'Sharing the gospel is the calling of all Christians. I knew this was what God was asking me to do but I just did not know how to respond.'
This was Chris's reaction after he became a Christian at an evangelistic camp organised by SCF (the IFES student movement in Mauritius). Like many students all over the world, Chris finds it difficult to live out the good news of Jesus Christ in front of his friends.
SCF leaders want to align themselves with IFES Living Stones vision, to see students built into communities of disciples, transformed by the gospel and impacting the university, the church and society for the glory of Christ. So over the past year they set aside regular time together to pray and plan towards this goal.
The Mauritian students and staff are already seeing answers to their prayers as together they seek to grow in their relationship with God and show his love to others.
Emilie chose to work with SCF as a part-time volunteer staff before attending university. She writes: 'I could choose to follow the crowd, to look for more work experience and more interesting salaries in the secular world, but part of me knew that more was to be gained by choosing to experience what serving God really was. Those months spent under the supervision of Linda, the General Secretary of SCF, were a real life-training. I was corrected, shaped and moulded, which for sure at times didn't feel good. Yet, all these things proved to be worthwhile.'
Wendy, another student, shares how the training she received through SCF equipped her for God's call to work with high school students on the nearby island of Rodrigues: 'It is imperative for young Christians to be salt and light. This task is difficult, some would say impossible, but we know that with God nothing is impossible. Every day I count on his grace, I let him lead me according to his directives for it is he who takes care of his work.'
Didier, who walked away from God as a young high school student, came to an SCF meeting in Rodrigues. Afterwards he wrote: 'I realized then how much God loves us. I was so moved that I cried. I felt that I had to give everything to Jesus because He deserves it.' Now Didier has caught the vision to reach out to others and attends the SCF group regularly 'to have fellowship with other Christians and to be trained to let others know the wonderful Savior who is Jesus.'
Give thanks with us for the enthusiasm amongst staff and students in Mauritius to share the good news of Jesus. Please pray for all involved in SCF – for staff, for volunteers, for friends who give financial support and for students – as they show the world who Jesus is.
Pray specifically for six members of the movement as they attend an upcoming missions conference in Madagascar from 17-22 December. Pray that they will gain awareness of how being a Christian is not just about living a comfortable life, and that they will see the big picture of how they are part of God's kingdom. As they return home, pray too that they will be able to motivate others to answer God's call.
