New York City is the No. 1 college location for international students who want to study in the US. According to US News and World Report, countries like China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and India send their best and brightest students to NYC schools like Columbia, New York University (NYU), Fashion Institute of Technology, and the Pratt Institute. NYU has the highest number of international students of any college in the US. There are around 64,000 international students currently attending college in NYC.
While these students often chase academic prestige and the ever-elusive "American dream", the Lord is clearly at work in New York City. Bridges International, Cru’s ministry to international students, is active at NYU and Columbia. Bridges reaches out to international students to help them adjust to college life in NYC and offer Bible studies and other spiritual resources. Both Christians and non-Christians attend Bridges gatherings.
Bridges hosted their first Easter Banquet at NYU and had over 40 students attend. Celeste, Bridges staff in NYC, said, “My favorite part of the event was having ‘Lily’ share her story of how she learned about God and decided to follow Him in front of a few of her friends and several colleagues she has never met before! I can’t believe the transformation God has made in her life and the eagerness she has to share. What’s more beautiful is seeing her talk with her friends after the event and seeing her friends more curious about God and 2 of her friends desiring to know more about a personal relationship with God!
“The Easter Banquet also allowed us to connect with a few more Christian international students we haven’t met before which is HUGE as we have been praying for Christians who are willing to help lead a movement reaching their colleagues.”
As we see God change the lives of international students, we also see God, through them, taking the gospel back to their home countries. God is reaching the nations through college students in NYC!
Robin and I will be in NYC from May 2-9 to hunt for an apartment! Please be praying for us. We hear that apartment hunting in NYC is very stressful and several people have said that they felt spiritual attack when they hunted for an apartment. Please pray that we will keep our eyes on the Lord as we seek the apartment He has for us. Pray that we will have a hedge of protection around us.
After our week in NYC, we will return to Memphis to finish raising the monthly financial support we need to be able to live and minister in NYC. We are getting close to reaching our goal, but are not there yet. Please pray that we will finish by the first week in June. That’s when we need to report to Colorado to help lead our Cru seminary and US Staff Conference.
We are thankful for your prayers and partnership with us in ministry. Together, we can reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ!
Yours in Christ,
Steve & Robin
