I walked into the canteen, already rejoicing. This wasn’t my university, but I had managed to walk on to campus without being stopped. I found a place to sit down, opened my prayer notebook and wrote: if You send someone to come and sit with me, I’ll tell them the gospel.
After one hour, I heard someone ask, “Can I sit with you?” We started chatting. The student wasn’t a believer. I showed her what I’d written in my notebook and explained how she was the answer to my prayer. She opened up about her struggles at home and in her personal life. She joked that she didn’t believe in prayer. But she let me pray for her, there in the canteen.
A few days later, my new friend rang me. She wanted to tell me that the situations I’d prayed for had totally changed!
Born a Muslim, die a Muslim
I started going to the canteen every week. It is pioneering work. I have met eight believing students over a few months! We gather during breaktimes and try to share the gospel with their friends.
Most students are nominal Muslims. If they convert to Christianity they will face opposition from their family. Like I do. I am the only Christian in my family. If you’re born a Muslim, you should die a Muslim, they say.
I first heard about Jesus as a first-year student through the IFES movement here. After studying the Bible for a few years, I decided to follow Jesus. During my Master’s degree I became a student leader, and then after that, an intern. Now I am doing a PhD in Biophysics and serve as a staff-worker part-time. Long-term I would love to go to an even less-reached country in Central Asia and do ministry full-time, if God opens the door.
Why they need Jesus
The students I’m meeting in the canteen really need to know Jesus. In this country there is a spirit of depression. Many come from broken families. They feel unloved. Everyone wants to leave the country because of the poor education here and lack of job opportunities. Bribery and corruption are big problems too.
This university has its own unique challenge. It’s an arts university and the students don’t have good relationships with one another. They compare themselves, compete with others and feel jealous.
Please pray for us as we look for an office space here, for a male staff worker, and for opportunities to pioneer in other cities.
Daria* is a student in Mykolaiv, a city in Ukraine. This is her story:
“I considered myself an agnostic. I hadn’t really thought about God’s existence or the role of Jesus in my life. When I signed up to join CCX, the IFES movement in Ukraine, I didn’t even realise what I had signed up for! But as time passed, I started to look more carefully at the CCX people and wonder what motivated them.
I began exploring the Christian faith, studying the Bible myself and going to church. And after some time, I accepted Christ as the Lord of my life. I never thought I’d make that drastic turn in my life. Thanks to God and the amazing CCX group I chose this path. Now I can clearly see how He’s changed my life, my attitude towards family and friends. He is definitely alive!”
Daria’s university didn’t have a CCX fellowship. But thanks to support from the IFES Breaking New Ground program, a new group was pioneered last year. Daria is now leading the group. Will you pray for CCX Ukraine ministry this week?
Thank God for His work in Daria’s life. Pray that she would lead the group this year with prayerfulness, wisdom and joy.
Pray for more students to join the group and for good relationships with local churches.
Pray for pioneering work in other parts of Ukraine.
As she listened, Milena* felt a wave of excitement. New
ideas, a different approach. Yes, maybe we could try that! she thought.
Pioneering student ministry in the Armenian city of Vanadzor had not been easy.
But as she met and talked with others involved in pioneering across Eurasia,
she felt understood, hopeful again.
Four months on from the first ever IFES Eurasia pioneering consultation, Milena’s ministry in Vanadzor now looks quite different. She’s started a flourishing prayer group on campus, encouraging students to gather weekly to pray for their classes, their non-Christian friends, their problems. Her focus is now on training up students – particularly in how to read the Bible with their friends. And Milena has managed to rent a permanent base for their student ministry activities: all ideas she heard from listening to others share their experiences at the pioneering consultation back in 2019.
Thank God for the way He used the conference to inspire Milena to start prayer groups, train students and find a permanent base for ministry.
Pray that the Christian students in Vanadzor would grow in numbers and passion for evangelism this year. Pray that the two students Milena is seeking to train up would be keen to meet regularly.
Pray that God would continue to provide the finances needed to rent the student ministry base.
*name changed
The IFES Eurasia pioneering consultation – the first of its kind – was attended by 18 participants, several of whom were students. The consultation was supported by the Breaking New Ground project. Read more stories of Breaking New Ground projects.
Ben* was sitting in a meeting of senior church pastors, in a
country in Central Asia. He was the odd-one out. The only foreigner, the only
non-pastor. What a huge privilege it is to be trusted by these men, he
thought.
As the meeting progressed, someone raised a suggestion: how
about the church youth leaders work together to put on an inter-church event
for their young people? In most contexts, this idea would be well received.
But certainly not here. Several pastors, particularly the senior pastors, spoke
up. They were angry.
A bitter history
They had seen it happen so many times before: these kinds of
events (often organised by outside organisations) might be stimulating at
first, but led to their youth becoming dissatisfied with their own church youth
ministries… they would end up leaving their churches to form a new group, but
this would soon collapse because of their lack of maturity. The final result?
The youth would be lost. This was the country’s first generation of Christian
young people. They were too precious to lose. They had seen it before, and they
didn’t want to see it again.
In this context, how can IFES work? If the pastors said ‘no’ to their own youth leaders, how would they ever trust IFES to do anything to unite students?
Luan Cabral – Unsplash
Slow work towards a long-term dream
Over the last few years, Ben and his co-workers have worked very
hard to re-build trust with church leaders, where it has been broken. They have
decided that they will only work in the space churches give them. They approach
the pastor, before they approach students from the church. They start by
offering to run a conference in their church for their students, to encourage
and equip them for evangelism. They insist that students belong to their
churches, and their participation in IFES must not undermine this.
Ben’s hope is that, as the pastors see their Bible-based, gospel-centred
training and their missional focus, they will begin to trust them.
Ben’s dream is to see students from different churches gathering
to pray on and for their campus, encouraging each other to reach their friends
with the gospel. But this process will take years of building trust. Student
ministry in this context is not quick and dynamic as it is elsewhere. But that
kind of model would not produce a long-lasting, stable movement which is a
blessing to the local church.
An encouraging end to the story
So how did the tense meeting finish? One influential pastor, with
whom Ben had recently met and outlined their plans for ministry, stood up and
quietened the room. “Yes”, he said, “we have seen this before, and it is not
helpful. What we need is organisations like IFES”. He pointed to Ben: “They come
and talk to us. They come into our churches and work with our young people
without extracting them from context of the church. This is the right
approach.”
Anya* studies economics and national
security at a university in Central Asia. She doesn’t know any other Christians
on campus. This is her story.
God loves me?! I’d never heard that
sentence before. I was talking to my uncle, not long after I’d started at
university. He and his family lived nearby. Their character and lifestyle
attracted me deeply. I couldn’t help wanting what they had. They took me to their
church one day where I saw a huge number of local Christians, worshipping God.
I couldn’t believe it! I’d thought Christianity was a western religion, but
here was a church full of local
believers. If people from my country could follow Jesus, maybe I could too. Soon
after that I made the decision.
I was so happy.
Growing up in God
One
of the girls from church invited me to join her IFES group, at another
university, and I’ve been going ever since. This group has really helped me to
grow up in God. It’s a place of peace and laughter. After three months, I
became a student leader. This last year we’ve been reading 1 Kings. I’ve loved
learning about David and Samuel. Now I know how to read the Old Testament.
It’s
great to have their support because I don’t know any other Christians on campus.
Sometimes I feel very alone. I try to love my friends, but they don’t
understand what I believe. They ask me why
are you always so lucky in life? I tell them I’m not lucky, I’m blessed. I
tell them that God is with them and they can talk to him too. But they don’t
understand.
The prayer of two students
It’s
a difficult place to be a Christian. At my university, corruption is a big
problem. Almost everyone pays bribes to get good exam results. I don’t like
that, but when I’m feeling down I remember that the IFES movement in Japan
started with just two students praying for their university. I know God is with
me too and prayer is powerful.
I
hope to start a fellowship group on my campus this year. But it’s quite
dangerous. If the authorities find out, there’ll be some trouble. We also want
to start student ministry in three new cities, and develop graduate ministry
and international student ministry. So we need to pray for more staff and more
student leaders, and pray that God would show us which hearts are open.
Changes and fears
Before
I became a Christian, I wanted to leave my country and go to Europe or America
where life is easier. But God has changed my mind. I know God has plans for me
and has placed me here for a reason. I used to be very angry with my father for
not treating me well as a child. But God has changed that in me too and has
taught me to love him.
My
family still don’t know I’m a Christian. I need to tell them. Even if they
don’t want me to be their daughter anymore or even if I am in danger, I need to
tell them. I have felt scared when my family visit me at university – what if
they find my Bible? But now I am more scared about their future – what if they
don’t find Jesus? I need to tell them. But I don’t know how.
Tears rolled down Anya’s cheeks, as we stopped
to pray for her parents. Please pray for Anya today in her witness to her
family and friends.
*
name changed
You can help students like Anya live out the gospel today. Read more stories and find out how your giving can make a difference.
Katya has a heart for the unreached. Perhaps it all started
a few years back at Formación,
an IFES training event for student leaders in Eurasia. There she heard the
challenge: where will you go with the gospel? In that moment she thought
of Transnistria, an area of Moldova without any IFES ministry.
18 months later, thanks to a Breaking New Ground grant, Katya found herself on a bus to Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, to help pioneer a new IFES group there. Progress has been slow. Getting the support and trust of the local churches is essential to building a lasting work. But church collaboration in this area is not common. Only one church was willing to work with Katya and embrace the IFES vision.
This year, building church partnerships is Katya’s priority.
She’d also like to see students using the Uncover seeker studies with their
friends. And once a month, Katya will be taking CSC Moldova students from
Chisinau down to Tiraspol to help in the work. God willing, this will both
bless the new group in Tiraspol and also grow the students in Chisinau in
evangelism and pioneering.
Please pray for Katya and this pioneering work.
Pray for opportunities for Katya to build trust with local churches, and pray that they would be excited by the IFES vision.
Thank God for Victor, a student who recently gave his life to Christ through the new group. Pray that he would persevere and mature in his faith.
Pray that the monthly trips to Tiraspol would be fruitful in the lives of all the students involved.
Niraj* seemed to be a confident, easy-going medical student. But at night, it was a different story. He was haunted by nightmares and always slept with the light on. What he learned in medical school had not been able to help him, so he kept a knife under his pillow to keep the bad dreams away.
An attractive community
Niraj is one of around 1,500 students from India, studying in Yerevan, Armenia’s ancient capital city. He’s a regular at the IFES student Bible studies and even attends their prayer meetings, along with other Hindu classmates. He loves the community. It’s a place of escape, away from the Indian international student bubble; it’s a place of acceptance, unrelated to his academic performance. No gossip, no back-biting, no pressure.
No fear.
As for the Christian stuff – he could get on board with much of it. Jesus seemed like a good idea, and didn’t seem incompatible with his loose Hindu beliefs. But his Christian friends told him that he had to choose: you can’t just add on Jesus to another set of beliefs. It’s all or nothing. Following Jesus will affect every part of your life. Your work, your marriage, your speech, your money, your free time.
It sounded a bit intrusive to Niraj.
Hinduism plus Jesus
Niraj’s story is not uncommon. Each year, hundreds of Hindu students from India arrive in Armenia. Tuition is cheaper and university places are easier to find. Medical students like Niraj are there for six years – so there’s time to invest in them. And they’re keen to be part of IFES activities and community. But many, like Niraj, adopt a ‘Hinduism plus Jesus’ framework. A whole-hearted leap of faith to trust in Christ alone is hard. Niraj’s friends have been praying for him to come to faith in time. For some, it’s a matter of small steps.
Recently, Niraj took another small step.
He no longer sleeps with a knife under his pillow.
Instead, he prays:
“Jesus, You are with me. You are watching over me. So I’m going to bed.”
Pray, with Niraj’s friends, that he’d come to trust more and more fully in the God whose ways are better, whose grace is sufficient, whose love casts out fear.
Eight students from the IFES movement in Armenia attended the IFES Formación training event for student leaders in Ukraine last week. There should have been nine, but Hayk* couldn’t make it. His father said yes at first, but later changed his mind. Like Hayk, many students in Armenia experience opposition from their family and friends when they start getting involved with IFES activities. One student leader explained:
“As a Christian at university, everyone considers you strange, old-fashioned, and someone who doesn’t want to enjoy life. It’s hard to share the gospel because if they find out you’re a Christian or if they hear the word ‘Jesus’ or ‘church’, they’ll think you’re a member of a sect. For them, the only true church is the national church.”
Pray that the eight students who attended Formación would be catalysts for revival on their campuses, living holy lives and boldly sharing the gospel with their friends and family. In a culture where it’s rare to see students take leadership initiative, pray that these Christian students would feel equipped and motivated to help lead their groups.
Pray that the new building the movement has just bought would be a place where misconceptions and suspicion about following Jesus are broken down, where strong friendships are formed and where many encounter the God of grace.
In a country where inter-denominational collaboration is rare, pray for a willingness among local churches to partner with the IFES movement.
This weekend, Christian students from the city of Kutaisi are going away together for the first time. Until a year ago, there was no SKSK ministry happening at all in the city. Now, students are gathering to learn about how they can reach out to their friends with the good news of Jesus. God is at work in this city.
One student particularly grateful for the support of SKSK is Lana. Lana is a fourth-year student from a large Christian family. She’s been praying for her three friends, Ira, Mira and Mano*, for a long time. They agreed to go along to a Christmas party. Since then, Lana and her three friends have met up with the two new local SKSK staff workers. Lana is praying that Ira, Mira and Manowould be willing to start studying the Bible together.
Join us in praying for Lana and other Christian students in Kutaisi as they seek to share Jesus with their friends.
Pray for the weekend away to be a great time of building friendships and growing in love for Jesus.
Most people in Georgia identify as Orthodox, and some are hostile towards evangelical Christians. In this context, pray that SKSK students would share their faith authentically, with boldness and genuine love.
Pray for Ira, Mira and Mano to be willing to read the Bible with Lana. Pray that they would come to faith this year.
CSC, the IFES movement in Moldova, has been praying for the city of Tiraspol for some time. There was no IFES ministry there at all until August last year, whentheystarted exploring pioneering opportunities. Through contact with two supportive churches, CSC were able to meet a fewChristian students interested in forming a group.
One of those students is Anna. CSC Moldova encouraged Anna to attend CCX Ukraine’s annual student conference, Salt, in December. At Salt, Anna was able to meet with other student leaders passionate about sharing Jesus with their friends. She learned how to lead a Bible study. She felt challenged to invite her non-Christian friends back in Tiraspol to read the Bible with her – and they agreed!
Since coming back from Salt, Anna has been sharing the vision with her Christian friends to think missionally on campus. They’ve been learning how to use the Uncover seeker Bible studies. A group of students from her church now gather together every Saturday evening in her apartment and invite their non-Christian friends to join them.They’ve also decided to start an evangelistic book group, an initiativealready tried in other cities in Moldova.
Join us in praying for these CSC students in Tiraspol.
Pray that God would use the Uncover studies, Saturday evening socials and the new book group to bring non-Christian students to know Him.
Pray that CSC would become established in Tiraspol this year; pray for financial resources, committed student leaders, wisdom in navigating religious restrictions and good relationships with local churches.
