On the Friday afternoon of University Orientation Week I met Chinese international students Susan* and Tess* in, what seemed to me, unlikely circumstances. It was a cold and rainy day, most of the exciting O-Week activities had finished, and to top it off, the EU barbeque had run out of sausages. Nevertheless, the idea of trying an Aussie sausage sandwich and making new friends drew Susan and Tess to the EU tent, where I started to engage them in conversation about their first impressions of Sydney.

As the conversation turned to the EU, it became clear to me that both girls had received little exposure to Christianity in China, and had only heard of Jesus through movies! It was exciting to be able to share the Gospel with them for the first time, yet it was challenging to explain it in terms they understood. This prompted me to invite them to join an Explore Christianity group that I would be running throughout Semester One; where together we could explore Jesus’ claims in the Bible.

It’s been eleven weeks now, and I still meet weekly with Susan and Tess to read the Bible together and explore what Jesus has done for us. Throughout the semester we’ve even picked up other international students who want to learn about Christianity, and together we’ve been able to investigate what it means for Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour.

It is obvious that at Sydney University we have a great opportunity to share the Gospel with thousands of international students who have never heard it before, and it often starts with us simply reaching out to them as friends. Please continue praying that more students like Susan and Tess would be reached with the news of Jesus, and would accept him into their lives.