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Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:18

It’s an odd feeling, that first time in your life when you experience true loneliness. For me, and I suspect many others, that first experience of true loneliness came during college. A couple of weeks after my parents dropped me off, the newness and excitement wore off. I settled into a routine of classes and homework, only to be struck with the realization that I knew no one and my community was a long 8-hour drive from me. 

College is a time of learning, growing, and changing. The further one goes from home, the more pronounced that change can be. In 2024, international students made up 6% of college students here in America; this equates to roughly 1.1 million students. International Students Inc. (ISI) is a religious non-profit that seeks to reach these students with the love of Christ by meeting their needs while they are in college. Their mission is “to share Christ’s love with international students and to equip them for effective service in cooperation with the local church and others.” MCC partners with their branch at UNM campuses, where ISI offers a range of services that provide these students with community and other practical resources. Their welcome center is located just off the UNM campus, and is where students can have free lunches, get help locating housing, and sign-up for other services. Ultimately, these services are used to show the love of Christ.

One of the services ISI offers is to help students find community through joining a Home Group. These Home Groups consist of 20-30 international college students meeting weekly at a volunteer’s home for food, games, and discussion. Students can choose from a discussion about culture or the Bible. ISI will also pair students with volunteers who sign up to be Friendship Partners. These friendship partners are individuals or families who offer to share their lives and form a genuine friendship with a student. 

Beyond Home Groups and Friendship Partners, ISI volunteers pick up students from the airport, open their homes for temporary housing till a student can move into an apartment, donate furnishings for apartments, help with English language classes, and set up group activities like Bible studies. Through meeting the physical and emotional needs of students, ISI can build relationships with students from all over the world and open doors to share Christ. Their impact is felt not only in our local UNM community, but in communities around the world as these students return home bringing the Gospel with them. 

If you would like to volunteer with ISI, you can talk to a member of our Mission team or contact ISI ABQ directly through their website. Be praying for:

• Volunteers to set up a third home study group
• Students from the Middle East, as the current conflict intensifies 
• Current volunteers have opportunities for gospel conversations with students.