Four years ago, international students in a Bible study at the University of Kentucky decided to expand their vision and reach more of the internationals on their campus. They put up flyers on campus wherever internationals lived, worked and relaxed. More importantly, they advertised the time and place for their first meeting through the "international underground," better known as word-of-mouth. Student leaders from Sri Lanka and Malaysia, one community volunteer and one part-time ISM staff led the meeting and were amazed when 35 international students showed up at the first official meeting of International Christian Fellowship (ICF).

Since that first night, ICF has been an active group on campus. The leadership team has grown to 5 members and includes students from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Every Friday night, ICF starts with a time of worship and sharing. Then, two international students and two volunteers lead 4 different Bible studies. Usually one study is for seekers (of which there are many), another study is for fairly mature believers, and the other two focus on a book of the Bible or topic of interest to international students like Christianity and Asian Culture, Fruit of the Spirit, etc. Finally, as the last Bible study is closing in prayer, the group gathers again for snacks.

ICF is active in the life of the whole campus as well. Many students from ICF help the Office of International Affairs with welcome week activities for incoming students each semester. Each year at least one of the student leaders at ICF has been chosen for an internship in this office. The students in ICF also take part in multicultural events held on campus. In fact, ICF is the most multicultural group on campus. The group is also known to be the place to go when disaster strikes an international student. ICF has held two memorial services for international students who have lost family members and could not return home for the funeral.

ICF's pioneering days seem to be over, and we look forward to the new directions God will take us in the next four years.

Julia Thorne, ISM at Lexington, KY

Recently my wife Michele thanked God saying, "Only you Lord could orchestrate such a plan for us to have such great friends and partners to share with in the ministry of reaching internationals." God is opening the door for a ministry to internationals at Johns Hopkins University. We work with Christine (current grad. student) and Ajit (Hopkins alum.), Ian (post-doctorate student) and his wife Gillian. Ian and Gillian previously developed an international student ministry in Australia, and they have also worked with InterVarsity ministries overseas. Christine and Ajit are humble and faithful servants. For several years, they have prayed that God would open the door for a strong international student ministry thrust at Hopkins. God is answering the prayers of His servants! We invite you to continue praying that the Lord will use our efforts to point internationals to Jesus.

The ministry currently consists primarily in the building of loving friendships. Michele meets weekly with three women for conversational English practice or an occasional shopping trip. Two of the women are from Romania, and one is from Yugoslavia. The love and friendship between them has grown considerably. We shared Thanksgiving Day with these women, along with their husbands. They expressed gratitude for their American friends and for the opportunity to learn more about American culture. Each month the husbands of the women join their wives and other internationals for a dinner which is hosted by Ian and Gillian.

Bill Nelson, ISM Staff, John Hopkins U.

On September 2, I went to Bradley Airport to meet two sophomore Smith Christian Fellowship leaders. Jenn Han was arriving from her home in Korea, and Swan Park (who is also Korean) was arriving from her home in Peru. I took them to campus where we joined the other exec members. Li Mei (a senior from Malaysia) was finishing her week of leadership of the International Students' Pre-orientation program at Smith. For the first time, ISP students were given the opportunity to go to church on Sunday, and Mei got to take six eager international students to College Church with her! Exec member Jackie Wafula (senior from Kenya) arrived by bus from Virginia, and Beth Caton, sophomore from western NY, returned to us after a summer mission / study program in Central America.

The five exec members met overnight at our home on September 4-5, and we studied Titus together, gleaning characteristics of good leaders. We told stories of our summer adventures, caught up on the latest romances, and spent time in worship and prayer. Then we made initial plans for large group meetings for four small group Bible studies and for daily prayer meeting.

I am humbled that God has given me such wonderful leaders to work with this year; what a privilege and grace! These young women love the Lord, and they work hard, (four of them in English as a second or third language!) but they also enjoy having fun together. Each one had a summer of spiritual growth, and they are all eager to get started with the new year. How great is our God!

Hallie Cowan, Campus Staff, Smith College, NY