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Coming to University can be quite a stressful experience, especially if it’s the first time you’ve lived away from home, but what if it involved moving to a completely different country, thousands of miles away?
As members of the Christian Union, part of our responsibility is to be concerned for international students. It’s a task we all enjoy as it gives us the opportunity to meet and form friendships with students from different backgrounds and learn about other cultures. We organise events so that international students can get to know each other and us and of course to have fun!
Some international students may be Christians or want to find out more about Christianity whilst here at York. We would love to share with you our own personal testimony of our faith in Christ Jesus and/or talk to you about your own beliefs. All are welcome to any of the Christian Union meetings . There will also be a Discovering Christianity Group, beginning in October especially for International Students which explains what Christians believe and gives an opportunity for discussion on these issues.
We also have a contact scheme which arranges for international students to be linked with a British family here in York or a student here at the University.
If we can be of any assistance whether it be advice on local churches or simply having a chat, please contact us:
Ruth Newnham (rean100@york.ac.uk)
Danny Filice (dmf102@york.ac.uk)
Gillian Pang (mhgp100@york.ac.uk)
Meg Ono (mo102@york.ac.uk)
Having grown up in a Christian family and become a Christian at the age of six, it was quite a shock to find myself in japan. At first it was just the little things which seemed different; bowing had become almost natural, and I had mastered the art of using chopsticks rapidly, out of necessity! It wasn’t until I had been there several months that it hit me. I was living in a society that had a fundamentally different way of approaching life. What if everything I had assumed to be right, was wrong? What if Christianity was just a product of Western Thinking? I sat down, took out my Bible and prayed. It was there, totally isolated from any fellow Christians or Christian teaching, that I felt God’ s presence, perhaps more perceptibly than ever before. my faith was not some religious rhetoric which had been drilled into me, it was and is, a personal relationship with the living Lord Jesus.
Coming back to England was hard. “Reverse” culture shock is worse, because you feel out of place in your own culture, which is very disconcerting. It took me a while to adjust and sometimes relationships were a struggle, but God gave me the strength to persevere. The friendship of other Christians was a great blessing, as they supported and encouraged me in my faith. God has taught me so much during my two years at University, but perhaps more importantly I have come to know the reality of God’s promise never to leave me. Even when I deliberately rebel He is there, patiently waiting for me to turn back to Him and seek Him once again , with my whole heart, so that He can continue to bless me. praise the Lord!
I want to praise God as I look back at this trying, yet rewarding first year that has passed. In October last year, I stepped into this University filled with excitement and anxiety as I wondered what lay ahead. Having flown half-way across the world from Singapore, and living away from home for the first time, I was homesick within 5 days. the first week of term also proved to be a real culture shock as I experienced for the first time the social life in pubs, which I call the pub culture. Being immersed in a totally culture was so terrifying.
But soon enough, I began to meet lots of friendly people here and through the Christian Union, got to know many lovely people, including international students. I also discovered that York has many thriving churches and it was wonderful to see that so many people love the Lord. But above that, I want to testify of God’s marvellous love. For He knew my every need and took such good care of me. he granted me strength when I needed it and never failed to encourage me to press on. Well, at the end of this academic year, I can only say that I really praise God because He is so, so, so good!!!
When I was in the fourth year at uni in Japan, I started to wonder the values in our culture and doubts of my values were getting stronger. I couldn’t find the plumbline of our lives. I found myself in vanity. I was asking myself, what is the purpose of life? Why am I living like this now in this world? If had disappeared all of a sudden from this world, no one, only my family would notice. How important is my existence? I had gotten lost and didn’t know how to take a step forward.
The previous year, when I was in the third year, I met an American missionary guy on campus. It was the first time that I talked to a ‘Christian’ in my life. I was indifferent to Christianity and had no idea what the Bible was about. Through the missionary I met a pastor and his family. I was so scared to be with them when I found out they were all Christians. I thought I’d made a bad turn, for I felt that meeting with Christians was something really wrong. However, there was one thing remaining in my heart; the Christians were different somehow. I’d not known people like them before. While I was talking with them, I didn’t feel like “I am a stranger to them” I felt so comfortable.
One day while I’d been wading around in despair, one of the missionary’s friends who, I’d met at the pastor’s came upon me, asking how I'd been keeping since he had last seen me. His greetings made me break down in tears. I couldn’t help but pour out all my anguish. After he had listened to me without question, he gave me some verses from the Bible and I read them. When we departed I was brought into a small peaceful moment. I started to read the Bible from then. Even though I didn’t understand what it said very well. I found something in there which I’d never known and yet I’d been looking for: The truth. I knew the words in the Bible were the truth. I wanted to know more about it and live in hope. Love for God overwhelmed me and I believed in what Jesus said.
My parents and relatives are strongly against me, however the hope which I’ve found has never let me down.
In 1996, I was in the middle of a plan to go to the US to study further, but that way was cut off and I found that a way to come to the UK was opened. I didn’t intend to and I didn’t want to come to England because I didn’t have any friends here and I thought it wouldn’t be the right place for me to come. Finally I trusted in God, holding on to the Scripture: “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desire of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this” (Psalm 37:4-5) So I came over to York.
I’d begun to pray that I would meet at least three types of Christians in York; elder ones who are able to teach and help me to grow in Jesus, Kindred ones who are standing at the same stage so that we can encourage each other closely and younger ones whom I might be able to help grow.
Wow! Yes, God’s guided me to meet the people I asked for and more than that, I’ve met so many friends and been supported and encouraged. I every area of my life in York, such as study, friendship etc God has provided me with wonderful things which I didn’t expect to get.
One thing I’ve come to know since I came here is that having a relationship with God is not doing something extraordinary or something special. I used to think that being a Christian was just going to church and attending some fellowship.. But living my life, taking every single breath is in my relationship with God.
Praise God for He is good and His love endures forever!
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Last modified: 25th November 2005