[I'm the staff guy from the United States. My Dutch is good enough to write the title, but not the post itself. Try me this time next year.]

It’s an interesting situation for a foreigner—being invited to help a national ministry (Ichtus Vlaanderen) grow in evangelism and upon arrival in Belgium knowing only a little more Dutch than your family dog (actually, how smart is your dog?). There are moments when I don’t feel very helpful, but I have my eyes open, and I’m listening to Ichtus students and staff the best I can. (Jammer dat is soms 1 or 2 worden per zin…I do know a little Dutch). What I’m seeing and hearing is God at work. When I listen to a student telling me about the isolation they experience as a Christian student in his/her area of study and the longing to see classmates and friends come to faith in Jesus, or when I hear about open kringen in various cities, or when I watch students and staff talking about next year’s Marcus Project, I recognize God is way ahead of me. He’s working in your cities, your Ichtus groups, and your hearts. Can we have faith to believe he’s also working in the hearts of your friends and classmates?

While I watch God at work in you I also keep my eyes open for my opportunities to do something. For me it is relationships with neighbors, other parents at my children’s school, and my own classmates in Nederlands Tweede Taal, niveau 2. It is a pleasure to talk to you and other college and university students about the Bible, that’s why I’m here. But there are also other people that I see several times a week. In just a little over a year from now I’ll be done with language classes and then I’m sure God will have many more people crossing paths with me. But for now I want my friends from Turkey, Morocco, South America, Ukraine, and elsewhere to have a chance to know Jesus because of me. When I visit your university or college ask me about those opportunities and I’ll tell a story or two.

That’s the experience of one expatriate American Christian living in Gent. But is it really so different for you? I hope you’re experiencing God at work. He’s ahead of you, too. Rejoice that he is doing something in Ichtus. Maybe you’re leading an open kring or maybe you know someone who is. Maybe you are one of those students talking about your friends who need Jesus or planning on being involved with Marcus Project. Or maybe you’re just beginning to think about evangelism. God is doing something in people’s hearts and for any of you who don’t think you’ve been invited to work with him let me officially say, please join us in reaching your college or university, your city, and this land for Christ. And along the way, don’t miss the opportunities God has put in front of you. And when I visit your university or college maybe I’ll ask you to tell me a story.