I have had the privilege of developing a good friendship with a visiting scholar recently. When Jesus directed my attention to this woman, my first thought was to plan how I would minister to her. But Jesus was very clear: “Be her friend.” This removed a lot of the pressure from my heart, and I am excited about how God will lead.

We have met frequently to run errands and share meals. One meal in particular was such a blessing to me. One day while we were talking, I shared that I would love to have someone cook for me. Not long after, she invited me to her apartment. I arrived to find that she had prepared a beautiful and delicious spread of culturally authentic dishes for me! I was surprised and excited because I had not had this kind of opportunity in a long time: to be a guest.

We sat on the floor of the apartment to eat, eye-to-eye and heart-heart. It was then that I was reminded how wonderful it felt to be a guest at someone’s table, instead of always setting my own for others. I also saw how much joy it brought my friend to see me enjoy her kindness and hospitality. 

We laughed and talked about many things, and she listened as I shared some of my spiritual experiences. As it turns out, accepting her invitation of “reverse-hospitality” opened her up to share what was on her heart, and to hear what Jesus put in mine. We were exchanging stories.

The principle of this story is that healthy friendship is just as much about receiving and it is giving. So when a student offers you the chance to be a guest, take it. It might be the first step for them to accept Jesus’s invitation, through you.

Bible Study Group Update:

As our group discipleship efforts continue, we praise God that He is connecting us with students who want to learn and experience Him more. One-on-one discipleship has increased despite the constraints of the pandemic, as up to 100 internationals are being discipled by our staff and volunteers!

Partners in Prayer:

We ask that you pray with us for more Chinese student engagement with IFI activities and events. We believe that one possible reason for the decrease of engagement is that students are still very cautious about meeting in large group settings.

We also are hiring a full-time Assistant Campus Ministry Director to help push our impact forward. Please pray that God would send the right person for the assignment.