Newsletter   I   JANUARY 2004

FACING THE TRIALS IN YOUR LIFE In 1895, Andrew Murray, a Christian of great faith, was in England suffering from a terribly painful back, the result of an injury he had incurred years before. One morning while he was eating breakfast in his room, his hostess told him of a woman downstairs who was in great trouble and wanted to know if he had any advice for her. Andrew Murray handed her a paper he had been writing on and said, “Give her this advice I’m writing down for myself. It may be that she’ll find it helpful.” This is what was written: In time of trouble say, “First, God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this difficult place: in that I will rest.” Next, “God will keep me here in His love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.” Then say, “He will make this trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace he means to give.” And finally, say, “In His good time He can bring me out again. How and when He knows.” Therefore, say, “I am here, by God’s appointment, in his keeping, under His training, for His time.” THE EAGLE When the time comes, an eagle stirs up the nest and turns her young ones out into mid-air compelling them to use their wings. In a similar manner, God allows many a human heart to be disturbed by troubles to bring about an urgent sense of their need for a Savior. GOD’S MEDICINE No pharmacist ever weighed out medicine with half as much care and exactness as God weighs out every trial He dispenses. Not one gram too much does He ever permit to be put on us.                                                                                                --Illustrations of Biblical Preaching

LETTER FROM THE ISF ASSISTANT Dear International Friend, New Year’s greetings to you from International Student Fellowship How quickly time goes by and we find ourselves facing a New Year with all of its challenges. As you face the New Year and think about the events that have taken place in 2003, we hope you will take time to reflect on the providence of God in your life. No circumstance or obstacle is too big for God and no situation too insignificant that God does not know and understand all about it. Hopefully, one of your New Year’s resolutions will be to want to know God in a deeper and more personal way than you did in the year 2003. Why not try keeping a daily record or journal to record how God has worked in your life? At the end of 2004 you may be surprised as you review all that He did for you. One new thing we would like to do in our monthly gatherings is to help the International children celebrate their birthday. In the past my wife has tried to remember them with a card by mail. In this New Year, we would like to do something different and have a gift for every child in attendance that has a birthday that month. We could all join in singing “Happy Birthday” to them and make their birthday a special event. So remember, if your child has a birthday in the month of our gathering please come so we can celebrate together. We look forward to seeing you at our January ISF gathering at the William Pitt Union. This is a good way to warm up on a cold winter night with our ISF family. This gathering will be on Friday, January 9th, 7:30 PM in the beautiful Ballroom of the William Pitt Union. The William Pitt Union is located in Oakland on the corner of Bigelow and Fifth Avenue. To get to the Ballroom, use the entrance on Fifth Avenue and then follow the signs. There will be an interesting lecture, a full course meal and the children’s activities in the Kurtzman room. Come and be a part of our big International family and invite your friends. It’s all free! We hope to see you on January 9th!                                                                                                       --Terry Tiberio, ISF Assistant

ISF CHRISTMAS GATHERING (December 5, 2003)