Coming Full Circle

Last summer, I sent out my first email newsletter update with a front page article about a group of students from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan. They came to Washington State University in order to study English in an intensive, six-week-long course. Well, this summer, a new group from ICU came to WSU, and I got to have some hands on experience helping them learn English. One of the Chi Alpha staff members here, Weston, has seen God open many doors for ministry within the community of international students at WSU. He learned of a volunteer opportunity that involved watching American films with the ICU students and discussing the content with them in English, to develop their vocabulary and critical thinking skills in our language.

So, for a little over two weeks while this volunteer opportunity was available, I spent time in a hot, stuffy classroom with about eight Japanese students and a few other native English-speakers and watched "The Incredibles" and "Despicable Me" on a dilapidated projector. And let me tell you, it was worth every minute! Though we did not talk much about spiritual topics in class, I was able to share a little of my beliefs as a Christian outside of the classroom at a weekly barbecue for international students held by various local churches at a park. Several of the students were very open about discussing morals, ethics, and related philosophical matters.

The picture above shows this new group of ICU students out for a weekend excursion at the Moscow, ID farmers' market. Along with the group's two leaders (third in back row and far right), a fellow Chi Alpha student (far left) and I were invited to join the group at the farmers' market. I hope and pray that the connections we make while the group is still here (which is only for one more week) will be fruitful for God's Kingdom.

Reach the U Institute: Learning to See Opportunities

The above picture shows the 107 attendees of last month's Reach the U Institute (and yes, you can find me in the 2nd row from the front, 6th from the right). Though my time there was comparable to trying to drink water from a fire hydrant, I did say I wanted to share with you some of the lessons I learned from this conference. So, here is one of those lessons.

Sharing the Gospel with people does not need to be complicated, hyper-spiritual, or even difficult. All we have to do is have a heart that breaks for the lost, and be obedient when an opportunity comes along to share the message of Christ with people. However, I have found it hard to recognize those opportunities at times.

Imagine my surprise when, at this RUI conference, I met a few Chi Alpha interns from campuses on the East Coast who have found a unique opportunity to share the Gospel with students who play an online computer game called "League of Legends". They meet students who play the game, invite them over to their Chi Alpha ministry houses to play the game with them, and then when these relationships start deepening beyond the game, they share their testimonies. Already, one student has come to know Christ through this ministry, and another student is close behind, God-willing.

What I found remarkable about this story is that I myself play League of Legends as a hobby, but I had not really considered it to be an opportunity to minister. Once I talked with these fellow interns, I decided that I would attempt to make my time playing League of Legends more eternally valuable. Imagine my excitement when, just two days ago, I met a player online and began chatting with him about some pretty serious subjects.

This virtual conversation turned all too real yesterday, when he admitted to a legitimately suicidal attitude and told me that all he had to live for was getting good enough at the game to become a professional player. I asked God to give me wisdom and guidance in our conversation and prayed for the Holy Spirit to encourage this player, whom I only knew as his in-game name, "InfinityX".

We chatted for another hour or so, during which time I was able to share my faith in Jesus as the primary motivation to live and find joy in living. He told me that he was also a Christian, but did not think that his religion was as much of a motivation. So, I challenged him to ask God to be present with him in times of emotional stress, and see if it works. He said he would do that, and the next time I chatted with him online, he thanked me for the advice, and also mentioned that now he can play League of Legends without falling victim to the fits of rage that used to plague him.

This player and I have exchanged first names, and I hope to continue getting to know Ryan better and sharing more of our lives together through this opportunity. As I take a step back and look at this situation, I have to laugh because I see God's sense of humor even as I witness His love and sovereignty. This specific opportunity to help someone grow in his relationship with Christ could not have happened without me learning to seek out every chance I can to share my faith.

Please pray for Ryan, as I continue playing League of Legends with him, and hopefully develop to a point in our relationship where I can disciple him as a fellow believer, not just a fellow player. He says he attends a church in his hometown, but from just a brief chat about his church, it sounds suspiciously cult-like to me.