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East Asia News
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taiwan: what are you doing in this place?
How do you preach and proclaim the good news in a way that relates to the needs of the poor and oppressed?
As you go from place to place, from meeting to meeting, from one conference to another, you might ask yourself: why am I here? This is one of the questions the participants to the 11th Youth Missions Conference of CEF, the IFES movement in Taiwan, were encouraged to ask themselves as they prepared their hearts and minds for the conference. 'Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?' (Judges 18:3)
The conference has brought together 1,600 students and 200 volunteers for a week of challenging teaching, prayer and fasting, and focus on mission. Martin Goldsmith, one of the speakers at the event, says that the mission of Jesus and his followers is one of preaching and proclamation that relates to the needs of the poor and oppressed. 'Mission must therefore include an active concern for all people, for the social needs of the poor and for the environment, which is created for Christ (Colossians 1:16) and should be kept beautiful for his pleasure.'
Please join us in praying for the participants at the Youth Missions Conference (11-17 July) who were brought to that place by God, that they will know why they are there. Pray that they will meet with God there, that they will hear, understand and obey God's will for their lives. Whether they stay in Taiwan or leave the country for the sake of the gospel, pray that they will preach and proclaim the good news of Jesus, having in mind and taking to heart people's needs.
Tomorrow is the last evening of the conference and Lindsay Brown, former IFES General Secretary, will speak at the closing session. Please pray for him to preach clearly and faithfully, and pray that the 1,600 participants will 'go and make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28.19).
Comment: How do you preach and proclaim the good news in a way that relates to the needs of the poor and oppressed? How are you expressing an 'active concern' for all aspects of God's creation?
sri lanka: determination, prayer and perseverance
Out of a difficult situation came a wonderful story of success.
Around the world, many student movements use rented rooms or borrowed offices to hold activities. FOCUS (the IFES movement in Sri Lanka) was no exception, and maintained that living in dependence from year to year and from one lease agreement to another was a vital part of their growth and collective learning. However with each passing year, more graduates joined the FOCUS family, the number of fellowships increased, more programs were held, more staff joined the team, costs for meeting places and transportation increased, safety and security issues emerged and the need for their own space grew.
The property committee found an ideal place on the edge of Colombo city. And so began the search for funds to buy the building. Property prices were rising phenomenally due to increased intensity of the civil war causing an influx of people renting and buying properties in Colombo. With the encouragement of the Regional Secretary of IFES, however, an invitation was sent to all those who had in anyway been impacted by the FOCUS ministry to come alongside the movement and raise the funding. So they reconnected with many people who had lost touch with the ministry and raised the funds.
It was pure determination, prayer and a willingness to persevere in the face of what felt like disinterest from outside organisations that led to the movement's investment of time and energy in raising funds for its much needed headquarters entirely from its own sources. Out of a difficult situation came a wonderful story of success. Not only does FOCUS have a great base for their activities in Colombo and throughout the country, but there is a deep sense of ownership among students and graduates of the movement both in the work and in the building they have worked so hard to purchase.
india: from graveyard to vineyard
Places are important to us. Whether it is their history or our own memories of time spent there, place names often bring to mind very clear pictures. Sometimes those pictures are full of life and happiness; sometimes they are of devastation and sadness.
For many of us, Bihar is completely unfamiliar. But to those who know this state in eastern India, a variety of pictures come to mind. While Buddhism is probably not the first religion you think of in the context of India, the state of Bihar is the birthplace of the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Bihar is also the place from which Gandhi launched his Civil Disobedience Movement. Tourists might remember Bihar for the many monuments spread throughout the state. The state has a rich and ancient history.
In comparison, IFES ministry amongst students in Bihar is very young and started in the late 1960s. Our friends in Bihar write: 'People say Bihar is a missionary graveyard. Missionaries are beaten, ostracized, and thrown out in many places. In spite of this, the current government is not hostile to Christians. People in remote areas are coming to Christ in large numbers. Students are interested to hear about Jesus. So, pray that the Lord may transform this graveyard into a fruitful vineyard.'
Today, there are over a million students across the state, most of whom do not know Jesus. Please pray for the few believing students as they live out their faith in Jesus amongst their friends. Pray for many unbelievers to have their eyes open and to see Jesus for who he is. Pray too for the Christian students to know the power of God's Word to transform lives, especially as they feel the weight of being part of a very small minority - just 1% of the state's population is Christian.
As you pray for students in Bihar, let us also continue to pray for the work of UESI (the Union of Evangelical Students of India) across this vast country. India is the second largest country in the world with 1.3 billion people. There are about 150 million students in the Indian universities and UESI has about 10,000 student members. Pray for UESI as they work to reach out to students from every language group and in the northern region (Hindi belt) with the good news of Jesus. Pray that Christian students will be eager to apply what they are learning at university to the problems faced by their country.
east asia: living water, living well
So you've graduated. You're no longer a student but a worker, a citizen and a church member.
Many questions arise that your university education may not have prepared you to answer: Should I go for this promotion? What will happen if I lose my job? How to live a life worthy of my calling as a Christian in the workplace? Can I find a balance between my life at home and at work? Where can I find time to be involved in church activities? What should I do to make a difference in the world?
The East Asia Graduate Conference (EAGC) is held every 3 years for Christian graduates. Sponsored by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) in the East Asia region, EAGC addresses the issues graduates face in daily life. As many East Asian graduates face similar problems, this is an opportunity to meet, share, learn, and encourage each other.
Movements within the East Asia region take turns hosting the conference. In recent years, the EAGC had taken place in Japan, Indonesia and Korea. In 2010, it will be co-hosted in Hong Kong for the first time, by the Graduates Christian Fellowship of Hong Kong (GCF HK) and Macao Graduates Christian Fellowship (Macao GCF).
Check out these exciting topics that will be discussed at seminars:
- Business ethics
- Traditional Asian rituals/beliefs (e.g. Feng Shui)
- Collaboration with other faiths
- Unity in diversity and marketplace theology
- Graduates in the church
- Personal financial management
- Social movement and poverty
- Christians in politics
- Global climate change
- Subversive marriage and parenting
- Materialism / consumerism
- Spiritual mentorship
Please pray for this conference to be held on 30 July - 3 August. Pray for those preparing to present, that they will have wisdom and be able to both challenge and encourage the new graduates who attend. Pray for graduates everywhere, that they will stay strong in their faith and grow in their understanding of what it means to belong to the kingdom of God now that they are no longer at university.
Comment: Are you a graduate? Tell us what would have been most helpful for you to know/discuss about the workplace before you graduated.
Are you an undergraduate? Why not organise a conference for students before they graduate to prepare them to be Christians in the workplace.
papua new guinea: overcoming barriers
Have you ever found yourself in a situation when you wanted to talk to someone but they did not speak the same language as you? You wondered: How can I communicate across the language barrier? Maybe you tried to exchange a few words and failed, or you were misunderstood. This is what often happens in Papua New Guinea. With over 800 languages spoken (representing more than 10% of the world's languages) and almost as many traditional tribes, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the most diverse countries in the world.
In spite of this great challenge, the ministry of TSCF (Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship, the IFES movement in PNG) has been growing over the years. Since it was first founded in 1966, 100,000 graduates have gone through the movement and gone on to reach out to their respective communities with the good news of Jesus.
Our friends in TSCF write: 'We have many ministry opportunities, particularly to the rural communities of PNG. We have numerous testimonies of what God did through the meetings or fellowship during visits to various ethnic groups. We have seen people being saved, delivered from satanic bonds and healed. The Lord has done wonderful things and this despite the ethnic and cultural barriers. Each ethnic group is different from the other and yet often all barriers have been broken down because God was moving to restore people to himself.
'We have a message and a mission, a vision and a strategy to reach out to the young leaders of this nation using a holistic approach that touches all aspects of their lives. We want to see every young leader become responsible, to become a person with integrity. We have been investing in students and God has raised up a lot of people who are currently serving in leadership capacities in public, private, NGO and religious arenas.'
Praise God for over 1,000 who come to Christ each year through the ministry of TSCF! Praise God for the work of his Holy Spirit in that land and pray that despite the cultural and linguistic barriers, the name of Christ will continue to be proclaimed, understood, accepted and honoured to the glory of God.
Comment: Do you have a story of how God overcame linguistic or cultural barriers in your student group? Please share it with us.
new zealand: graduate culture shock
Two things happened to Ben when he migrated from Malaysia to New Zealand. First, he reacted to his new-found independence from family to take a break from school, relationships, responsibilities and God. Secondly, he suffered from culture shock, and spent the first year complaining about everything from food to the education system to church.
Fortunately for Ben, God didn't take a year off from him but gave him a persistent friend who helped him get involved in the Auckland Overseas Christian Fellowship, part of TSCF (the IFES movement in New Zealand). Ben became a committed member of the group.
Five years later, Ben was back in Malaysia, working long hours in an office, struggling with differences in culture, friendships, the church ? in short, experiencing culture shock all over again! At first he thought most of the problem was the transition from student to working life, but then he began to see other areas where he had to adjust to change.
He writes: 'I had to rebuild old relationships again. When I got past the small talk, I realised that friends I had known for more than ten years had gone down such different pathways in life.'
Ben now looks back on the first months of his new life and sees how God has graciously helped him to adjust in many ways. 'I am learning to serve in church. I am getting to know my childhood friends better. Conversations on faith and Jesus have been few and far between, but by God's grace it comes up from time to time. If nothing else, I would be happy to be home just for these conversations.'
Let's spend some time reflecting on the people God has used in our lives to lead us to him and give thanks for those people. Let's also pray for young people who are wandering, that God would send someone to be part of their journey back to him.
Pray for international students everywhere who may be suffering from culture shock, that God would use their confusion, loneliness and openness to new things to draw them to himself. Pray too for Christian graduates in the workplace, that they will work with all their heart, as to the Lord, and that their lives might show to the world the riches of God's grace.
nepal: seeking peace
'Land of knowledge, land of peace;
Terai hills, mountains;
Undivided this beloved, our motherland Nepal.'
The words of the Nepalese national anthem stand in contrast to the current realities of the country: there is more division than unity, and more violence than peace. Kathmandu, the capital, is filled with thousands of Maoists demonstrating in its streets in protest against the current regime.
The protesters have come from all over the country and are staying in private buildings, including churches, as they do not have access to water, power or other facilities. There is much uncertainty over what might happen and general concern for the safety of people walking through the city. Roads are blocked and no means of transport are allowed, not even bicycles. All of this makes everyday life a real challenge.
In the midst of such a situation, there can be a temptation to despair, but, as a Nepalese IFES friend writes: 'We have a God who rules over everything.' Please join us in praying for our IFES friends there: ask the Lord to bring peace to their land and in their hearts as they come to God in prayer for their country.
In the midst of the unrest, the IFES movement in Nepal was able to hold some student camps recently, though staff and students had to walk for several days to reach the camp site. Pray for spiritual and physical renewal for all of them and, in particular, pray that the students who attended will continue to grow as disciples of Christ. Give thanks for several of them meet in small groups to pray together and spur each other up.
mongolia: you are God's child and he loves you
Mushchimeg is a 19 year old first year student who is involved in FCS (the IFES movement in Mongolia). She tells us how she came to understand the God's fatherly love:
'I am a typical girl from my country. I live with my mother and my two younger siblings. My father passed away when I was a young kid and I experienced a great loss throughout my childhood. I tried my best to help my mother for there was no one else for her to lean upon. Time went on and I managed to be enrolled in the school of my choice with my mother's help.
'I used to think that everything would change once I became a college student. But I was mistaken. Hardships and difficultes kept on coming my way in my everyday life. For I had never been away from home ? it was hard and it was also financially challenging. Because of this, I started to lie to my mother to get more money so I could hang out with my friends. I could not see any purpose in what I was doing in my life. As I look back, I wish I hadn't done those things. I hurt people with my words, I had a negative outlook on life. I would joke around with others. And I was proud of what I was doing.
'I heard about FCS from a friend and decided to go and check it out. I'm so thankful that decision led me to the right path. As I walked through the doors the first time, I was so surprised because everyone welcomed me with a smile and treated me so friendly. They shared about God and his love and hope with me. There was one thing that I felt in my heart after meeting those students. It was as if they whispered to me: 'You are God's daughter and He loves you.' As I started to be part of FCS, I began to understand the value and meaning of life deeply.'
Praise God for his transforming gospel that is preached through FCS in Mongolia. Pray for Mushchimeg to continue to grow in her understanding of the good news and love for God and his word. Pray for Christian students everywhere that they will befriend non-Christians and show them the love of God.
south asia: the only way
Pray for them as they wrestle with questions.
Yeshoda grew up in Nepal and daily saw the great needs of people around her. Before she even went to university, she knew that long-term she wanted to be involved in social work in a NGO. She also knew NGOs often preferred hiring humanities graduates rather than graduates of other subjects, so that decided her course of study.
Though she suffered much opposition after committing her life to Christ, his amazing love for her spurs her on. She shares: 'I attended a gospel camp organized by the Nepalese IFES movement and it equipped me in my desire to share the good news of Jesus.'
Yeshoda continues: 'My friends often ask: Why are you ready to die for your religion? Why are you not like us? Are you paid for this? Is your God more important than your career? For them, all religions are the same so they don't understand how Jesus could be the only way. I do doubt at times: Are they right? Is it true? Why are these things happening to me?
'It's also sometimes hard to see where my faith fits with what I study in sociology. We study different worldviews, myths and religious stories, different traditions which make people believe that all the religions are same, including Christianity.
'Yet whenever I question what I believe, God speaks to me from the Bible and gives me better answers than I expected. He takes away my doubts, in the midst of my tears, and gives me a deep peace that warms my heart.'
Give thanks to God for his living word that is our refuge. Pray for Yeshoda ? and for students around the world ? as they wrestle with questions linked to their subject of study and seek God's help in answering them. Pray that they would delight more and more in God's word and apply it to their lives in such a way that their classmates will see the difference it makes and be drawn to Christ.
japan: light in the darkness
Japan is a prosperous nation with one of the world's leading economies and a population of 127.2 million (UN, 2009). It is known for its strong work ethic and traditional society.
Christians in Japan today are a small minority and face massive pressures from their families and society to follow cultural traditions and participate in ancestral worship. Because they are so few in number, Christians struggle to have any impact on society. KGK (the IFES movement in Japan) is present on only 25% of the campuses of Japan and Christian students are a minority within a minority, an estimated 0.1% of the total student population.
Professor R teaches sciences at a university and has been involved with KGK as a student and now as an alumni. He tells us more about his context:
'One of the greatest obstacles may be the indifference towards all religions, including Christianity. In public institutions, such as public school and universities, religious conversations with students and colleagues are forbidden. It is actually possible but there is an atmosphere to refuse to talk at least in my context, in reaction to the strong activities of heretical groups in universities of Japan. It is not easy for people to trust us.
'The passage in Luke 8:16 has helped me much as I face these challenges ? "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." I think that we have to live in Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit in order that our colleagues would trust us and open their hearts to him.
'As a professor at university, I want all students to have fulfilling lives. In this context, I instruct them with my knowledge in my field and I encourage them. But I also continue to challenge them with this question: "What are you living for?"
Professor R asks, 'Please pray that I would love all of my students and colleagues and show them my life with Jesus as an example of how to live a Christian life.' Pray with us for all Christian professors and teachers that their lives would shine brightly for God, causing students to ask them to give an answer for the hope that they have (I Peter 3:15). Pray for Christian students and teachers to be keen to demonstrate the integration of their faith with their academic disciplines. Give thanks for all Christian students and professors who live in countries where they are a minority within a minority, and ask God to encourage and strengthen.
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