Biba in Portland

Biba is a veterinary science student from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Between June and August she lived in Portland, Oregon at our “1748 House”, an international student and young adult intentional community house. Biba shares her “Portland Story” here, an experience typical for many of the students we host. “The 1748 House” is just one aspect of our work under the Chi Alpha Campus Ministries organizational umbrella.

“Lee just prayed to receive Christ!” Kathy brought the report following her Thursday night women’s Bible study. The group had been meeting each week for the past few years. Lee (name changed) was one of the women attending who had moved in to our ministry house last June.

At any one time 3-5 international students and ministry staff constantly live in our home. We simply call it “The House”, but it is much more– a refuge for students when they first arrive in the U.S., a place where 50 or 60 international students gather for an informal dinner or party, home away from home for students living on campus that want a place to check in from time to time or to hang out with a family.

Nine years ago, a Foursquare family, Yvonne and Emory Huschka took a step of faith, allowing us to move in at a greatly subsidized rent. The House is located close to downtown Portland and Portland State University in one of the city’s most desirable areas.

The first weekend after we moved in a ministry team from Korea stayed with us praying through the 4 floors and 8 bedrooms. Originally this had been a notorious neighborhood drug house– now it is a place where visitors comment often about the warmth and love they feel here. The first year or two it was common for us to find yet another syringe in a rafter or in the grass. Neighbor after neighbor would stop by with the exact same greeting, “We are so glad you are living here!”

In nine years we have had students, scientists, and scholars live with us from China, Korea, Germany, Russia, Denmark, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Japan, and France, not to mention countless students visiting from more than 25 nations.

The House is a critical though sometimes little known aspect of our ministry in Portland. Saint Augustine once wrote that, rather than persuading men through theological argument to convert to Christ, he would simply challenge a stranger to live in his home for one year to demonstrate the gospel in daily life.

Last week, Lee discovered the power in a home dedicated to God when she responded to Jesus.

“Do you serve foreign students out of obedience or out of love?” Al–, a young Muslim graduate student asked a question overflowing with significance.

No one knew for sure what would happen as we invested every Friday night through the Fall building relationships with foreign students studying at Portland State. Many students each week crowded into the small church basement across from campus.

In addition, our staff poured hundreds of hours into simple acts of service and friendship: moving students, looking for furniture, cramming the furniture through the world’s smallest halls and doorways, finding an apartment, arranging stays with American host families, pairing up conversation partners or just “hanging out” for an afternoon.

Al– participated in our activities quietly over several months… and watched. On a well chosen Friday night he pulled us aside to pop the question, “…obedience or love?”

In his life’s experience, Al– observed the law of the Koran because he was told to. In his mind, “obedience” was the foundation of Islam, which means “submission”. Love or affection for God has little to do with this. In fact, fear was always his primary motivation when it came to understanding or serving God. Now he confronted the reality of his own worship– empty and meaningless without this aspect of love.

Was it the same with Christians? He wanted to know.

That night we shared the answer. Our service comes out of our love for Jesus. Before that, it flowed first from God’s love for us. Obedience to “love the foreigner in our midst” is the expression of that relationship with Christ and the Father.

“I made you prove you knew God by testing your lives…”. Al– made this new comment more than a year following his question about “obedience.”

Now he is a regular part of the International Student Fellowship meeting in our home. Since arriving at PSU he closely scrutinized many Christians over two years living out their profession to Christ.

Two weeks ago, Al– confided to me, “I now am considering myself a follower of Jesus… I have prayed to ask God for the kind of relationship you have with him… It all started as Al– made the Friday coffeehouse a regular part of his week.

Starting with three or four students last year, our Sunday night International Student Fellowship has steadily grown. Each week averages about 14 students from 10 countries who come for dinner, followed by worship and Bible study. Half of the students are not Christian, coming from Buddhist, Muslim, New Age and other non-religious backgrounds. They return faithfully each week knowing that they will be welcomed and loved. From September 1st, a Japanese and a French student have come to Christ!

There is an incredible openness as many of you have committed to pray for us and the international students of Portland State University. Students have even begged to come to our other mid-week Bible studies. We’ve not seen this kind of response since beginning ministry at Portland State in 1990! Please continue to pray for even greater favor and fruit in the work.

…At one point in the conversation, she declared, “I am a baby Christian…” She can’t really put her finger on the exact moment it happened. Tei did tell us, “…before, I always felt I was standing outside a gate, but now I am standing inside with you and Jesus.”…

“Can you help me with my English?” Tei asked in her first email to me. It was August 1995. We had just completed mailing email to each of the 7,000 student account subscribers at Portland State. Tei, a senior from Taiwan answered looking for help for her classes. We exchanged email for the next few weeks getting to know each other better. At that time Jayme joined our staff becoming Tei’s conversation partner and friend.

I finally met Tei face to face later that Fall. Her huge smile made her immediately stand out from the group of Chinese students surrounding her. That December she graduated with a marketing degree. Nervous about her future, she again emailed asking for prayer to find a good job for her university practical training sequence. Almost the first day out she was hired at an export firm.

That month she started attending church with us Sundays as well as our International Student Fellowship. Each week she asked us to pray for various needs. After a while we noticed Tei began to pray out loud also, things like, “Thank you God for giving us a place we can learn about Jesus…”

July 7th, Jayme drove Tei home from an international student picnic. At one point in the conversation, she declared, “I am a baby Christian…” She can’t really put her finger on the exact moment it happened. Tei did tell us, “…before, I always felt I was standing outside a gate, but now I am standing inside with you and Jesus.”

…”In your home, everyone is happy… Your son is happy he makes me laugh… your husband is happy… all your children are happy… even your dog is happy!”

Many scholars and scientists hear of God's love for the first time in Portland

Li (name & photo changed) joined our household two years ago.

In 1992, the Lord provided our family a huge eight bedroom house close to the university. Since that time, we have shared our home with up to five internationals at a time.

Expecting to meet a student researcher, we were surprised to see Li arrive, an older woman from Communist North Asia who had little use for spiritual things.

We were even more amazed to discover our house guest was a world-class scientist. She recently had left the United Nations working with nuclear energy research in Monaco to open a new laboratory near our home.

We rarely saw Li as she would leave for the lab by 7:00 a.m. and return home around 11:00 p.m. When we had opportunities to talk, we could always tell the Holy Spirit was drawing her to himself. This time, she told Kathy about her life and friends. She concluded observing, “In your home, everyone is happy… Your son is happy he makes me laugh… your husband is happy… all your children are happy… even your dog is happy!”

Finally Li asked the ultimate question, “What makes you so happy?” Kathy shared in a moment the Gospel.  Li chuckled a bit, leaving unconvinced.

Last Spring, more than a year after that conversation, Li stopped, mentioning to Kathy, “Everyone I see tells me that Jesus is very good… I have started to read my native language Bible each night before I go to sleep.”

Tonight Li just now popped in. In two weeks she will move out to be with her daughter.

“I don’t know what to do anymore… Nothing is working… I don’t know if God can help me… but still everybody I talk to tells me about Jesus!”

Li wept as Kathy shared the Gospel, this time marking scriptures to read in her Bible which pointed the way to Christ. After explaining how to receive Christ, Li left for her room and evening Bible reading saying, “As soon as I pray this prayer I will tell you.”

Pray with us for Li, representative of a large number of North Asian scholars, researchers and scientists we minister to.

We trust Augustine was right when he taught, if we would have someone be convinced of the reality of God and salvation through Christ, we should invite them to live in our home observing our life for a single year.