College is a time for questioning and forming beliefs. As Christians, we somewhat fear that for our children. We hope by the time they reach college we have done our jobs to give them the right tools to stand by what we have taught them. Without those tools, they can be easily led astray by other students or professors. I have seen it many times and it saddens my heart to see the enemy working so hard against God's children.
In international student ministry, though, we get a chance to hit back at the enemy. Most of the international students we meet are in the same position; questioning what they believe and what they have been taught. As we get to know them, we learn where they doubts are and we can address them with the truths of the Gospel. Addressing these doubts can be very persuasive.
One such student is Umut, from Turkey. In our many conversations with Umut (he likes to be called "Turk"), we have learned a bit about both him and Turkey. Turkey is a Muslim nation, but is considered a secular Muslim nation. That simply means that, while most follow the rituals and letter of the law, it does not truly impact their lives. This definitely describes Umut.
Umut is like so many Christian young people. He does not see the relevance of his faith to his life. We are hoping over the next several months to show him that, while Islam isn't relevant to his life, Christianity is. His heart seems firm, but not completely hardened. We are praying the Holy Spirit will use us to soften his heart and that he will see just what Jesus can mean to him.
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