{"id":17,"date":"2020-05-07T08:16:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T07:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifes-ministries.local.versantus.co.uk\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2021-07-29T15:51:07","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T14:51:07","slug":"vision","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sobremesa.ifesworld.org\/en\/vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Imagine if every international student met one friend who truly loves Jesus.
Imagine if that friend was you.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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There are over 5 million international students scattered around the world on nearly every campus\u2014even yours! Though some may have been welcomed, some may have gone unnoticed, and some may have even been hurt by those not welcoming them.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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But what if we were the first to welcome? When the world says You are a foreigner<\/em> what if we said You are my friend<\/em> ? What if the transformative power of God the creator and Jesus the Savior could be on display in us through something as simple as friendship? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Our vision for Sobremesa is to remember and celebrate the hospitality of God by extending that hospitality to international students. Through Sobremesa, we hope to reflect the character of God, to join God in His mission and to pursue the growth of God\u2019s global church. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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IMAGINE…<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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If every student reading this extended the love and hospitality of Jesus to one international friend, how many lives could be touched?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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KNOWING GOD<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Did you know that hospitality is deeply rooted in the character of God? We see this when He reached out to the Israelites when they were sojourners in a foreign land. We see it again when He reached out to us while we were still sinners and adopted us as His children. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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He didn\u2019t show us this hospitality to make the gospel more appealing. He offered hospitality simply because that is who He is.<\/strong> God is love. It is His nature. As children of God, we are called to reflect His character and extend the same hospitality that was once extended to us. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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JOINING GOD IN HIS MISSION<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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God is at work in our world to make His name known! It is not a coincidence that He has brought students from all over the world, including regions where access to the gospel is limited, to our campuses. He has called us to live out our faith and take part in His mission to share the good news.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Every time we extend a welcome, every time we make a friend, every time we have a conversation about the gospel, we testify to the loving nature of God and the salvation that comes through Christ alone. In a world where fear and distrust are on the rise, this is an even more powerful statement of who God is. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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growing god’s global church<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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International students are a gift from God to grow His global church. What an amazing opportunity to learn about God\u2019s love for all people and experience God working in and through us! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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As we build genuine cross-cultural friendships, we get the chance to taste God\u2019s creativity and experience the beautiful diversity of nations and cultures. We get to see first hand that God is not just God of our own communities but God of every nation, every tribe, and every tongue.<\/strong> We get to witness God at work through us! As we welcome students from other countries into our fellowships, our fellowships can grow into a reflection of God\u2019s new humanity: a people of all people. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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