Life-on-life with international students
Six years ago, Navigator Noeun Non was sharing his heart for missions with Charlie Sillavan, the first Navigator heād met. āI thought I was impressing Him with being called to a certain people group and country, and my willingness to serve,ā Noeun remembers.
āCharlie, much older and wiser, his hands shaking from Parkinson’s, said calmly, āDonāt be committed to a people group, or a country, or a organization, or a church. Be committed to Christ and making disciples wherever you are in life.ā He was not impressed with my self-perceived spiritual fervor, and eventually, I had to admit God wasnāt either.ā
Years later, these words follow Noeun and his wife, Tiffany, as they work with international students at Auburn University through International Student Ministries (ISM).
āWhen you start talking about performance, commitment to The Navs, commitment to a program, or to certain people group, thatās all temporal,ā Noeun says. āThose things are good, they keep you focused and give structure, but theyāre not the end-all. God can certainly put a people group on your heart, but Christ must be the ultimate focus.ā
Three years of building relationships with international students at Auburn has taught the Nons a lot about the relevance of the lived-out Gospel. Theyāve learned that a life simply surrendered to Jesus translates better than any program. It walks through cultural walls. It ventures below the surface, inviting students into deep friendship, where they can process their heaviest burdens and questions. Relational Revelation
Relationship has a simple powerāa God-designed ability to bridge the human-designed chasm between āusā and āthem.ā The Nons take relationship seriously because relationship is their studentsā first language.
āMost of the cultures these students come from are very relational,ā Tiffany says. āSeeing real life and how it plays out, how a life surrendered to Christ looks, resonates. Itās much easier to show them Christ through everyday life.ā
That means shopping trips, Friday night dinners, gatherings at student apartments, oil changes, 5k races, and Chinese New Year celebrations. It means meetings without a stopwatch.
āI remember meeting with a collegiate minister when I was in college,ā Noeun says. āWe had an hour, and that was it. When I meet with students, itās rarely an hour. Their sense of time is relational. Itās about the person sitting next to you. You canāt just schedule them in.ā
Promise and Potential
Many Christians think they need a passport to join the Great Commission. The Nons love to engage believers with international students, opening their eyes to glorious opportunity.
āThe nations are here,ā Noeun says. āThere are more than 80 nations represented at Auburn. Theyāre open to new ideas and want to learn as much as they can here.ā
Interacting with masters and doctoral students means tackling deep subjects with heart and mind fully invested. A common topic is the struggle to see God in both creation and science. Auburn is world-renown for its scientific research, drawing students at the top of their fields.
āTypically, the two things you donāt talk about with people are politics and religion,ā Noeun says. āBut those are the two things these students are most open about.ā
The Nons engage both subjects organically, drawing from news, history, and personal experience to inspire meaningful dialogue and soul-searching.
āA lot of these students will play a big role in their countries,ā Noeun says. āWe have a huge opportunity to reach and connect with future international leaders.ā
Plan to Process
For many international students, the road to faith in Christ is fraught with risk. Some face being disowned or demoted. Others face physical danger.
āTheir culture, their religion, and their family are all one,ā Tiffany says. āItās a big challenge. You have to understand where they are coming from and you need to be sensitive. Otherwise, you can close doors really quickly.ā
For most, the journey takes time.
āWe might not see them make a decision, but weāre part of the process that God is using,ā Noeun says.
āI think I learn about God most from the Bible,ā says Backer, a student involved in the Nonsā group. āAnd most learning of the Bible is from Noeun and Tiffany. Because of the relationship with Noeun, I can discuss with him about God almost anywhere, anytime. But as a friend of them, I see with my own eyes how they live a life as directed by God and reminded by Jesus. I think the most important thing is not to push, but to help.ā
āTo me, God was just a supernatural existence before,ā says Caroline, another international student. āHowever, according to what I have learned from my relationship with Noeun and Tiffany, I get to know that God has made them to be full of love by forgiving all their sins, and that they want to deliver this love to others, like me, by treating them as their family.ā
The students are watching. Watching for examples. Watching for God.
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