting, restarting, maintaining or strengthening one’s relationship with Christ. What was your involvement? I have been a camp counsellor for three years, from 2009-2011. The experience, in one word: awesome! What makes it such a special ministry? The best thing is the outcome of the camps. Seeing young people come into a lasting relationship with Christ, watching people’s lives change because of the message they hear is indeed special. Seeing the relationships among people that are established because of camp is special. Enjoying fellowship and sharing God’s love with people who have not been exposed to any form of love, and seeing their reaction to that love is awesome! What happens at a camp? The day begins with dorm devotions. Chapel services are also held, where God’s word is explained by the camp speaker in a way that’s understandable to the campers. There are also different workshops on specific topics related to the theme of camp or the needs of the students. Each day campers are encouraged to learn a bible verse and recite it to their counsellors. Other activities include a sports day, when campers compete in teams. Then there is siesta time, when we all rest and relax. Counsellors entertain the campers at banquets or campfires. How is God using the camping ministry to transform students? God is bringing campers into direct contact with his word, and we see it seeping deep into their hearts and causing them to see the need for him in their lives. He often uses their personal home situations to show them that they need him. A lot of times, when students come to camp, they are around people who love them, which is not something most of them are used to. This leads to an outpouring of their issues and the Lord uses those same issues to show himself to them. It is amazing to see the lives that have been transformed just by attending one week of camp. How can we pray for this ministry? • For God’s guidance for individuals planning and executing camps, that they would know clearly what he wants to accomplish for that specific camp. • That the director and all the counsellors would be given the strength to sustain them; that they deal wisely with the campers; that their lives would be examples for the campers to follow. • For relationships to be formed that will last throughout the year. • For campers to truly find God and come into a lasting relationship with Him. Want to know more? Read Jason’s testimony of his own experience of an IS/IVCF camp.

It’s almost here again! World Student Day is an annual event that brings the Fellowship together to celebrate the work of God in the lives of students, and to pray for one another and for specific situations facing students around the world. World Student Day will take place on Friday 21 October 2011, starting as the day begins in Tonga, and drawing to a close 48 hours later as the day ends in Samoa. Many students are already making plans for what they will do on this special day. Some groups in France are planning to hold skype conversations with students studying in other countries. They’ll pray for these students, and then for other Christian students living within those countries. Other groups are inviting international students to their activities, to hear from them what it’s like to live in their homelands, and to pray for IFES ministry in those countries. Carmen Elisa from Colombia writes: ‘In previous years, we've read the bible in different languages, and had a prayer chain using the IFES Praise and Prayer newsletter. This year in my town, we want to celebrate with music, testimonies, Scripture readings and prayer for student work around the world. Participants will be students from different churches and members of the IFES movement here.’ Prayer rooms, prayer walks around campus, online prayer chats, dinner and prayer parties with regional food, and meetings with churches to include the wider Christian community – there are many different ways to celebrate! How can you be part of World Student Day? Firstly by praying, both now and on the day itself. Resources are available on the IFES World Student Day web page, which will be updated regularly in the days to come. There will also be video resources that you can use to share World Student Day with others. You can also join us for a live broadcast of a special prayer meeting being held at the IFES International Service Centre. The prayer meeting will take place at 10:30 (BST) / 09:30 (UTC). A live stream of this event will appear on the same web page as the resources mentioned above. If you are a student or staff worker, spread the word to others, and tell us what you are planning on doing for World Student Day on the web page, on facebook, or on Twitter (remember to use the #ifeswsd hashtag in your tweets). If you are a friend of IFES, why not organise a celebration in your church? There will soon be a special resource with ideas for churches on the web page. Whatever you do, enjoy being part of a great wave of prayer travelling around the world, enjoy being part of what God is doing, and will do in the months and years to come, through the wonderfully diverse fellowship of Christians that is IFES!

‘As staff workers, we must not only create and support followers of Jesus, but make disciples of Jesus: disciples who know who they follow and why they follow him in order to share about him naturally and with passion.’ Esgrid Sikahall They came from seven IFES movements in Central America and Mexico: a group of 26 new staff workers who participated in a training event from 4-10 September in Guatemala. Topics addressed were of particular interest to those just beginning their work in student ministry – the call of staff workers, what a worker does, team work, evangelism, student initiative and fundraising. We caught up with several people who attended the conference to see what impact it had on them. Isra Ortiz, 23, has been a volunteer staff worker for GEU Guatemala since last January. ‘For me it was a very challenging experience, since I came to the event with some important questions regarding my calling to student ministry. Over the last years I had been actively involved with the movement but wasn’t keen on thinking that God was calling me to student ministry. I started as a voluntary staff worker this year, planning on working in GEU for no more than two years. These past years I have wanted God to confirm that I have a calling for public life (politics), so I came to the camp struggling between what I have often seen as two incompatible callings. I also have to say that I didn’t have an impartial stance: I wanted God to call me to politics! ‘But God used the event to challenge me simply to be obedient to his voice. Today I can say, with much peace and joy, that God has confirmed my calling to serve him in student ministry. The “for how long” question is not important anymore. I just want to be faithful to what God is asking of me.’ Esgrid Sikahall, also of GEU Guatemala, has been a student leader in the movement for the past two years and will start as a staff worker in 2012. ‘I think the conference strongly confirmed my decision to work with the movement. I understand that it is a calling and that answering the call is a privilege as well as an opportunity to grow and mature in the path of life. ‘Something that caught my attention in a strong way and that we need to develop as a movement is to be sure of sharing our vision in a way that is grasped by all the people involved in the movement. How we apply this to student ministry is simple: we must change the way we see the movement and the way we get involved. This means promoting all activities in a way that is directly related to and justified within the vision and mission of the movement; namely, students reaching students with the gospel of Jesus. GEU is not a closed club where religion is discussed but a community of people deeply interested in all areas of student life and centred in Jesus. We want to reach other students with love and passion.' Ada Monserrath, 23, started to work as a volunteer for Compa Mexico in January 2001, but since August has been a part-time paid staff worker. ‘Something that encouraged me was seeing many familiar faces: many of us who attended the event had met in some other conference for students of the region; now we are on the same path, serving the Lord with students. ‘The talks about evangelism and student initiative got me thinking about the reality of my city and the students I work with. If we want the gospel to reach more youth, we should consider very well the context we live in. In Mexico City, some issues are the long distances, insecurity, stress and indifference in relationships. So how can we get close to the students? That's a question I would like to work on with the Compa students.’ Hilda Janeth Romero, 22, works with MUC El Salvador. At the training event she remembered with great emotion how, just as she was starting university, she became a Christian and felt God calling her to student work. This encouraged her in her present. ‘Recognising that there is much need in the university, I confirmed the work God wants me to do, difficult work that few want to, work that we can do only through God. Sometimes it makes you want to throw in the towel. But I love student work and God will do wonders in it, because it’s his work and I want to be part of it, even knowing the sacrifices and suffering that are involved.’ Give thanks for these 26 recent graduates, now new staff workers in Central America and Mexico! Pray that God will lead, guide and strengthen them in his service among students. And through their passion for the university campus, may they in turn encourage a future generation of leaders… including some IFES staff workers!

In early September a new wave of violence struck Jos, Nigeria. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the past two years in violence between some calling themselves Muslims and Christians from rival ethnic groups in Jos. Although the conflicts are labelled as religious, economic issues and political rivalries are said to be at the centre of them. The conflict continues despite a strong security force presence. What is it like to live as a Christian student in this context? Igber, a student at the University of Jos shares: ‘On 1 September, just before nightfall, we heard a number of gunshots. Soldiers were on the roads between Naraguta hostel and Abuja hostel. ‘We heard over 50 gunshots about 100 metres from my room in Naraguta hostel. The soldiers told us that the gunshots were meant to scare away the intruders from Naraguta village. We were told by the students in Abuja hostel that people came into their hostel that night from the village, saying that the Muslims in the village were threatening to attack. ‘On 3 September we heard five gunshots in the morning. Apparently the soldiers became upset with someone, supposedly a student, who was exchanging angry words with Muslims in a funeral procession. This took place at the small gate behind my hostel.’ Marian, also a student in Jos, adds: ‘Being a Christian in Jos these days feels a bit like being a Christian in Iraq or Saudi Arabia. It’s not easy. We are all supposed to be united but a lot of people are in pain, suspicious of their neighbours, and some want revenge for what has been done. Even I sometimes become suspicious of people in my class. Some people I used to see at university have gone and not returned: I don’t know where they are and what has happened to them. We need to constantly bring it all to God.‘ Bala Usman, General Secretary of NIFES, gives us his perspective on the situation: ‘There is so much distrust and fear among people. Most students have had to move to hostels in safer areas of the town, resulting in increased financial challenges. The disruption of the academic calendar when schools were closed for nine months has meant that the students will not be able to graduate when they were supposed to. ‘The death of some students in the attacks has also affected adversely student lives. Students are lot more careful about where they go. Some students have lost their parents, guardians, close relations and property, so staying in school is a lot more difficult. ‘In the midst of the crisis we are coming to know more of God’s deliverance and guidance, as well as more commitment and desire for repentance of souls. We are also seeing faithfulness, boldness and an increased desire to rely on God among the students. ‘There are also moments of confusion and questions of how to manage pain, whether to retaliate or forgive. But promoting love, reconciliation and forgiveness has remained our message despite the incessant nature of the attacks, killings and maiming. There is positive transformation: growing intimacy with God, unity and love among brethren, and bridging the gap between theory and practice in the midst of crisis. ‘Pray for the need for forgiveness, the need for Christian students to love their neighbours and even their enemies. Students are crying out for that. Pray too for protection, especially in north east of the region where the NIFES group is currently unable to operate –for Christian students to boldly show the love of Christ to those around them.’

One of the great joys of World Assembly 2011, held in Poland from 26 July to 3 August, was listening to stories of God’s work among students throughout the world. Testimonies of the faithfulness of God’s people amid diverse situations both gave us joy and challenged us as a Fellowship. Nick Dombrowski shared one evening – a Polish-American whom God called to start an InterVarsity group among Mexican-Americans at a university near the southern US border. On his first day, Nick went to the chapel to pray. There he found Carlos, and by evening had persuaded him to help start a Christian group on campus. Within a week, ten more students had joined them and, by the end of the semester, 20-25 students met each week in three small-group bible studies. ‘I wish I could tell you that it’s all been nice and easy,’ Nick told us. ‘But it’s been a rough ride – working in an impoverished area on the border, dealing with issues of immigration and drug abuse … and with many students who have grown up in a Christian culture and claim to follow Jesus, but simply don’t. Several times it has felt as if we have had to replant the fellowship. There have been many times when I’ve felt frustrated, depressed and have questioned my calling from Jesus.’ But Nick did not give up. God kept bringing to his mind words which had also encouraged Mother Teresa: ‘I did not call you to be successful. I called you to be faithful.’ Nick continued: ‘In working through students’ brokenness and sin, and sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has not only come and begun to bring significant transformation in an area of the United States that is largely forgotten, but he has also ripped apart my own heart to examine its often selfish and twisted motivations.’ And this, for Nick, is success – a faithfulness that leads to personal transformation and is foundational to the larger work God is doing. World Assembly stories like these give testimony to a faithful God who enables us to be faithful in his service. Success will come, if not always in the ways we expect, as the Spirit transforms individual hearts, families, universities, churches, society. Please pray with us.

Facebook: whether you love it or hate it, you can’t ignore its impact. In just over seven years, the number of people using facebook has grown to over 800 million! One English woman joined facebook aged 102 and within two years had over 5,000 friends. In Egypt, parents named their baby Facebook to celebrate the importance of the internet in the recent struggles of their people to gain freedom. Facebook and other social media are here to stay, and IFES movements around the world are continuing to ask: How can we use these means of communication for the glory of God? Many movements have created facebook pages so that events can be publicised and members can share stories and prayer requests. IFES uses facebook to communicate about events such as the upcoming World Student Day. Recently I heard the exciting story of how one person has used facebook to encourage people to read the entire bible in a year! This was the idea of Lisa Rom Boye, a student in KFS Denmark. Let me share with you what she says about this project: ‘I started up a week and a half before 1 September, the day when the actual reading was to begin. I wrote about my idea and motivation for the group, and stressed the impact of the bible on world history and literature. I wanted to convince people from my university that knowing the bible is not only for Christians, that if you don't know the bible you miss out on a lot of references in literature, art, movies and so on. I created a facebook event that invited people to join the bible reading group. ‘I told a lot of my friends and posted the event on my facebook wall, and then people started joining and inviting a lot of other people. Facebook is an intriguing media: news spreads so fast, and my friends and their friends reposted the event. ‘The day after I launched the event we reached 30 people. I was so excited – I thought maybe eight or ten people would be interested! On 27 September we reached 444 people in the group. There is a lot of activity with people asking questions and sharing thoughts about what they have read. Also many people have written that they often have tried to read the entire bible, but now that there are more than 400 people they feel more motivated and committed to reading. I think most of the people in the group are Christians, but I also know of a few people who are not familiar with reading the bible. ‘We are following the M'Cheyne plan, that I have translated into Danish and then adapted to start on 1 September. I have posted the full reading plan, but every week the readings for the forthcoming week are posted along with an introduction to any new books of the bible that we may be starting to read that week. ‘I am still amazed and a bit astounded at the number of people in the group. Two Christian news magazines have reported about the project. I've also been contacted by the publishing house in Denmark that has a monopoly to publish bibles. They are planning to expand into social media in the near future. Perhaps they think I know more about social media than I really do! I just wanted people to help me keep the motivation for reading the Bible. ‘In the beginning I thought that once a month I would open my apartment and people could drop by and share their experiences. I still really want to do that, but a 50 square metre apartment is a bit small for all those people! So now I'm trying to get a hold of a church or another venue.’ Give thanks with us for this creative use of social media to encourage people to dig into God’s word. Pray that a good location will be found so that people can meet and encourage one another face-to-face as well. Please pray for IFES movements around the world who are using social media to promote scripture engagement and also for those considering how to use it in new ways. You may also want to take a look at how the InterVarsity groups in North America are encouraging students in daily, personal bible study, through the Thirsty project. Pray that this might be a helpful tool to help students cultivate regular time with Jesus in his word.

Pchum Ben festival is an important time for Cambodian people. This year it falls on 26-28 September. Based on Buddhist beliefs, it is a time when the spirits of the dead ancestors are said to walk the earth, and the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat. As you can imagine, this can be a difficult time for Christian students in Cambodia. How should they respond when asked to give offerings and pray for their ancestors? To refuse is to insult their family. And it’s not just during a religious festival like Pchum Ben that it can be difficult to be a Christian student. Although the constitution of Cambodia allows you to believe what you want, religious activities are not generally allowed on campus. Sharing the gospel is difficult - Christianity is seen as western religion, and many students are afraid of persecution and opposition from their families. Still, FES Cambodia exists and is growing! Tati, a staff worker from Indonesia, writes about what she calls ‘doors’ to faith: ‘There are around 15-20 students coming regularly to an English class. We've shared the gospel to them and some are interested to know more about Christianity. One of the students has just believed in Jesus and now he has joined the bible study group. ‘On Fridays we have a movie day. The students watch the films and then discuss them from a Christian perspective. On Saturdays, after a time of fellowship, we invite the students to play sports and games. Please pray that God will also work through these doors. ‘We now have prayer meetings in two campuses: Royal University of Phnom Penh and Asia Europe University. Please pray that God will keep the students faithful and committed to join the prayer meeting and to study the bible in those groups.’ Tati has been joined in student ministry by the first local staff worker, Pisheth, who recently described the highlight of his year as ‘being able to fulfil my passion for student work at last’! Please pray for Tati as she struggles to learn the Khmer language and for John, a graduate who is discouraged because students have become too busy to attend the bible study he leads. Give thanks for Pisheth, and for a young man who recently became a Christian and proclaimed ‘God gives confidence and hope, and now I seek opportunities to make links with my family.’ Pray too for Christian students during Phcum Ben day as they go home to visit their families, many of whom are not Christian. Pray that God will give them wisdom so that they will know how to celebrate. Pray that their behaviour will not to be a stumbling block but rather a blessing and a good witness of their faith in Christ. Pray for God's protection among the Christians in Cambodia during the Phcum Ben festival, that they will know that ‘the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world’(1 John 4:4). Finally, let’s give thanks and pray for two more doors to faith: an English Bible class that will take place on Thursday starting in October, and an outreach programme scheduled for 5 November.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.Psalm 145:4 CECE Ecuador wants to grow: to train and motivate students to see the university as a mission field, to promote fellowship among local groups, to disciple living stones. As part of fulfilling this mission, in early September they held a national conference to train students to be the future generation of leaders in Ecuador. Holger Donaula has been a staff worker for CECE for 11 years. He shares his experience with us, ‘I remember a time when I clearly saw an example of the kind of encouraging and positive things God does and that he is in control of his work. Early in 2010, the only group in my city nearly ceased to exist. I was the only member left, and my mind was full of uncertainty, I even on several occasions thought of giving up and leaving the ministry. ‘But, thanks to the prayers of my fellow CECE colleagues and friends, God gave me strength and courage. Within a short time the Lord gave me a new group of university students who wanted to be part of the local group! They were very young and there were lots of challenges to face, but they were committed to student work. I thank God for their love, loyalty and for how he has watched over every aspect, both personal and ministry-related, in this situation!’ Lenin Freire, who has been General Secretary of CECE since 2004, sees the importance of leaders like Holger who over the years provide consistency to the ministry. ‘We have a committed leader in Guayaquil and a group with new students in that city and two full-time workers in Quito, and we thank God for these people who are motivated to continue working. ‘But we need more committed leaders in each city to continue the work. Much of what was learned at the conference will help people grasp the vision and continue with the work of CECE.’ Josué is a staff worker in Quito and director of training for CECE. ‘It's always good to see how students live for Jesus and share about it in college. We see this in the cities of Quito and Guayaquil where students, as they told us at the conference, are taking steps to bear witness to Christ, including those who until now had not wanted to take mission on campus as their responsibility. But there are still challenges: to consolidate existing work and to bring Christian witness and presence to college in other cities where CECE is not yet present.’ Ziel Machado, IFES Regional Secretary for Latin America, was the main speaker at the recent conference. He talked to us about his trip home in a car with the National Committee chairman, a staff worker and a student. ‘The student told us that his life was a boundless experience of involvement with all sorts of partying with friends and heavy drinking, but that it reached a point where his heart no longer enjoyed this way of life. The more involved he became in that lifestyle, the greater the feeling of sadness in his soul. ‘One day while studying with a friend, he asked this friend why his life seemed to have changed a lot recently. The friend shared that he had begun to follow Jesus Christ, and suggested that he listen to a Christian radio program. The director of this program was exactly who was driving the car! The young man went on to visit a bible study, and met a staff worker – who was also in the car with us! The staff worker gave him a copy of Basic Christianity by John Stott, and after reading the first chapter, he gave his life to Jesus.’ Ziel went on to share how immediately this young man began sharing the good news with his drinking buddies, and his entire family. ‘I challenged him to commit himself to student ministry for the long-term. ‘This testimony was especially meaningful to me because I remembered, exactly 33 years ago, I had been invited to attend a national camp of ABUB Brazil. I was a high school student and I still do not know who sent me the invitation to participate in the meeting. So like this young man, I also returned to my home in a car with three workers and an older brother in Christ that I did not know. The older brother encouraged me to proceed with student work. ‘So here I was, 33 years later, still in student ministry, sharing with a student, remembering the conversation I had with a staff worker about committing myself to working in student ministry. To see and hear this student's passion to share the gospel of Jesus to his friends, I thanked God to see how the Lord has been faithful through many generations and I was reminded of Psalm 145. ‘Just as the brother did with me many years ago, I tried to encourage this student to commit to long-term student ministry. When leaving the car I said, "I want to hear from you in 33 years!" We said goodbye and I remembered in my thoughts when, even a teenager, I said goodbye to the older brother who encouraged me to move forward in the work of students in the Rio de Janeiro area, Rene Padilla. Again in my heart I thanked God for his faithfulness from generation to generation.’

It started at George Whitfield College in South Africa where a young Zimbabwean man, Antony Dadanto, was studying. He had a burden to return home to take part in student ministry but FOCUS Zimbabwe, like many other things in the country, was struggling. The principal of the college suggested that Antony visit AFES Australia to learn from them about student ministry. AFES arranged for Antony to work with staff worker Tim Thorburn at the University of Western Australia. During his two-year apprenticeship he noted that AFES has a strong administrative team which supports campus workers, enabling them to be fully involved with student ministry. So Antony asked if AFES would train someone in administration. He then contacted one of his friends to see if he would join him in rebuilding the ministry in Zimbabwe by helping carry the administrative load for the campus ministry. So it was that Tawanda Masango came and worked in the AFES National Office for a year and was trained in the principles of administration. Now Antony has returned to his studies in South Africa and Tawanda has returned to Zimbabwe to set up the office and support structures for the rebuilding of FOCUS Zimbabwe. Thanks to a generous offering by students attending the AFES National Conference last year, there is now an office set up with equipment, phones, internet and so on. Tawanda writes about the situation: ‘One thing I am continuing to learn is how much God is committed to growing his kingdom, despite the harsh political and economic environment and our human failures and weaknesses. Looking at the history of FOCUS Zimbabwe, one would expect FOCUS to be non-existent by now. It is amazing how God has worked through many people and events, even opening the opportunity of my ministry training in Australia. I am awed as I look at what God has done and is doing in FOCUS. The Lord is growing his kingdom in Zimbabwe. What a great privilege it is for us to be tools used by God for such a noble task!’ In addition to working in the office, Tawanda is spending two days per week meeting with students at Belvedere Teachers Technical College. He has a passion to see students being discipled, but, unlike other colleges in Zimbabwe, there is currently no bible study there. Let’s join him in praying for a hunger for God’s word in the lives of students at Belvedere, and for a bible study to begin soon. Please pray too for the continued partnership between AFES Australia and FOCUS Zimbabwe, that it would bear fruit in the lives of students in both countries. In early 2012 AFES will send a short-term mission team of nine people to Zimbabwe to encourage them and keep the links strong. They have also connected with some Zimbabwean Christians living in Australia who are also keen to support the ministry. Pray also for the board chair Rev John Kawazda as he and staff work together to rebuild the ministry – that, whatever the economic and socio-political turmoil, God’s kingdom work in the lives of students may prevail.

In 2006, Montenegro officially separated from Serbia and became an independent country. In that same year, Danijel Petkovski, a member of EUS Serbia, took part in a mission team to Montenegro, organised jointly by EUS Serbia and KFS Denmark. Danijel was already well acquainted with the Danish volunteers who had come to Serbia to talk about their mission outreach in Montenegro. ‘The Danish volunteers had a desire to see the work in Montenegro continue. They spoke about the importance of student work in churches and various places. They were thinking about the future and how they’d like to support one local person and send one person from Denmark to work alongside him or her. ‘I was just a student then getting ready to go on an exchange in Norway. While I was in Norway Samuil Petrovski, the General Secretary of EUS Serbia, asked me if I would be interested in going to Montenegro after I returned! I thought about it and prayed about it. I was at that stage of life when I was thinking about things like what I was going to do with my Christian life and whether I was satisfied with living my Christian life for myself. ‘By end of that year in Norway I thought I’d like to be that local person in Montenegro. Living in another country had helped me to think about mission – I guess God was shaping me there. I thought that if I could survive living in another place, another culture, another language, then I’ll be okay in my own culture. ‘After a year of training, I did that mission team to Montenegro again, which helped confirm my decision. I was also thinking about marriage at the end time – my girlfriend was from Montenegro, we thought maybe God wanted us to go back and work there. We were married in 2009, after the end of my training, straight after that we moved. It was all great timing: God clearly had his hand upon everything! ‘We are still pioneering the work here. Sometimes you can really feel alone. We are aware that we might not see any fruit before 10 or 20 years. My wife Martina and I, along with an English missionary called Peter, are the first long-term missionaries who have students as their target group. We are based in a city called Nikšić, where we had to start everything from scratch. Our primary goal is to reach out to non-Christians and encourage the few Montenegrin Christian students to grow in confidence and boldness in sharing the gospel, to not just depend on leaders, but to develop their own skills and see their university as a place where they can share the gospel. ‘We started with one student group mostly made up of people who still haven’t met Christ! But since then we have seen progress – some have started going to church regularly while others are still on their way to meet the Lord. We have a Bible study group, an English conversation club and other student meetings. ‘Most these meetings happen in a local café - this is a great tool because Montenegro is very ‘café culture’ oriented and people are very open to discuss everything around coffee, even matters of faith! We focus on a personal relationship with individuals, presenting Christ with our words, but also with our lives, so that students feel that we love them and care about them.’ Praise God for this new pioneering student work that began with EUS Serbia visiting Montenegro in 1997. Give thanks for the partnerships that have sustained the ministry – a Romanian worker Kristina Cocileta (wife of a former Romanian General Secretary) and two couples from KFS Denmark – and for the local churches and pastors now supporting the work. Give thanks too for Danijel, the first ever staff worker for Montenegro, and pray for others to join him who have a heart for student work. Pray too for the few Christian students, that they will want to take more responsibility for the student work and not fear what others may say about them.

From 23-25 September, Ichtus Belgium is holding an event called Open Book. Gersom, who works as a part-time volunteer for Ichtus, told us about it: ‘This training will equip students in leading a bible study group. We offer refreshing ideas, creative ways of reading the text and help in coming up with good questions to understand the text better. That’s also where the name comes from – we want to help students see the bible as a book that is open and understandable. ‘We do this before the start of the new year so that student groups can start their year with new inspiration. It really supports one of our main focuses in Ichtus: equipping students in reading God’s word together. ‘Open Book is really important because we often see that students who want to lead a bible study group do not know how to make it something exciting. A lot of the times students in a group seem to look for the agreement, the things they already know, instead of digging deeper into the bible, into the text. Coming up with good questions to get people active in exploring, understanding and applying the passage to their lives, is something that needs to grow. That's why we want to equip them at Open Book. ‘The engagement of students with bible passages often is very low. They think that biblical texts belong to the category of myths and world literature, and are not to be seen as historical or true. Through Open Book we try to get students, especially the ones who do not believe, to read the gospel. By reading the passages of Jesus' life and challenging them with questions that will lure them into the text, I've seen students get excited about Jesus. Exploratory bible studies (or "open" groups, as we call them) are getting more in number and slowly our Ichtus groups are discovering the possibilities of using these studies in reaching other students. Is Open Book a success? It's only the second time we have organised this event, so that’s a difficult question to answer. What I know from students who were there last year, it was good and helpful. We see this year that the number of students who joined this event is already growing. We hope that it becomes a standard training for everyone.’ Please pray for the student leaders who have attended Open Book – that they will be passionate about reading the bible for themselves and also for leading others to study God’s word. Pray too for new part-time staffworker, Ulika Geladé, as she adjusts to her new job and passes on her enthusiasm for ‘letting non-Christians feel the special kind of love that Ichtus students have for one another.'

A female Muslim journalist speaking on the political aspects of Islam? Not exactly what you would expect at a typical IFES conference! But then, with so much turmoil, violence, and uncertainty, nothing is typical in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). That didn’t stop organisers of the MENA regional conference from gathering 180 participants from Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Qatar and Palestine to learn what it means to be living stones in their various contexts. Their desire to be relevant to the current situation of political turmoil in the region prompted the unusual step of inviting an open-minded Muslim journalist to speak. The goal was for students to understand the lives of Muslim friends in relation to the current political changes, and to adapt their discourse to the political context of the region. The journalist is committed to exposing and denouncing abuses against Christians. One student asked her, ‘Why have you, a Muslim, decided to defend us?’ She responded, ‘You do not ask a Muslim any questions when a church is burned. But when I defend the rights of Christians, you wonder why I’m doing it. This is a sign that our relationship has reached a very poor level.’ Everyone applauded her statement, realising that she was right, and that work needs to be done to establish mutual respect between the two communities before the gospel can be shared with Muslims. Sometimes, however, it is important to leave aside political differences for the sake of unity of the Christian body. We heard from J, a worker in the region: ‘Between 15-18 people came to the conference from three different regions of Syria. They had lots of issues travelling within the country, but they made it. ‘People are a bit divided; some for, some against the revolution. We tried to avoid discussing the political issues in Syria at the conference because the most important thing is unity in the faith. Regardless of what regime is in power, the challenge is to keep your eyes on maintaining unity among Christians. Pray for stability and peace, that the revolution will bring about something good and give freedom to the minorities. ‘A leader of an underground church came from Yemen, where there is currently no IFES movement. We prayed for him, and as we prayed he started crying, saying “This is the first time that so many people have prayed for me!” Please pray for peace there. The security of Christians is a real problem, for they cannot say they’re Christian or they may be hanged! There is no place for religion other than Islam.’ Give thanks with us that this conference took place and so many students from around the region were able to attend. Give thanks that students were greatly encouraged by the conference: Rosy from Lebanon said, ‘I learned how I can apply the Living Stone vision in my own life by offering myself as a sacrifice in the service to brothers and sisters.’ Diana, also from Lebanon, added, ‘Students like us can influence our society and we can work for revival in our respective countries to bring more souls to Christ.’ Carol from Egypt said: ‘I didn't expect to see the ministry is growing with such blessings in a country like Palestine. I am going to have a Bible study in my campus and tell them about the Lord as well.’ J concludes: ‘Pray for students. We know that when they return home, for some it will be "hell": one cannot imagine, for example, what life is like for Syrians and Palestinians in their political context. There is a lot of uncertainty. We pray that Christians will at the right time play the desired role, and not remain on the margins of what is happening. But they need God’s wisdom to know how to be involved.’

Rugby World Cup! From Argentina to Australia, France to Fiji, Samoa to South Africa, teams are descending on New Zealand for one of the great sporting events of this year. Some people are brimming with excitement; others are unenthusiastic or completely uninterested. But for TSCF New Zealand, this is a great opportunity to reach those who do not yet know Jesus. Ben Carswell, National Outreach Coordinator for TSCF, writes: ‘In TSCF, we are keen to make the most of every opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. We are particularly aware of special occasions which provide us with ready-made bridges for building friendships and making new ones. The Rugby World Cup offers the chance to demonstrate hospitality and generosity, whilst enjoying good, clean fun.’ To help in their outreach, TSCF has produced a special rugby-themed gospel of Luke. The book begins by sharing the beauty of New Zealand and the creator God who wants to have a relationship with us. It concludes with a short challenge to consider God’s own son Jesus, who came to make that relationship possible. Interspersed throughout the book are ten Christian testimonies of high profile rugby players from around the world. Rugby is not the only sporting event that offers us great opportunities to befriend those who might otherwise have little or no contact with Christians. Students in GBU Burundi are devoting Wednesday afternoons to play sports with other students in order to build friendships with non-Christians. They are already seeing the fruit of this ministry. On 31 August, after a group climbed a mountain together, they met briefly on campus to have a short discussion about a Bible passage. That day, Armand gave his life to the Lord! Emmanuel Bagumako, General Secretary of GBU Burundi, comments: ‘It was very encouraging and reassuring that the Lord is with us in this new attempt to spread the gospel through sports. Continue to pray with us that the Lord opens the hearts of the students to the gospel, especially on 14 September when we will be giving a special gospel presentation as part of their usual activities.’ OSCER Romania organises evangelistic ski camps throughout the country, with themes such as ‘Slalom through life’. Earlier this year 250 students had the chance to connect with one another, talk about life issues, discuss the gospel… and of course enjoy some great skiing! Over 100 of these students had the opportunity to hear the good news, many for the first time, and were challenged to decide how Jesus Christ would impact their lives. One student, Paul, wrote: ‘On the first day I hurt my knee, and God helped and healed me so that I could ski, and showed me that without him I cannot do anything. Thank you for the care and the encouraging discussions that I had with some of you.’ Elena, visiting from Moldova, also benefited from her time at the camp: ‘I spent time with people whose example is worthy of following… I had one discussion with someone that helped me so much. I hope that I can change things in my life when I get home.’ Whether through national or international events, or through your own locally organised activities, how can your student movement use sport to befriend others and show them the love of Christ? PS: Read more about what TSCF New Zealand is doing to reach others through sport in Canvas, their quarterly newsletter. Don’t miss the excellent article ‘Make sport your mission’ by Nigel Pollock, General Secretary of TSCF.

Camping in the mud? What could be more fun! Over 800 students from UCCF Great Britain have just braved wind, rain and lots of mud for their annual national conference to equip student leaders for mission. If tweets from Forum 2011 are any indication, their spirits were not dampened by the weather:

• @ojdbrown: Late night flag pinching antics at @uccf #Forum2011 ... Behave now! Wales staff are trying to sleep :)
• @uccf: Very happy to have @MakingFacesHaha award-giving comedy in the Hub Stage this afternoon.
• @ngaacherish: Woken up by bagpipes :/ #forum2011

But Forum 2011 was not just about having fun. Again, the tweets tell the story:

• @brian_whittaker: Feeling guilty for sin? Mike Reeves asks, ‘Do you think the purchase price paid for our sins by so great a lamb was too small?’
• @SirNeilGlen: Rebecca Manley Pippert on seeker studies – ‘It's not how much you know, it's how much you care.’ and ‘Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.’
• @mattoliver83: We as Christians need to be radically identified with the world in love but radically different in holiness.
• @Innesness: Had an excellent morning so far at #forum2011, bought a couple of books, heard some brilliant talks. Roll on the evening!
• @garethcare: Heading home after 2 encouraging days at #Forum2011 well done- applying the gospel to the whole of life.

Forum 2011 is now just over, but let’s pray that students’ lives continue to be transformed and that many are equipped and energised to lead their student groups. To learn more about Forum 2011 and the speakers, go to the UCCF Forum webpage.

For over a year, ABU Puerto Rico has been meeting in the midst of great turmoil on their university campuses. Confrontations between police and students, professors and other university employees have disrupted classes, stalled research projects, and sparked the resignation of the president of the University of Puerto Rico. We talked recently to two ABU staff: Gisela, their General Secretary, and Alex, who joined ABU as a student and recently became a staff worker. Gisela told us: 'The crisis in the university system and the wider society has led many to question the very nature of the university: what it is and what it should be, the importance of education, whether it should be a right available to all citizens and so on. The economic crisis and rising unemployment have provoked a vocational crisis in students. Some wonder whether it is worth studying, but once they quit there is not a great chance of finding work in their field. 'While some think about how to deal with all these things, others are resigned, and they get discouraged or frustrated. Our challenge is to communicate the hope of the gospel in this context of very little hope and at the same time fight against indifference and materialism to get students thinking about deep and important issues.' Alex also sees a unique opportunity in the current situation: 'In light of the strikes, I believe that one of the many challenges is to identify what it means to be a student today and to see how we do mission in the university. How can students reach students who find it difficult to spend much time on campus? How do we reach students who are also parents and employees?' What encourages Gisela and Alex about the future of ABU? Gisela, who has been involved with ABU since she was a student in 1997, is inspired by God's faithfulness in ABU through the generations. 'I have seen the group have its ups and downs, but in these 14 years we have never lacked people with vision and desire to be in mission in the university. Often there has only been one person: a student or graduate who struggles to fulfil the call of God in ABU. God has always been faithful and has brought the right people at the right time. I am encouraged to think of the delegation that went to the World Assembly and remember how God chose and called each one and then provided perfectly for everyone to go.' Two things especially excite Alex: discipleship and starting new groups. 'After the strikes, the group in the Rio Piedras area had almost disappeared. The Lord allowed me to see how he restarted working there, raising up leaders among students and graduates! Today we are discipling others and discipling ourselves to continue the work in Rio Piedras.' How can we pray for ABU Puerto Rico? Gisela and Alex have sent us these prayer points: • For God to help us manage our time and resources well. • For the group in Mayagüez, for God to bring more students and raise up committed leaders who would give continuity to the work. • For the group of Rio Piedras, that the new students might be discipled and understand the gospel in a way that enthuses them and motivates them to share with their peers. • For the development of an organised group for graduates. • For God's spirit to guide the planning of activities and the development of bible studies so that ABU may make disciples who make disciples. Thanks for your prayers for ABU Puerto Rico.

Ingemar Andersson studies education, art and history and plans to teach at junior school and high school. He is a student leader in Credo Sweden, and recently wrote about an outreach of his Credo group: 'As our cup runs over with love from God, we gladly share the excess with our fellow students at a central location on our campus. Once a semester we put up a table and make free waffles for anyone who wants them. What is a waffle? It is basically milk, eggs and flour, cooked together in a special way between two very hot metal pans. When it’s ready, you can enjoy it with cream and jam. Totally good! If someone asks who we are, we tell them about Credo and give them a programme for the semester. Sometimes we get into discussions and talks about faith and such. Every time we do this we get a long, steady line of hungry and grateful students. We don't demand anything from them, so if they don't ask any questions, we won't try to engage them in anything except for some friendly small talk. To a lot of students this probably means nothing but a little less hunger in their stomach, and that's not so bad! But we hope that at least some students see us and think about what strange motivations we Christians have, or perhaps someone asks who we are or sees our logo, and develops a little more positive attitude towards Christians and Christianity. This year the queue became longer and longer while we were doing our utmost to sort out a problem with the electrical power source for the cooking pans. Suddenly we realized that we were getting more and more annoyed and desperate – we had completely forgotten 'the One’ we were working for! So we started praying and asking our 'Employer’ for help. Things started to change: the electricity worked again and our spirits went up. This is a really efficient way of getting publicity! Everyone wants a waffle, and whoever provides it, will naturally get more attention. And that attention leads towards Jesus Christ.'

What does the IFES movement in Ukraine need today? ‘We need committed people who will support the Christian student movement,’ writes Denys Gorenkov, General Secretary of CCX-Ukraine. ‘We need partnerships to make it possible for Christians to be heard in the universities … As Christians and as an IFES movement we need to learn to integrate our faith into our everyday life.’ The good news is that, according to the testimonies of Ukrainian students, God is providing for these needs! CCX-Ukraine is already reaching out and mentoring committed people who will be life-long partners in the gospel. Roman, a PhD student, tells us how CCX-Ukraine has been a crucial part of his spiritual growth. ‘Even though I grew up in a Christian family, I did not become a believer until recently. Being an inquisitive mind and having tried various religions that did not satisfy my spiritual search, I almost gave up. Then I was invited by my Christian fellow students to a meeting of CCX. ‘I was impressed by the students who attended this group. Their integrity of character, high ethical standards and their faith made a difference in my understanding of God. These students became my friends, helped me to come to faith and find a local church. I am thankful for CCX because God uses this strategic ministry in the universities of Ukraine to bring people like me to Christ!’ Masha, already a Christian when she came to university, talks of how belonging to CCX-Ukraine helped her stand up to the challenges of ethical relativism, apathy and secularism that are prevalent on campus. ‘The first meeting I attended we went door-to-door, sharing the gospel with students in the dormitory. At the next outreach we gave out the gospel of Mark on campus. ‘Every Friday I look forward to CCX meetings. I feel supported by my CCX fellow students and CCX staff, as well as loved by God because he has allowed me to be a part of this group of students. This is my life and my ministry!’ CCX-Ukraine is not only encouraging students during their time at university, it is also fostering a love for student ministry that extends beyond the university years. Lyuda, now on staff with CCX-Ukraine, tells how her current commitment to the student movement began with a broken promise. 'I told God that if I was accepted at the university, I would serve him with all of my heart. But I soon forgot about my promise, and the busyness of life made my faith grow weaker and weaker. I stopped attending church, and eventually nobody could tell that I was a Christian. When I heard about CCX, I thought it was my last hope to restore my relationship with Christ and re-enter the Christian community. 'Since I have been involved with CCX ministry, I have become a different person. I matured in my walk with the Lord, and became passionate about sharing his love with everyone – my roommates, fellow students and friends. Soon I became a student leader and now I am on staff with CCX-Ukraine, rejoicing in the dedication of my life to Christ.' Praise God for his work through CCX-Ukraine, transforming the lives of students and young professionals. Pray for staff and students, and for more committed partners in the gospel. PS: We just heard that Roman was baptised a couple of Sundays ago and officially became a member of a local church. Praise God!

The transition from student life to the workplace is not always easy. Belonging to an IFES group at university can provide friendship and a safe place in which to grow; the workplace can seem a spiritual desert in comparison. People at work may be less open-minded, and new fears about job security may stifle your desire to share your faith. But work is also a place where you can be challenged and grow. Buddhika, a member of FOCUS Sri Lanka, recently had a taste of the working world when he began a technical training programme at a prestigious company. He thought his time in the workplace would be uneventful and ‘just technical’. But on reflecting further, he realised that God had his own training programme running concurrently in his life! He writes: ‘I thought I would just live by my principles and not go with the flow. But soon I realised that this was no easy task. One thing that exposed my vulnerability was the work environment. Since we are in mechanical workshops most of the time we have to wear technician overalls. Machinists, trainees, engineering students – everyone becomes equal in appearance. However others working in the office wear more formal attire, creating quite a division between the two groups. ‘But I had got used to the prestige of being selected to be an engineering undergraduate, and felt discomfort at losing my identity. Then I remembered a session at a FOCUS camp a few years ago. The speaker challenged us to get away from those identities we have in our minds and accept our identity as Christians. Till now I didn’t think it was this difficult.’ The training time also made Buddhika evaluate his lifestyle as he thought about the millions of dollars spent on the luxurious automobiles that the company imports and maintains. ‘I asked myself – though not all of us spend millions on cars, how far are we from living the truly simple lives that God calls us to live?’ Finally, Buddhika was challenged when he saw people lower in the company hierarchy being oppressed by those of slightly higher status, and some people being discriminated against by their own colleagues. ‘This challenged my witness as a Christian. Did I have the courage to intervene in some way, even though I was just a trainee? I saw first-hand how, although some people wanted to make changes to the system, they were conforming because they encountered the resistance of others. ‘Jesus never compromised on doing what is right. But in an age where everything seems to be done through negotiation, should we sometimes compromise? Can Christians grapple with these kinds of problems without compromising? ‘Maybe we all know about these kinds of issues in society. But are we prepared, as undergraduates who will be part of this same system shortly, to face these challenges and be salt and light?’ Thought-provoking questions for us all to consider. Whether we are called as undergraduates to the university, graduates to the workplace … whatever our calling, God can use us to live uncompromising lives that bring deep change in the lives of those who surround us.