Zack and Naomi Russell

This Big God

It’s not every day I (Zack) go to Daytona Beach (above, L), meet moonwalking astronaut Charlie Duke (above, R), and most importantly join 700 students from 60 nations. In other words, the Vision Conference was incredible!

“God is not just in our lives and our community, but He works all over the world,” said Andrea (pic. below). About her conference experience, she told us, “I saw people from different language worshiping God…the God of every tribe, every nation, every language. We are part of that big family that He has created.”

>> See the 1-minute highlight video! <<<

“I’m part of this big promise, this big God that loves all of these people from different countries. I love that about this conference, how people who have never heard of Christ come.” For many of the students in attendance, it was their first time to ever sing a worship song or see other people raising their hands to this God.

For almost all of us, it was our first time to sing in Swahili or Uzbek! One of the songs, “For this Purpose,” was translated into different languages each night and we learned together. It was a continually amazing, holy experience.

Discovering Their Destiny

Students were invited to write down their answers to these questions: “Who do you say Jesus is? What questions do you still have about God? What is your next spiritual step?” Their answer cards were put together to form a mural that spelled DESTINY, our theme.

As for Andrea, she said: “When I was not a Christian we were all in the darkness. My vision is to really reach out to those people in the darkness. That’s really hard in Malaysia,” she says, as Christians are a minority. “Some people get really in trouble if you actually share Jesus with them. But it’s something I think God is challenging me to do.”

Thank you for your partnership in reaching these students for Christ!

Praise Reports

•Vision Conference was a powerful time of lives being changed for eternity. At least 24 international students have come to know Jesus personally. Hundreds have heard the gospel clearly, learned many reasons why they can trust the Bible, and seen how the Christian faith makes sense.

•Andrea is getting a clear vision for her life as far as the work God is calling her to do.

Prayer Requests

•For the many other students who heard the gospel for the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time but have yet to take a step of faith. Pray that the seeds that were planted would be watered.

•Pray for physical and spiritual protection for new believers who are from countries that are hostile to Christianity.

Check out the highlight video I made about the conference!

Fishers of Men

“I’m just a country boy from Belton, Texas,” said Tony. “I’m not the most well-versed man, I’m not the most educated man, I’m not the most qualified man, Biblically, to tell people things. But my love for God is so unbelievably strong because He has shown me the rewards of trusting in Him.”

Update: watch this video of Tony and others to see the full story.

I (Zack) tried to hide my smile behind the camera as Tony shared all this. He was recounting a conversation he had with a college student from Pakistan, who we’ll call “Omar.” Omar was one of 150 international students from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and all across Texas that had come to Lake Buchanan for a Bridges Fall Retreat. Tony was one of many ministry volunteers that took students out “jug-fishing” on the lake (pictured above).

Explains Tony: “We take a piece of foam with a fishing line on the end of it and push three hooks down with bait, and we out and we harvest fish. But more importantly, as time goes, we harvest people.”

Of all the spiritual conversations he initiated, Tony was most impacted by his talks with Omar: “He felt so much love on the boat, that he was literally confused about why it was that he met us – individuals that love Christ. He asked me, ‘Would it be ok if you and I talked to God and ask God to forgive me for where I have been in my life?’”

This made Tony a bit choked up: “I’ve done a lot of amazing things. I’m very blessed, despite any hardships I’ve had. But having him hug me and call me ‘Uncle Tony’ shows me that Jesus died for a reason.”
In Bridges, we love to give people like Tony the chance to minister to students, like Omar, who have come here from across the world.

A Party in Heaven for Miah

One afternoon, Miah and I (Naomi) were working on her AWANA’s memory verse, Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Miah and I talked about what we “earn” for sinning is eternal death (spiritual separation from God). But the gift that God gives us is eternal life in Heaven. With great vulnerability, Miah said, “I’m not sure that I am going to Heaven.” Miah had prayed to “give her sins to Jesus” when she was three years old, but she didn’t remember it. So we talked through the basics of the gospel, and that this is simply a gift. All you have to do is take a gift. You don’t have to “earn” it or work for it.

Miah was ready to ask Jesus in her heart. So I asked her, “Miah, do you have sin in your life?” She said yes. So I told her to tell Jesus that. Then I asked her, “Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?” She said yes and told Jesus that, too. “Do you want Him to be your Savior and save you from your sins?” Yes! After she prayed there were tears…in both of our eyes. I told her that the angels were having a party in Heaven to celebrate!

She said with great joy, “Yes. They are celebrating because today is the day I became a Christian!” That evening, she, Zack and her sisters went to a kid’s worship album release party at our church (pictured above, in the header). She got to have a party worshipping Jesus with hundreds of other kids, just like the party in Heaven that was happening for her. She wants to get baptized soon as well.

Upcoming

Zack will be in Orange County, California from 10/25-10/28 for Cru’s Creative Arts Guild. It’s the annual gathering of “missionary artists” – designers and filmmakers on staff with Cru – to foster community and further our professional development.

Praise Reports

• 150 international students came to the Fall Retreat in Central Texas and heard the Word of God clearly.

• Miah clearly understands the gospel and received Christ!

Prayer Requests

• For effective, continued evangelism with Omar, and also for his safety as he looks more into Christ’s Word.

• For all the students who came to the Retreat to take the next step of faith.

• Miah to grow strong in her new life in Christ.

Bridges’ annual Vision conference offers you a strategic opportunity to touch international students with God’s truth.

Not just any Christian conference assembles 600-800 students from 50-60 nations—especially when half of those students arrive without a prior commitment to Jesus. Bridges’ annual Vision conference is unique and packed with spiritual potential.

This year’s Vision gathering will be held in Daytona Beach, Florida, from December 28 to January 1, and conferees will explore the theme of “Destiny.” Says Griff Housemeyer, the conference’s co-director, “These students are asking, ‘What is the meaning and purpose of life?’ and ‘What do I want my future to be about?’”

The conference will seek to deliver answers through a variety of small group discussions and evening plenary sessions.  And the first plenary will showcase one of only 12 individuals who has ever pondered the deeper questions of life while standing on the moon.

Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke, the 10th man to ever land on the moon, will describe his lunar experience and tell how he met Jesus six years after that mission ended.  Duke’s message on the evening of December 28 will dovetail with the next afternoon when students will have the opportunity to tour the nearby Kennedy Space Center.

Other plenaries will utilize videos, testimonies and perhaps drama or art to convey the truth of the Bible regarding destiny.  On December 29, says Housemeyer, “We want to help students understand God’s plan for the world.” Then on December 30, “We want them to see God’s personal plan for them as individuals.”

Aside from plenary meetings, conference sessions will be organized according to five tracks.  Chinese, South Asian and “Children of Abraham” tracks will provide contextualized teaching to both Christians and non-Christians from three major cultural groupings.  “Multi-Nations” will offer input to students from cultures not included in those first three tracks.  “Ambassadors” will provide training for Christians—international or American—who want to develop a ministry to international students.

Many participating students will be financially stretched by the $335 registration fee, so Bridges is seeking to raise scholarship funds to subsidize the cost of travel to Daytona.  Those who wish to invest in this fund can go to give.cru.org/0776598 for information and direction.

Article by Bill Horlacher, Bridges Staff at Penn State

Bridges’ global emphasis leads to summer projects around the globe.

Although some 1.3 million international students live in the USA, the global population of international students is much greater – about 5 million. Bridges International focuses on students in America, but the ministry does not want to ignore the others. Thus, Bridges periodically offers opportunities for staff members to grow in their awareness of what it is like to study and live in a foreign land.

As a result, Bridges has been emphasizing “global cities” during 2016. From last spring’s staff conference in Vancouver to next month’s leadership conference in Mexico City, staff members are experiencing other cultures.

This past summer, many staff members also broadened their horizons via summer projects in Sydney, Paris and London. While not neglecting traditional stateside outreach – for example, short “treks” took place in Boston, Raleigh and San Francisco – Bridges leadership wanted people to experience international student ministry in other lands and to give away their expertise.

“Our focus will always be on internationals in the United States,” says Chief of Staff Dan Tietz. “But as we look at these global cities, maybe we can help. Our goal is not to launch Bridges all over the world, but to come alongside partners and help them with a ministry they are already doing.”

INDIANS IN FIJI

Not only did Bridges staff members have an impact on global cities, but some also came alongside partners in lesser known places. In the island nation of Fiji, for example, staff members wanted to explain the message of Jesus to the 40 percent of that nation’s population that traces its heritage to India.

Though most Fijians grounds are open to the gospel, cultural differences hinder followers of Jesus from reaching out to the Indian population. Meanwhile, the South Asian Network of Bridges was seeking a place to train Indian Christian students in how to share God’s love with fellow Indians

So this summer, Ricky and Errica Stevens of Bridges took two international students to Fiji. Rick, from South India, comes from a background of atheism, while Sruthi grew up in the predominant religion of India. But today, both are passionate followers of Jesus, studying in the USA.

The team members found Indian students in Fiji to be open to the gospel. They had many opportunities to explain the gospel and even teach basic Christian principles to some who wanted to follow Jesus.

“One guy stood up and thanked us,” said Rick, a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island. “I was really knocked over, due to my New England experiences! How blessed it is to hear people thank us for sharing about Christ.”

CROSSING PATHS

When Bridges staff member Brian Ricci helped lead a team to Sydney, he met “Andrew,” a professor from a prestigious university in China. Shortly after they met, Andrew told Brian that while he had come to Australia to do academic research, he was really there searching for “the God.” The two became friends, and during the project Andrew placed his faith in Christ.

“I think the one true God brought me from China to Australia . . . and you from the U.S. to Australia,” the professor told Brian, “so that we could meet and you could introduce me to the one true God. I am so happy!”

Article by Bill Sundstrom, Bridges Staff at Penn State

Greeting new students well provides a strong start to the school year.

Fall is in the air! Football teams take the field, students return to campus and Bridges staff members across the country pour their energy into one of the most important activities of the year – welcoming new students. In fact, this welcome can determine the course of the entire ministry year.

Welcoming New Students

At 200+ university campuses across the country, staff and volunteers with Bridges International are welcoming new international students to the United States. Of the 1 million who come to our country, over half come from countries where Christianity has very little presence, and where conversion is often illegal.

As the 2016-2017 school year begins for these students, our first goal in Bridges is to help create a “home away from home” for them. We want to create a community that feels like a family to point them to God’s love. Bridges movements first make contact with students through events like a Welcome Party (above) or a university-sponsored Info Fair (below).

A Bridges staff and student leader are pictured here at an Info Fair table, where they tell new internationals about the purpose and activities of our ministry. Seen on the screen is a video that I (Zack) produced, which promotes a Bridges city tour. It’s here that students sign up for our social events as well as our spiritual gatherings like Bible Study and prayer groups.

God is Moving: Two Snapshots

At the University of Houston, Bridges staff discovered 80 new students that indicated some level of spiritual interest! There were also 10 Christian students who said they want to be involved in a fellowship. For the 7 student leaders, pray God will work through them as they initiate friendships and spiritual conversations with the 80 interested students.

At the University of Kansas (above), students gathered for a “Social Media Party” where they swapped info and connected with each other online. The KU Bridges team has been reaching out to Christian students (both International and American) to join them as “Ambassadors”…to grow in their walk with the Lord and share their faith with others. They have met 30 Christians, several of whom have great hearts and are ready to be a part of the movement. Pray that these folks become faithful co-laborers with Bridges.

Paxton Josiah

There have been so many answers to prayer surrounding our new little man! I (Naomi) was able to have a drug-free VBAC. We went into the hospital at 11:30pm and I prayed for a miracle, that Paxton would be born before 7am. He arrived just in time at 6:57am!
Our family passed around a horrible sore throat and fever virus for the first 6 weeks of Paxton’s life. We prayed that he would not get it, and praise God, he stayed healthy!

I fervently prayed that Paxton would be an easy baby, and that he would start to sleep for 6 hours a night at 6 weeks old. Praise God, he is a super easy, happy baby and is currently sleeping between 6-8 hours every night.

Upcoming

Bridges in Denver is having a Lamb Roast this week for Middle Eastern students, who will learn about Jesus as the Lamb of God. Bridges groups in Orlando, San Jose, Austin and many other cities will be going to their local Fall Retreats in early October. Students will be challenged to prioritize Jesus amidst all the other pressures of college life.

Praise Reports

•Bridges in Charlottehad a Bollywood dance party to connect with many new South Asian students at UNCC.

•Four East Asian nationals are now on the Boston team.

Prayer Requests

•Divine connections as we invite new people to join our ministry partnership team.

•Endurance for Bridges field staff in a busy time of year.

•Our adjustment to handling life with 4 kids.

We are so happy to announce the birth of our son, Paxton Josiah Russell. He was born on Sunday, July 17th at 6:57am. He weighed in at 8lbs 3oz and measured 21″ long. We brought him home on Tuesday.

Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

Thank you so much for your prayers for Paxton’s birth. God answered them, and I (Naomi) was able to have another all natural VBAC! I’m very thankful too that Miah and Annalei prayed every night that Paxton would not be a C-section. Miah was especially motivated to pray for her brother because she was in the NICU for 9 days after my C-section with her, and she didn’t want him to go through that separation from me.

This was my quickest and easiest labor, delivery, and recovery (another answer to prayer). I had been having mild contractions for several days, but at 5pm on Saturday they started to get more painful and consistent. So we went into the hospital at 11:30pm. If I were on the same labor schedule as Cassia, then Paxton would have been born at 5pm on Sunday. But shortly after I was admitted to the labor and delivery room, I prayed a prayer that I didn’t even fully have the faith to believe: that Paxton would be born before 7am. With Annalei and Cassia, I had needed pitocin because of a 5cm stall. But with Paxton, my body just progressed naturally and quickly…no 5cm stall. God answered my specific prayer, and Paxton was born at 6:57am.

Russell, Party of Six

Paxton’s three big sisters are so happy to have him in our family. Annalei (9) loves to hold him while standing and singing to him. “I like it when he makes little noises.” Miah (6) loves to cuddle next to him and watch his every facial expression. “Babies are so cute!” Cassia (2) provides our running commentary on Paxton: “Baby crying!” She also loves to yell, “Hold baby!” for her turn to sit next to him. They all love to spend time with him.

We went through such an ordeal with Cassia having jaundice after her birth, that Zack was motivated to pray that Paxton would have none. God answered Zack’s prayer, and he did not have jaundice. Two doctors, after examining Paxton, said he was “perfect”. We praise God for a healthy baby! We would appreciate your continued prayers for Paxton’s growth and health. Miah currently has a fever and sore throat (thankfully not strep). Please pray that Paxton would not get this. Fevers are extremely dangerous for newborns.

Thank you for your support of our family and ministry. We are so thankful God has blessed us with this new child and can’t wait for all the stories God will tell through Paxton’s life.