Reaching Students for Christ he akonga ki nga akonga hei ara whakawhiti mo te Karaiti

The Kindness of Strangers: A brief encounter

Before I left the United States for my study abroad experience in New Zealand, I knew it was important for me to get involved with a Christian fellowship and be part of a strong Christian community. I looked up the sister movements of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (IFES in the United States) and I found TSCF, better still TSCF had a few groups at the university I was heading to - the University of Auckland. It seemed that the group best suited for me was the Overseas Christian Fellowship.  Through the TSCF website I was able to contact the group and let them know that I was interested in getting involved. Right away, Kelvin, who later became one of my best friends in New Zealand, responded and invited me to things they had going on over the summer. From the start, I felt so welcomed and cared for by this fellowship, and I knew that God would use this community to bless my time in New Zealand.

When I wandered around the quad during orientation week, I stumbled upon the OCF booth. It was raining, and I was using an umbrella, which I had brought with me from the States. The umbrella had the name of an American town on it and it caught the eye of a fellow American - Jane Pelz, who works with the TSCF groups in Auckland. She approached me and asked about the umbrella as it was a town not too far from where she had grown up. As we talked we could see we had much in common; it was as if God was providing a sign of comfort in a place where I felt so out of place. Throughout the semester Jane and I had lots of opportunities to talk, and I was so grateful to have someone I could share with. God used Jane to speak wisdom into my life; she loved and cared for me, and brought me comfort when I was in a strange place.

Through OCF God provided a community, and genuine friends. Though we have different backgrounds and cultural values, we are united in our belief in Christ. And that was enough for these strangers to include me in their lives, even though it was for just one semester. I was so amazed by the way I was welcomed and loved by the people in OCF right from the beginning. As I attended prayer meetings, Bible studies, church, and spent my Friday nights with these people, I was blessed by their friendship. What started as kindness to a stranger, turned into genuine relationships where we could share with one another how God has been and is working in our lives, and how our faith is growing.

In this community I learned a great deal about the value of diversity. We came from different countries - most of the students in OCF come from Malaysia or Singapore, whereas I am an American. We had different ideas about how to do ministry - though IVCF in the States and TSCF in New Zealand share the same vision and values, they work in different ways ‘on the ground’. As we exchanged ideas on how to plan a night for worship, and even how to celebrate, we learned much from one another. I enjoyed learning about and from my brothers and sisters in Christ who live on the opposite side of the world than me, but who worship and serve the same living God. It was an incredible experience to see how much we have in common, and how the love we have in Christ unites us.

During my time away God blessed me enormously. He provided for my every need, most evidently in providing such a loving Christian community, for which I will always be thankful and remember fondly.

Andrea Simnick