Region / Country: Europe

Hundreds gather in South Africa from around the world

Debora is studying new media art at university in Lithuania. But she’s not there this week. She’s in South Africa along with 1,200 others from 172 countries. They’re attending the IFES four-yearly gathering World Assembly. For Debora, this week will be a totally new experience. She’s never been surrounded by so many young people, passionate to make Jesus known on their campus. She’s never heard God’s praises sung in so many different languages. She will see for herself that she is part of a vast, dynamic global fellowship. 

Debora is a member of her local IFES movement in Lithuania, LKSB. Her fellowship group have recently started reaching out to international students and have had Muslims and atheists coming along to their events. At World Assembly, Debora will be able to receive training in how to share the gospel with students from other cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as a wide range of other areas. She says: 

“I hope to learn more about how students in other countries share the gospel so we can try out new things here. I hope to make long-lasting friends – maybe we could even have mission trips to each other’s countries later on and do even bigger events together.” 

Join us in praying that Debora and the 230 other students participating in World Assembly will leave with a bigger vision of God and their part in His kingdom work. 

Thanks for praying with us!

Sara and Filip respond to God’s call

Post-graduate students Sara and Filip are preparing for a big change. After graduating in a few months’ time, they’ll be moving from Denmark to Greenland to pioneer student ministry there. They first visited the country two years ago on a short trip with KFS, the IFES movement in Denmark. They wondered if God was calling them there. 

“I could just feel my heart hammering for Greenland and the Greenlandic people”, Sara said. 

Supported by KFS Denmark, Sara and Filip are now preparing to move to Nuuk, the capital city and home to the only university in the country. Students from other cities must travel by boat or plane to get there. They see their families only once or twice a year. Homesickness is one of the biggest social problems for young people. On top of that, students must study in Danish, their second language – so university can be a very challenging time. 

The spiritual climate is challenging too. Traditional beliefs are centred around evil spirits and the spirits of the dead. Today 98% of Greenlanders say they are Christians, but 50% say they still practise traditional religion as well. Few people know what the Bible says or how to be in a relationship with God. There is currently no IFES student or youth work in the country. 

Join us in praying for a new student ministry in Greenland! 

  • Thank God for the way He has led Sara and Filip. Pray that He would help them to prepare practically and spiritually for the big changes ahead. 
  • Pray for good relationships with local churches in Nuuk and pray that local Christians would be keen to support this new ministry. 
  • Pray that God would be preparing the hearts of the students Sara and Filip will meet. Pray that students in Greenland would come to know the all-powerful God of the Bible as their Father. 

Thanks for praying with us!