Take Andrei, for example – a student in Bucharest who had started coming to church and Bible study. But one day he stopped: “My parents think I’m weird. They’re worried because I’m studying the Bible, instead of doing normal things like going out with girls.” Andrei never came back after that. Or Christina – she seemed very open at the evangelistic event, but two weeks later she said she was too busy with studying and working part-time: “I know it’s important. But I’ll think about it more when I have kids, or when I’m retired.” Stories like these are very common in Romania.
In a strongly Orthodox culture where evangelical Christianity is viewed as a cult, it can be hard to tell your friends about your faith. And the social media-obsessed culture makes sharing the gospel difficult too: most students have hundreds of Facebook friends, but very few real friendships.
The evangelistic ski camps in February are a great opportunity for OSCER Romania students to bring their friends to hear about Jesus and to build deeper relationships with them. Join us in praying for them:
Pray that OSCER students would be bold in inviting their friends to the camps and pray that they’d build deep and lasting friendships through it.
Pray for the speakers as they prepare their talks, that God would inspire them and enable them to present the gospel clearly and winsomely.
Pray for students like Andrei and Christina to have a desire to seek and know Jesus Christ.name changed.
“I am anxious about everything”, I typed into Google.
I was only a few months away from graduating, but I was at breaking point. Ever since my early teenage years I’d struggled with intense social anxiety. I had had some counselling (which helped a bit) and got me interested in psychology. That’s why I chose to study it at university. I had this idea that if I studied the subject I would be able to save myself from anxiety, and eventually help others with the same problem. But as a student it got worse. I came to the point where I couldn’t speak to people or leave the house. I started panicking because my life was not going as planned. I was trying everything to get rid of my problem, but nothing was working.
I’d searched everywhere for an answer. What would Google have to say?
Captivated by the Bible
As I scrolled through the answers on Google, my eyes fell on some words from the Bible:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7 [NIV]
As I read it, I felt that God was speaking to me. So right there, I prayed and asked for help.
God did not answer my prayer immediately in the way I was expecting; instead, He put a strong desire in my heart to study the Bible. Once I’d finished my degree, I would spend six hours every day reading Christian books, listening to sermons and watching lessons. I was captivated by it.
I had grown up in Malta as a Roman Catholic, along with 98% of the population. I had gone to Mass every Sunday and Catholic classes through the week — more because I had to than because I wanted to. I would struggle to stay awake in Mass, and the main reason I went to catechism was to play football and see my friends. I’d never questioned my beliefs, but I’d always felt something was not quite right.
When I began to read the Bible for myself, I found a lot of contradictions with what I had been taught growing up. Initially I found it very difficult to accept. I realised that I’d been taught some things that didn’t match up with what I was reading in the Bible. As part of my search for the truth, I decided to go along to an evangelical church. After the service, one of the pastors shared the gospel with me. That very day, I admitted I was a sinner and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I was baptised a few months later.
Knowing what I believe
I struggled to tell my parents about my new faith in Jesus. I kept it a secret at first because my whole family is Catholic, and I knew they wouldn’t approve. But after just a few weeks, my parents caught me with a book about the Bible in my hand. I had to tell them the truth. It didn’t go down well. And it’s still very difficult today, one year on. They think I’ve joined a cult. They think I’m wasting my life studying a book which has no value. They don’t want to listen.
Most of my friends walked away from me and the few who stayed around still criticise me and try to persuade me to go back to Catholicism. I am not surprised by their reaction. In Malta, most people think evangelical Christianity is a cult. They don’t really know what the Bible says. It was the same for me. Before, I actually did not know what I believed. I assumed that everything the priests and Catholic teachers taught was the truth. Now I make sure that what I hear and believe comes from the Bible and that I know why I believe what I believe.
As I’ve shared the gospel with others, I’ve found that most people believe they are good people. They think they’re going to heaven because they do more good than bad. Even though some of them don’t agree with everything they are taught, they won’t contemplate changing. They say, this is the way I was raised.
Since coming to faith in Jesus I have continued to struggle with anxiety. But I have improved a lot, and when I worry now I go to God in prayer. He comforts me and helps me get through it. Another challenge has been finding a job. A lot of jobs would require me to work on Sundays, which would prevent me from going to church. I’ve struggled with loneliness, since there are not many people following Jesus in Malta, especially in my age group. At the moment I don’t have any best friends, but I spend lots of time with God and He comforts me in this difficult time.
I am now studying an online Masters in theology and am considering becoming a pastor or a full-time gospel-worker overseas in the future. I do not know if God will call me to leave Malta. For now, I am committed to my local church, and serving there is my priority.
Revival on campus has not yet come to the small European country of Luxembourg. There are only six Christian students meeting regularly to study the Bible in the whole country. Most of their friends have no interest in talking about Jesus. But in this difficult pioneering location, there have been encouragements over the last year:
Luca* recently invited his Muslim friend Jamal* to come along to the Bible study. Jamal enjoyed it so much that he then brought along two of his friends as well.
A French-speaking Bible study group has just started up. Four students have been going along to improve their French, to ask questions about the Christian faith, and to look at the person of Jesus.
José* is a Mexican international student. He started the year as an apathetic atheist but recently has shown more of an interest. He met up with a Christian staff-worker a few weeks ago and asked questions until late into the night.
Student Lara* was sitting in the canteen with her friends, listening to one of them share about his struggles. At the end of the conversation she bravely asked if she could pray for him.
Praise God with us for these examples of how He is at work and join us in praying for these students as the new year starts:
Pray that the movement (FCSA Luxembourg) would be able to register officially with the university. They will be reapplying in February after their first application was rejected.
Pray that new students would join the group this term, as most of the current members will finish university in a few months.
Pray for José, Jamal and the other non-believers to keep asking their questions and attending the Bible study; pray that they would come to know Jesus this year.
Neil is part of a small team pioneering student work in Malta. He shared about their recent mission week: “We knocked on another door. No answer. Again. It had not been a good afternoon. We were meant to be flyering for an event that evening – a free Dessert Night with a talk on ‘Is Truth Dead?’ – but the whole area was deserted.
There were just three apartments left. As we walked up to one, a girl outside overheard our conversation and called out: “Did I just hear my two favourite words?!” We laughed and told her there was indeed ‘free dessert’. Arianne came along that evening. It turned out that she had become a Christian just a year before. That night was the start of something new for her. She got stuck in with other events happening that week, helping out with flyering and even giving out copies of Uncover seeker Bible studies to people she’d spoken to. It’s been really encouraging to see her get involved.
Another student, Matthias, came along that week, having attended events last year. He had long conversations with the speaker. Everything made sense to him and it almost seemed appealing – but he couldn’t get past the question of God’s existence. Please pray for God’s work in his heart.”
Pray that Arianne would continue to grow in her faith and share the gospel with others.
Pray for Matthias and others who are seeking to come along to the follow-up course currently happening, and to meet Jesus as they go through the Uncover John series.
Pray for Neil and the small team to persevere in this Roman Catholic context, where most students are apathetic or wary towards evangelical Christianity.
For 15 actors in three different cities across Germany, it’s going to be a busy week. They’ll be spending spare moments memorising the order of events in Mark’s Gospel ahead of next week’s performances. They’re not professionals; they’re just ordinary students acting out an extraordinary drama.
The students will act out the whole Gospel of Mark, without costumes or props, in 90 minutes. Witnessing Jesus’ miracles and teaching bring the history to life in a powerful way, for both the actors and the audience. Hearing the crowds crying out “Crucify him!” is often a ‘lightbulb moment’, as people realise they too have rejected Jesus.
Please join us in praying for the performances in Nuremberg, Schwäbisch, Gmünd and Osnabrück.
Pray for the actors as they rehearse and perform next week. Pray that the account of Jesus’ life and death would come alive for them in a fresh way.
Pray for the spiritual impact on the audience. Pray that they would not just watch it as a piece of art, but that they’d really engage with it and be challenged on a personal level.
Pray that many would be keen to read the Bible for themselves as a result.
15 students. 3 rehearsals. 16 chapters in 90 minutes.
Students have been performing The Mark Drama for more than ten years. From Brazil to Belgium, from Chile to Latvia, the impact of The Mark Drama has been tremendous.
The concept is simple. 15 students without props, costumes, training or microphones, acting out the gospel of Mark. They memorise the sequence of the events of Jesus’ life, and then improvise the lines. They rehearse. They invite their friends to come. And then they let God’s Word do the rest.
The first performance of The Mark Drama took place in 2004 in Austria. It’s since been performed by Christian student groups around the globe, as students have passed on the vision to others. Groups with more experience have helped out those putting it on for the first time.
The Mark Drama leaves a lasting impression on the actors as well as the audience. The gospel story comes to life for them in a fresh way. Students from across the world who’ve recently been involved in The Mark Drama performances shared their reflections.
SMD Germany
Kathi, special needs education student; actor (Pharisee)
Every week I met with one of my fellow actors to talk through the chapters and to learn the most important titles of each chapter by heart. And that was really one of the main things in experiencing the drama: studying the structure of God’s word to be able to remember it during the drama. Weeks after the performance I still pictured certain scenes when a person talked about any passage from Mark or what Jesus did when he walked on this earth. Suddenly the book is not just a story but you remember your own experience with it.
I would not want to miss this experience and I would do it again, for there is still more to learn.
GEU Guatemala
Raul, engineering student; director
Having the opportunity to direct is special because you get to enjoy every detail of what the actors are learning and you see it transforming them. It was beautiful to see students coming from different parts of the country to form one group of actors. For some it was their first time to get involved in a GEU project. Putting on The Mark Drama was instrumental in reviving student work in this region and encouraging students to do mission. It was performed to a room full of students. Many were interested to know more about the movement. Each person there had the opportunity to see Jesus’ miracles, to navigate through rough waters, to experience the multiplication of bread and fish. Every word of Mark came to life!
InterVarsity USA
Seth, mechanical engineering student; actor (Jesus)
The “Crucify Him” scene — how can I even describe it? Being in the midst of friends and classmates — people I’d spent the last two years of my life with — screaming for my death; and then knowing that if anyone deserved to be in the position Jesus was in, it was me. The only reason I don’t have to stand there in real life is because the God of the universe, who made the moon and stars, decided that he himself would stand in for me. Even now several months later I can’t talk about this without breaking down in tears of gratitude.
ABUB Brazil
Débora, international relations student; actor
When I decided to participate, I had no idea what was really waiting for me. It’s amazing how each moment had something special. I already knew the gospel of Mark but was surprised by how much I learned through this experience.
We ended up doing the second performance in a college, well-known for its aversion to the gospel. Then on the same day there was news of a planned attack in the building. It was unrelated to us, but even so, we weren’t sure whether to cancel the event or not. Our emotions intensified a thousand times! But we prayed and decided to move ahead. At the start of the performance there were only about 20 people in the audience. But by the end there were about 60 — many more people than we had expected, to the point that the chairs were not enough! We could hardly believe what God had done there. Many of them were touched and came to thank us for the presentation, speaking of the impact it had had on their lives.
AFES Australia
Sam, 1st year master’s student in teaching; actor (Jesus)
I’d acted in amateur theatre before, but at the end of a production I’d always had these useless lines in my head. It was so much better to finish a production and have Jesus’ words memorised! It’s been super helpful in Bible studies, conversations about Jesus, evangelism and my personal walk with Christ to know Mark’s Gospel so well. Playing the role of Jesus made me think much more about the words that I’d read so many times before — it forced me to think about what he really meant, and how he might have said them. It also gave me a greater appreciation of what Jesus went through — as he taught and lived with his disciples who took so long to understand (just like us!), as he was constantly challenged by the religious leaders of the day and how he struggled with knowing he would die and take on God’s wrath, and yet he still ultimately submitted to his Father’s will. Acting in The Mark Drama has left me with a greater understanding of who Jesus is, and what he has done for me.
God continues to use The Mark Drama both to strengthen Christian students around the world and to draw unbelievers to know him more. If you ever have the chance to watch it — or even better, to be in it — take it! It comes highly recommended by these students and plenty more who’ve been involved over the years.
If you’re interested in putting on The Mark Drama yourself then visit The Mark Drama website to find out more.
Pray with us:
IFES sends out a short weekly email with stories from students and staff around the world to inspire your prayers.
Join us at: ifes.world/pray
Stefanie is a Financial Controller in Germany. She loves her job but it has its challenges. She’s surrounded by people who measure their success by their salary. Sometimes she’s asked to stretch the legal limits or to turn a blind eye to bad practices.
Earlier this year, Stefanie heard about IFES Cross-Current – a group that supports young Christian adults as they transition from university to work – and went along to a weekend conference. It was a big encouragement to her:
“At the centre Jesus was telling us that the work we do does not define us. Neither does our monthly pay-check or the speed at which we climb the career ladder. Jesus defines us. He asks us to be His disciples in our workplaces – good, faithful and grateful servants. He provides a way for us to say no to temptation in the workplace and to be salt and light.”
In one month’s time Stefanie will join around 70 other graduates at the IFES Cross-Current Professional Groups conference in Germany. Young professionals from across Europe and Eurasia will spend four days together, looking at what it means to be effective ambassadors for Christ in their workplaces. The conference is particularly aimed at graduates working in the fields of politics, business & management, environmental sciences and science.
Do join us in praying for them:
Pray that strong friendships would develop during the conference, and that these graduates can continue to be a source of encouragement to one another in the years to come.
Pray that God would speak powerfully through those giving talks at the conference, such that graduates return to their workplaces better equipped to take a stand for Christ.
Dima is a 23-year-old graduate from Ukraine. He’s passionate about politics and wants to use his career to witness to others about Jesus.
But starting out in politics is not easy: corruption is common and he doesn’t always know what to say or how to act. There is only one other believer in the Ukrainian parliament, so Dima has very little support.
He’s not the only recent graduate in this situation. His story is repeated by thousands of others starting out in the world of work. They are gifted, fresh and keen to work for God’s glory, but they lack the support they need to navigate the challenges of the workplace.
That’s why IFES Graduate Impact exists.
Staying salty in the workplace
Graduate Impact supports young Christian adults across Europe and Eurasia as they transition from university to work. Its purpose is to help them mature into more effective ambassadors for Christ in their workplaces, professions and societies.
It operates through a network of mentoring groups, called Cross-Current. Some groups focus on particular professions (law, economics, politics, business and management, sciences), whilst others cover specific locations (Belfast, Helsinki, Novosibirsk, Kiev, Tirana, Bucharest, Chisinau, Cluj and Flanders). Graduates join a group for three years and are taught to apply biblical wisdom to the issues they face in their working lives. They also get the opportunity to meet older believers in their profession.
Dima first heard about Graduate Impact through his one believing colleague in parliament. That friend had previously attended a Cross-Current politics group and encouraged Dima to go along. Dima later shared:
“This was my first time abroad and I met great people who inspired me to continue my journey. I met like-minded people from different parts of the world and we spent a blessed time together. Cross-Current Politics is a great support to me in my calling!”
Graduate Impact also helped two young lawyers from Eastern Europe. They work in a place where every transaction is expected to be accompanied by a ‘facilitation fee’. Through the Cross-Current law group they’ve been encouraged to find new ways of practising law without bribes.
Other graduates struggle to know how to be distinctive in a secular workplace. What should I say when my colleagues criticise my boss? How can I work hard without my job becoming an idol? How is my faith relevant to my working life?
Over the last ten years, Graduate Impact has helped over 300 young people like Dima to grapple with these big questions and make an impact as Christians in the workplace.
Get involved:
Graduates in Europe and Eurasia can find out more and join a group at: www.graduateimpact.org
In another region? Think about starting a group with fellow graduates in the workplace to support one another. Talk to your national movement or email admin@graduateimpact.org for advice and support.
You probably know the parable of the Sower. But imagine it set in modern-day Albania and depicted through manga (Japanese comic book style). That’s what BSKSh Albania are doing as a way to reach out to students with the gospel.
They’re trying something different to get the attention of the new students arriving at university this month. This generation of students are sometimes called the ‘i-Generation’ – young people who’ve grown up with smart phones and social media from a young age. Many students are now tired of looking at a screen all the time; a paper booklet is actually quite a novelty! And manga has recently become popular with young people, so BSKSh came up with the idea of presenting the familiar story through this medium.
The manga version of the parable will feature places the students know well – the university, the coffee bar – and will introduce the readers to four lawyers (representing the four types of soil). BSKSh are praying that it will get students thinking, ‘which one am I?’
Students are staff will be going out with the booklets to meet new students this month. Join us in praying for them.
Pray for BSKSh students to have courage, wisdom and warmth as they meet and talk with new students.
Pray that God would use the manga booklet to speak to students and draw them to himself.
In a country where many feel disillusioned and hopeless, and are keen to make a fresh start by moving to another country, pray that many students in Albania would come to know Jesus, the only source of true hope.
People in the Czech Republic are afraid of being brainwashed. Many are still scarred from the arrival of various sects in the 1990s. They are wary of any organised religion – and that includes Christianity. They think it only leads to the loss of freedom and stops you thinking for yourself.
That was Adam’s experience. He and his family were part of a sect during his childhood years. But he wasn’t convinced by what he was being taught. He started to listen to other pastors’ sermons and asking questions. That got him into trouble with the sect leaders, and eventually they kicked him out.
Adam then started to attend a UKH Czech Republic student Bible study group at his local university, and a healthy, Bible-believing church. Adam’s life has turned around. He’s now on the UKH leadership team at his university. He recently reflected on his experience of being part of a community of genuine believers:
“It was quite revolutionary for me to start living and expressing myself freely, and to have the freedom to say what I really thought about the passage.”
Adam’s not the only student enjoying UKH Bible studies. Back in the early 2000s, many UKH groups were chiefly social clubs. Today each one has the Bible at the centre. There’s a real hunger to know what God says.
Pray for students as they read God’s Word for themselves that, like Adam, they would come to see that Jesus alone offers true freedom.
Thank God for the recent appointment of a local staff-worker and for progress in fund-raising.
Pray that more can be raised to support pioneering work in two new locations.
