Theme / Ministry: International Student Ministry

ISM

Profound Journeys

It’s quite a journey. Each year, thousands travel from India to study in the Caucasus, mostly at medical universities. But the journey is more than physical: away from family and cultural pressures, the students have a unique moment in life to explore their beliefs. 

In the Georgian city of Kutaisi, the local IFES group is seizing this opportunity by introducing international students to Jesus.  

Three Journeys of Discovery  

Sunil has been attending the group for three months. At the end of his first Bible study, he asked to take the Bible home. He’s been reading it on his own and now comes to the group with searching questions. Recently he asked, “I have too many sins – how can I be sure that Christ has forgiven me?” 

Amitha has been coming for over a year. At first, she was negative about Jesus – she couldn’t accept the idea of Christ as “the way, the truth and the life” and argued against his divinity. But, in a recent study, she admitted to feeling a change: “for the first time I’ve begun to call the Creator my Father.” 

Prutvi was also deeply sceptical about Christianity; each week he questioned the reliability of the Bible. But, two years on, he trusts it more than his traditional religious scriptures and is now faced with a difficult decision: “Sometimes I just want to entrust my life to Christ. But I’m afraid of my mother finding out because she believes that Krishna is our family’s protector.”       

A Journey of Growth 

Over time, as the group faithfully shared Scripture and offered friendship, these three have discovered the promises, claims, and trustworthiness of Jesus. “Our hope is that they will discover him personally and follow him as Saviour and Lord,” declares Larisa, IFES Georgia staff who pioneered the International Student Ministry (ISM) group. 

It was two and half years ago that she invited three Indian Christian students to her home so they could read the Bible together. Soon, they were inviting friends, and, within a few weeks, more than 20 students were participating – with meals, studies in Mark’s Gospel, and board games. It wasn’t long before they needed to find a new venue to accommodate the growing numbers. 

The Christian international students have now been trained up to lead these meetings. Now, each Friday and Saturday, they guide Bible studies in English and Telugu. In September, they hope to launch another group in Tamil. 

Let’s pray that the many Indian students in the Caucasus will take journeys of faith – and discover Jesus. 

Pray 

  • Give thanks for the way God has guided and grown ISM ministry in Georgia.  
  • Pray for Sunil, Amitha, and Prutvi – that they will encounter the living Christ as they grapple with questions of assurance, divinity, and allegiance.  
  • Pray for the current student leaders (Hema, Rakshana, Deepak, Smiley, and Irene) – that they will continue to grow and be led by the Holy Spirit – and for the discipling of two new leaders (Pranitha and Sharon). 
  • Pray for God’s guidance and provision for the movement in Georgia – with a new General Secretary, funding challenges, and a tense political situation. 

A divine connection

Naru was given contact details of three international students. They’d come to study on her campus in Japan and wanted to connect with the IFES movement (KGK). But Naru wondered what to do: she thought her English was too poor and she was anxious about using it to interact with others.  

Then she remembered the International Student Ministry (ISM) training she’d received as KGK staff earlier in the year. She’d been encouraged to take small steps. So, having made initial contact with the students – one from a secure country and two from Indonesia – she resolved to at least try and form an ISM group with the help of a translation app. And, just as God gave trembling Moses an eloquent Aaron (Exodus 4), so he also provided for her – beyond her expectations.  

As lead staff in the rural Hokuriku region (affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami), Naru first had another issue to address: the future of the Japanese Bible study group. It was small, with just one Christian and one non-Christian. When she met with them to discuss plans, the Christian student was unsure about continuing due to a busy schedule; it seemed like the group might fade away. But when Naru mentioned the international students, the non-Christian expressed interest in meeting them.  

As they were still talking, the new student from a sensitive country came along and joined the conversation. The Japanese non-Christian, confident in English, stepped forward to translate. Before long, the topic had somehow jumped from group logistics to the importance of Bible study and their need to learn directly from God as the foundation and beginning of everything. 

The next day, they gathered again and were joined by one of the students from Indonesia. They decided to have a weekly Bible study – all together. In this way, a group that was about to cease turned into a regular meeting with the presence of Christian international students. Yuya Shimada, KGK Global Mission Coordinator and Lead Staff for ISM is delighted: “This was beyond Naru’s expectations. Her desire to offer hospitality led to a revival of the local KGK group. This is a powerful testimony of partnership between local and international students.”  

This kind of fellowship is vital in Japan, says Yuya, since Japanese Christians often feel foreign in their own culture. He explains: “Christian international students are by nature foreign and stand out, so the partnership between locals and internationals strengthens and encourages them both and makes them powerful witnesses among Japan’s 2.6 million students.”     

Let’s pray for local and international students in Japan: 

  • Give thanks for KGK lead staff Naru, her desire to serve international students in Japan, and the way that God provided. Pray for her and the small group – that they would be mutually encouraged in their witness as they engage with Scripture together. 
  • Pray for the 200,000+ international students in Japan and the ISM of KGK Japan, including dedicated groups in Kanto and Kansai. Give thanks that ISM has been growing over the last 10 years, and pray that all student groups and staff will see and seize opportunities. 
  • Pray for the KGK national training conference, 26 February – 2 March, and a one-day conference in October to coincide with World Student Day. Ask that both will inspire and equip students in global mission.  

Eleven Easy ways to Love International Students

There are currently over five million international students worldwide, and that number is only set to grow in the coming years. The global movement of students from everywhere to everywhere has never been so extensive, and international study can provide fantastic opportunities and an incredible adventure. It’s not an easy thing to do, however. Students can face xenophobic abuse, ranging from a pointed look all the way to a physical attack. They may feel isolated and have difficulties integrating into their new culture – especially after Covid-19. For so many students, the pandemic magnified loneliness and cut slices out of the short university years which can never be replaced. 

There is so much opportunity here for Christian students to reach out in love and welcome, to cross cultural barriers and make international students feel at home. Time and again in the Bible, God affirms his concern and care for those in a strange country. He commands his people to “love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19). When God has brought us near, who were so far away from him, and welcomed us to his banqueting table, how can we not do the same for those far from home? Here are eleven ways to love international students on your campus. 

1. Be the first to show hospitality 

Welcome international students not only as someone from their new culture, but also as an ambassador of the kingdom of Jesus. You might be the first or only Christian they will meet. You might be the only person who will pray for them. 

2. Extend friendship  

Work at becoming friends. There is great value in friendship across cultural and religious divides, and it’s a great first step to sharing the gospel with people from other cultures. Where there is mutual understanding and respect, friends are more willing to learn more about why our faith is important to us. 

3. Create space for reciprocity 

Our relationships with international students should not be one-sided, where we are always giving, and they are always receiving. This would create an imbalance of power and deny international students the dignity of giving. Create a space that allows for reciprocal relationships, where everyone can contribute. There will be a lot that international students can do to help you, and a lot you can learn from them. Listen to what they have to say. 

4. Display love 

Love your international friends just as you would want to be loved when in another country. Be a joyful witness of what Christ has done for you. But let your activities be natural, not forced. Share joyfully, but do not force Jesus. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide you and to work in the lives of your international friends. 

5. Don’t underestimate the power of eating together 

Love can often be given and received via the stomach – and food plays a central part in hospitality in many cultures, providing a relaxed atmosphere of fellowship. Check for religious or dietary preferences. Remember Muslims don’t eat pork, and Hindus don’t eat beef. 

6. Help international students prepare to return to their home country 

International students are temporary visitors in your country, coming from and returning to their own communities. Helping students to prepare for healthy re-entry is a vital part of our ministry. Success in ministry occurs when students return well and contribute meaningfully to the church in their home context. 

7. Be sensitive to politics 

Avoid talking about politics before a friendship is formed. Often these debates will close the door for the gospel rather than bring your friend closer to Jesus. Don’t make broad negative statements or speak disrespectfully about anything that might be of religious significance. Instead, speak joyfully of your own faith. After a trusting friendship is established, political discussions could lead to conversations about the need for Jesus in our countries and in our world. We can ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and sensitivity, and remind ourselves that each of our political standpoints arises largely from the contexts, experiences and influences we have been exposed to – and these will of course be different around the world. 

8. Don’t include alcohol in your gatherings 

Don’t serve any alcoholic drinks in your meetings and events. It may cause confusion or offence for international students from Muslim or Hindu contexts, as well as for Christian students from other cultural contexts. 

9. Build relationships with those of the same gender as you 

When building friendships with international students, focus on relationships with those of the same gender as yourself, being aware of different cultural expectations around the roles of men and women. Avoid the opportunity for motives for forming a friendship to cause confusion or otherwise be misunderstood. 

10. Have humility in misunderstandings  

We all have different ways of doing things that may cause surprise or shock on either side. Try to avoid cross-cultural faux pas, but don’t let it worry you too much – misunderstandings are inevitable in any genuine relationship. These moments are opportunities to practice humility. When friendship exists there will be forgiveness, greater understanding, and even some fun stories to laugh about in the future. Be encouraged that students really love receiving invitations and will normally overlook any cultural blunders when they are extended with warmth and love. Love has the power to heal most cultural misunderstandings. 

11. Be aware of security issues 

Remember that the cost of becoming a Christian is usually far higher for a Muslim or a Hindu than it is for a nominal Christian or agnostic. Keep security issues in mind when contacting students from sensitive countries. 

This list was adapted from the newly released resource God’s World on Your Doorstep, as part of the  Sobremesa campaign. Sobremesa is all about extending the radical welcome of Jesus to the international students on our campuses,. Students can do this by creating communities of acceptance, belonging, and cross-cultural understanding. 

You can read the full resource for free to find lots more information to equip you to reach out to international students. Find out more about the vision, the stories, and the community of Sobremesa here. 

It Starts with Kindness

Read about how Jamil C, Regional Secretary of IFES MENA, encountered Christ as an international student in France.

Today, I am honoured to be serving as the regional secretary of IFES MENA. My journey to faith started when a group of French students extended their kindness to me, an international student from Tunisia. This is my story.  

Toward the end of my architectural studies in Paris, I happened to come across a book table organized by Groupes Bibliques Universitaires or GBU, the IFES movement in France. The Christian students there invited me to a series of lectures on Islam and Christianity given by Chawkat M, who at that time, worked with IFES in Paris and was in charge of relations with Arab and Muslim students. Initially, I decided to participate out of a desire to contradict the speaker and prove the theological superiority of Islam. However, I was surprised that despite my sometimes provocative questions, the Christian students always responded with such kindness. I was so struck by their courteous and gracious attitude that when I returned to Tunisia, I decided to bring one of the gospels with me. But the more I read the words of Jesus, the more questions I had.

As these questions burned in me, I started to write them in letters to my Christian friends. I spent the next several months sending questions by mail (there was no email at that time) and waiting two weeks for each answer.  

It was during this time that Chawkat connected me to a missionary couple studying Arabic in Tunis. I met with these new friends every Sunday evening to read the Bible together. Just months later, I decided to give my life to Christ. Life was peaceful until one day when my older brother followed me to their house. A few minutes after I entered their home, the doorbell rang and my brother was at the door. When my friend invited him to enter, my brother discovered the Bible lying on the table. He stayed for five minutes, explaining that he only wanted to know who his brother was meeting. Then he left.  

The next day, my brother visited me at work. He asked me to cut off all ties with Christians and return to Islam. He gave me one week to reflect before he would be obligated to share the news with my family. A week later, he came back for my answer. When he didn’t hear what he wanted, he returned home to tell the whole family. That evening, our house was filled with shouting and crying as my father kicked me out of the house. I stayed at my sister’s house for three days before she also asked me to leave. She said she could not go against the family’s decision. A co-worker also contacted me to say that he had heard about my conversion to the Christian faith. He explained that he could no longer collaborate with me and told me to leave the office immediately.  

With nowhere to go, I called the missionary couple to ask what I should do. They connected me to a single missionary who offered a place to spend a few days. The following week, that missionary couple received death threats addressed to me from an Islamic group that my brother was involved in.  

On my way to church that Sunday, I encountered my brother and another person waiting for me just a few metres away. I ran for refuge in the church and was able to escape through an emergency exit onto another street. However, that evening, the church pastor, who was Swiss, came to find me and asked me to leave the country. He feared my life was in danger and told me that I had become a source of potential danger even for them. If the Tunisian government knew what had happened, the church would also be shut down. 

Within 24 hours of that conversation, I left Tunisia and took refuge at a farm in Switzerland. During my five months there, I reconnected with Chawkat to see if I could study theology in France, a country I was more familiar with. Thankfully, God opened the door and in September 1987, just months after deciding to follow Christ, I began my theological studies in France. Now, decades later, I am honoured to serve as a regional secretary for IFES to help pioneer student witness in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Praise God for the ways he has grown ministry in my own “home” region, even in extremely difficult places.

May He open new doors, may He equip and give us love and hope when we are involved with international students and may He sustain us.

Diaspora Missiology
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Because he is my brother

This was not what Arjun* had in mind when he dreamed of being a doctor. He stumbled backward as the man advanced. The man was shouting hateful words. Go back to where you came from!  His eyes were wild. In his peripheral vision Arjun noticed someone else approaching, stalking their group of six students. His friend let out a cry – the shouting man had kicked him! Arjun noticed more men emerging. They were everywhere – he counted twenty of them. As they closed in with fists raised, Arjun knew this would not end well. He lifted his eyes, and just before he felt the first blow, he noticed a police officer leaning against a wall, silently watching. 

Arjun remembered his little white coat. He loved to dress as a doctor when he was a child. His parents were so proud when he had told them that he wanted to study medicine. When he learned he could attend medical school in Central Asia for a fraction of the price in India, his mind was set. The admissions counselor made it sound easy. The city would be modern and exciting. Everyone would speak English. Six years abroad would be a breeze.  

But the admissions counselor had lied. It did not take long for Arjun to realize that the situation was not as perfect as he thought. At the airport, the student coordinators forced Arjun and his friend Veer* to hand over their diplomas. They and the other Indian students were crammed inside a taxi and sent eleven hours away to their study destination. Hungry and nervous, they were unable to communicate with the driver, who only spoke the local language. But that was the least of their worries. They soon realized that as Indians, they faced heavy discrimination from locals.  

They were warned not to stay out later than five o’clock, as a minor encounter with the wrong people could quickly become dangerous. Wallets and bags were stolen from their friends in broad daylight. Their elementary skills in the local language rendered them helpless. But there was one word they understood well – “black.”  As they walked through markets children shouted it at them while their parents pointed fingers. 

The discrimination continued on campus. Following their first exam, Arjun and Veer stood in a long line, waiting for their results. After an hour, all 200 names of their peers had been called, yet the two students remained outside. They began to panic. What happened to our tests? The door opened and their group leader stepped through.  

“The professor is wondering when you are going to pay him.”   

Unbeknownst to Arjun and Veer, the professors routinely withheld marks from students who did not pay a bribe. Indian students paid a premium. While their local classmates paid the equivalent of 15 USD for a good mark, Arjun and Veer were forced to pay the equivalent of 200 or 300 USD. But sometimes they did not have the chance to take the test at all. While students waited to enter the exam room, some professors would find small excuses to remove them. Once Veer was barred for wearing a hoodie. Another time, Arjun was removed because he had a beard. 

Despite their best efforts to understand the local people, Arjun and Veer were constantly shocked by their treatment. Six years stretched hopelessly before them as they considered a life without allies. Unable to find relief from the stresses of their coursework and the dangers of the city, the students felt emotionally homeless. This continued until their Indian classmate, Sai*, met a local peer named Adel*. 

Adel had never known any Indians before. But as she chatted with Sai after class, she realized he needed a friend. She invited him to her IFES group. Then Sai invited Arjun and Veer. In a matter of weeks, 15 more Indian students attended regularly. There, the students met Omar* and Elina*, the local IFES staff, who welcomed them into their lives. Finally, they had local friends.  

Omar and Elina were the first people that Arjun and Veer called after they were beaten up on their walk home from class. The two staff members rushed them to the police station – where the police advised the students not to file a report. Still, Arjun and Veer took comfort in the fact that they had someone to call. These relationships completely changed their experience.  Adel began offering her help for anything they needed. She accompanied them to the markets and haggled over rent prices with landlords. By simply being present, she dramatically changed how locals reacted to the Indian students. 

But other locals did not understand why Omar, Elina, and Adel cared about the foreigners. When Adel walked with them, they called out to her, asking if the Indians were a bother. Sometimes they challenged her. Once she accompanied Veer to the clinic to make sure he was not overcharged. When she refused to accept the exorbitant price, the doctor became angry. He questioned why she would go to such lengths to protect an outsider. Adel’s response was simple and salient.  

“He is my brother,” she said. “This is what you do for family. You protect them.”  

In truth, Arjun, Veer, and the other Indian students did find a family with the IFES movement in Central Asia. Worshipping and studying the Bible with Omar, Elina, and Adel carried them through the darkest hours of their studies. These friends were their allies in a culture that rejected them. Arjun describes his local Christian friends as people of integrity.  

“They always stood for the right things,” he says. “They backed us up.” 

In many places, foreigners like international students, refugees, and immigrants navigate blatant discrimination in their new society. Christians like Omar, Elina, and Adel are taking the opportunity to welcome these people by demanding justice on their behalf. They have even risked their own social status to do so. Their actions honor God’s command to treat the foreigner as “your native-born,” (Leviticus 19:33-34) and bear witness to God’s love for all nations and peoples.  

How can you be an ally to the foreigners around you? What can you do to pursue justice on their behalf? 

 
*name changed 

When heaven rejoices

Nowhere in the world are there more international students than in the USA. And among the 1 million students arriving at universities across the country, are those from some of the least reached countries in the world*: Yemen, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Djibouti – even North Korea. As you meet the following four international students, join with heaven in rejoicing that God is calling people from every nation to follow Him! And pray that there would be more stories of students coming to faith and being equipped to share Christ around the world.

Yang inspired by sacrifice

International student Yang was not a Christian. During the semester he was too busy with his PhD study to spend time exploring more. But he was curious. Over the winter vacation, Yang decided to sign up for Urbana, the InterVarsity student missions conference, to learn more about God.

It was during the prayer night at Urbana that something changed for Yang. He watched as Urbana participants spent an hour praying for the persecuted church. Yang was amazed to hear of the willingness of men and women to give up their lives for Jesus, and even to pray for those persecuting them! Their faith had a profound impact on him. He knew he needed to follow this Jesus too.

Sundeep finds the true light

Students from South Asia were excited to be invited to celebrate Diwali – the Hindu festival of lights – with their InterVarsity friends. Food, fireworks, cricket and singing filled the evening, and the students had the opportunity to share about their Diwali traditions. Then one Christian graduate, a former Hindu from India, shared his testimony of how he had found the true light in Jesus.

After the event, a volunteer invited one of the students, Sundeep, to church. Sundeep had picked up one of the free Bibles. After learning more about the gospel, Sundeep prayed to receive Jesus into his life!

Lily embraces evangelism

“I don’t understand why my Christian friends waited so long to tell me about Jesus!” Lily is a student from East Asia, and after giving her life to Jesus, became a student leader. She has a strong desire to return home to share the gospel among her people. She often reminds others that people are eager to learn about Jesus, and often it’s our timidity which delays their access to the gospel. Lily recently began a seeker Bible study with several students from her country who are curious about Jesus.

Salima discovers she can follow Jesus

Salima is from a country where followers of Jesus are heavily persecuted. A couple of years ago she connected with InterVarsity students and staff through the international group. Salima attended most of their discussions on the life of Jesus that semester and showed a hunger to know more.

Some months after that, one of the staff workers connected with Salima again. Salima explained that she had found a local church of immigrants from her home nation. She had even started hosting their prayer meetings in her home! With the support of many in that community, she was beginning to understand how a person from her country could follow Jesus.

Very recently, Salima started to follow Jesus. Her husband is still investigating the Christian faith.

* http://uis.unesco.org/en/uis-student-flow

Names have been changed.

Read more stories of international student ministry around the world.

Resiato dreams of reaching the nations on campus

Resiato*, an international student from Kenya, has big dreams. She wants to start an international student ministry at her university in Estonia. Her motivation? The Great Commission from Matthew 28. Resiato sees her campus as a platform to make disciples of the nations.

It’s a big dream, but Resiato isn’t alone. A staff worker from another IFES movement heard about her plans and recently travelled to meet her. They spoke about how to share Christ with international friends and how to start a ministry. Within a few months Resiato was taking a Hindu friend to church regularly, and had arranged to talk to church pastors to share her vision.

The majority of international students in Estonia come from Nigeria, Russia and Ukraine, but there are many from India, Bangladesh and Azerbaijan as well. Resiato reflects:

“I’m interacting with so many different cultures. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t. But the materials from IFES definitely help me carry out the Great Commission.”

Resiato needs your prayers as she seeks to establish an international student ministry in Estonia:

  • Pray for Resiato as she shares her vision and gathers leaders to help reach out to international students.
  • Pray that many international students would be reached with the good news of Jesus through this new group in Estonia.
  • Thank God for partnership between IFES movements. Pray for more opportunities to encourage one another and share resources.

*name changed

Read more stories of international student ministry around the world.

How God used our ministry failure

In March 2018, I tried to start a group for international students in the Bulgarian city of Varna… and failed miserably.

The journey begins

BCSU, the IFES movement in Bulgaria, had already started a group for international students in Sofia, the capital. It was going so well that we wanted to expand the work to another city. Varna was the next logical place. It had a large international student population, and there was no other Christian group available for them.

But Varna was an eight-hour train ride across the country from Sofia, where I and most BCSU staff workers lived. The only staff worker in Varna was already tied up with other ministry responsibilities. So we started praying. And we waited for an opportunity.

From bad to worse

Shortly after that, a volunteer offered to come and spend three weeks in Varna, helping to establish the group. An answer to our prayers! We had a venue ready to host us as well, so I travelled to Varna to join the volunteer.

Publicity was the first job. We handed out flyers and talked to hundreds of international students. And then the night of the first event came… and only three students showed up. It was a bad start – but the other nights were even worse. On one evening there were no students there at all! It was very discouraging. We questioned whether God had wanted us to start a group in Varna at all.

Sarah’s request

Then we got a message from Sarah*. She was one of the three students from the first night. She had enjoyed meeting us and wanted to start going to church. At least we had reached one student! God’s definition of success is different than ours, we thought. Perhaps His plan was for us to help this one student come to faith.

Sarah started getting more involved at the church. She was enjoying what she learned and loved the atmosphere. But Sarah was unable to attend the weekly church Bible studies because she didn’t speak Bulgarian. She asked us if we could help. Using resources from the IFES Breaking New Ground program, and with Sarah’s promise to invite her friends, we decided to try one more time to start something for international students in Varna.

Unexpected results

And this time, in October 2018, the students showed up! And they kept coming back. The group started looking at the gospel of John using the Uncover  material. Amazingly, the group grew and flourished as international students kept inviting their friends to explore the person of Jesus.

Today it is the largest student group in the country! The group currently includes both seekers and believers from countries across South Asia, Europe and Africa. Sarah is still on her journey of figuring out what she believes. She continues to be a big advocate for the group and invites her friends to all our events.

And I have learned that God’s vision for reaching students is so much bigger than mine, and that He can use our supposed failures for His glory.

*name changed

This pioneering work in Bulgaria is being supported by the IFES Breaking New Ground initiative.

Read more stories of international student ministry around the world.

Security risks and language barriers

Naomi needs to be careful what she says to her friends. Even a text message can be intercepted by authorities and scanned for ‘Christian’ language. It adds a tension to everyday life she didn’t know before September. Naomi has recently moved to a country to East Asia as an international student to pursue language learning. She reflects:

“I don’t like the effect it has on me. It makes me less inclined to share the gospel because I’m so conscious of the sensitivity of it. But if anything, my response should be the opposite! The gospel desperately needs to be shared here, as many people – locals and internationals – have yet to hear of Christ’s redeeming love and grace.”

Despite the dangers, Naomi is loving the international experience. She explains:

“In a class of 20 there are 14 different nationalities. I’ve met students from places like Iran, Sudan, Nigeria and many more! The number of different languages and cultures represented is enriching and exciting, but can be a challenge in getting to know people deeply and moving past surface-level conversations.”

Join us in praying for Naomi this week:

  • Pray for Naomi to have linguistic fluency, sensitivity and courage to have gospel conversations with friends.
  • Pray that God would open eyes and change hearts of local and international students, so that they would know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
  • Pray for the local Christians facing persecution, that they would continue to hold fast to Jesus and trust in His ways and provision.

Thanks for praying with us!

A knife under the pillow

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.