International Student Track Reports
God's blessing to the nations
Greg Steward
I don't tend to be overly emotional. But during Sunday's General Session of the International Student Track, as the worship team launched into the first song,
over 700 international students leapt to their feet and started singing in full
voice; and I felt a wave of emotion sweep over me. I begin thinking about what
was causing this.
My first Urbana was in 2000 and, by God's grace, I was able to experience it as a full participant even though I had a job to do. Between Urbana 2000 and Urbana 03 I have been continuing my work as part of an international student ministry team in Portland, Oregon. As we engage internationals on campus, we invite them to consider the God who has revealed his glory through the pages of history and scripture, both in word and deed. We invite students to consider God's kingdom and his purpose for them. And by God's grace, we have with us this year three internationals that have come to faith in the past two years.
So my Urbana experience is different this time. This time I am imagining what it must be like for these new members of the kingdom to be a part of Urbana and especially as participants in the International Student Track. When they came to the United States, they thought of themselves primarily as Chinese, or Taiwanese, or Thai. But when they became followers of Jesus, they became citizens of another more enduring country. As Lisa Chinn reminded us on Sunday morning, "our citizenship in the kingdom of God trumps every other citizenship." I can't help but believe that this is an encouragement to their faith as they meet so many others from all over the world that have declared their allegiance to the King and their citizenship to be in his kingdom.
For the first time, Amm, from Thailand, has been able to pray with other Thai believers in her own language. For the first time, John, from China, has stepped up to the plate to be a small-group Bible study leader. For the first time, all three have had the experience of worshipping with over 700 international believers from more than ninety countries.
As I looked over the crowd and saw people from so many nations declaring their allegiance to the King whose kingdom endures and to see my international friends taking their place as members of that kingdom, I was overcome with the goodness of God and with the surety of his promise to bless the nations.
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