Returnee Bible Studies - A Story Of Celebration
It is with great delight we share another example in our Success Stories Series! This example comes from our Friends International Centre in Manchester – This example shows how strong relationships have been an essential element in creating these stories we hope you will also feel inspired by:
Sabine, Manchester’s Centre Team Leader writes of how they have enjoyed celebrating frequent returnee Bible studies with several Chinese young women and one man who were studying for their master’s degree just before and during the early days of Covid and lockdowns.
When the international students left to return to China, they were keen to continue studying the Bible with me. Two people couldn’t join us for work reasons, but the rest of us would meet up every Wednesday at noon UK time, to catch up with each other’s news, to study the Bible and then to pray for one another.
Over the last two years it has been wonderful to watch how this group has developed deep and trusting friendships with each other. No one has been left out. There have been all kinds of challenges including difficult work relationships, long hospitalisation after falling from a wall and breaking bones, difficult relationships with parents, sadness about not being able to come back to Europe for PhD studies, trying to find new ways to make a private business more successful etc.
Throughout all this the group has been supporting each other exceptionally well in prayer and with continuing encouraging words. As their relationships grew over time, I could also discover that their relationship with the Lord grew and still keeps growing. Officially only one was a Christian (named “C”) at the beginning of our study but recently one of the other girls prayed a prayer of commitment with me (named “X”), which was so exciting. The others are not far behind, and I am praying that soon the whole group can say “We love and serve the risen Lord”…!