Fall Orientation

This week is orientation for the international students. I was able to meet a student from a central Asian country on Monday, and it was exciting to make a new connection. It is interesting how secular he is, and he seems to think that everyone from his country is equally secular. He and his wife got married at the same age that Jenny and I got married, and I hope that might be an area of common ground that we can begin relating around. His wife is still in their home country, and they've been apart for 2 months now. She hopes to come to the U.S. soon. What an adjustment to make! He is in a new country without his wife and child.

Montgomery County Fair

"Earnest" and I went to the Montgomery County Fair last night, and it was a great time of fun, food, and great conversation. It is the month of Ramadan, so neither Earnest or I ate until after the sun went down. It was a challenge for both of us not to eat for the first 2 1/2 hours we were there, walking by turkey legs, bbq, and funnel cakes. While we were sitting at the Monster Truck Rally that was at the fair, we talked about how fasting works in Islam and Christianity, the purpose and impact. It was a great conversation that emphasized the fact that Jesus' death is a free gift from God.
If you would like more information on how to pray for our Muslim friends during the month of Ramadan, check out 30 days of prayer.

Afghan Lunch and Green Tea

Yesterday, "Neil," my Afghan friend, and I went to eat at a local Afghan restaurant near our house. After that, we came back to my house to have some delicious green tea that Neil had given me last fall. It is so exciting and rewarding to be able to show these international students a little bit of hospitality in our house because that is exactly what they would do if we were in their nation. Did you know that only 10% of the international students that come to America to study are ever invited into an American's home? Hopefully we can increase those numbers one student at a time.

New Students Arriving

We are beginning a new semester, which means that more international students are coming to the University of Maryland from all around the Muslim world. I've met two guys from Turkey, two guys from Indonesia, and a couple from Saudi Arabia as I have been volunteering at international student orientation over the last couple of days.
I hope to connect with the one of the Turkish guys that I've met, and hopefully, I can build a relationship with him that will allow me to share the gospel in a clear, understandable way with this new friend. He is from Istanbul, which is in the Northwest of the country. It is a beautiful city that spans two continents.
One of the fun things about interacting with people from Turkey, is discussing that their country was the place where Christianity flourished, and that many of the first churches were born in their land. They are often oblivious to this fact, but it makes them proud that I admire their country and want to visit.

Great Book on Islam

One of the books that I have been reading over the last few weeks and have recommended to several friends is a book called Muslims, Christians, and Jesus by Carl Medearis.

http://www.amazon.com/Muslims-Christians-Jesus-Understanding-Relationships/dp/0764205676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263305403&sr=8-1

It is a great book that has some phenomenal introductory information about Islam, and addresses many of the fears and concerns that Christians have in reaching out to Muslims including Jihad and women in Islam. One of my favorite sections lists all of the places in the Qur'an that it talks about Jesus (useful info). It's a small book that's easy to read with lots of stories. I'd love to discuss the book with you if you get a hold of it.

Hike Report and the Next Hike

Here is a picture from the last hike. We had a great time with 15 internationals, and it was a really exciting time to be able to just relate to these students away from campus.

We are going to be going on another hike this coming weekend. It should be a lot of fun. We are going to hike around the Maryland side of Great Falls, which should be a lot of fun. I've heard from several people that it is a challenging hike. We hope to have a great turnout this next weekend like we did with our last hike. I'm hoping that several of my Muslim friends will be able to show up for this one, to have a great natural way to deepen relationships in a very casual, informal setting. I hope to post a picture from this next hike as well.

Appalachian Trail Hike Outreach

I, along with several other guys who work with int'l students have begun a Men's International Adventure Club at UMD, meaning we're going to go hiking and similar things with international students several times a semester. Our first event is this weekend. We're going to hike a 7 mile section of the Appalachian Trail, and we've got 12 students signed up, 3 or 4 of which are Muslim students. Two are some friends of mine that I met this year at orientation. It will be a really fun time of hiking, deepening relationships, and sharing life together. I'll post a picture or two of the event on Monday.