Newsletter   I   JULY 2003

IS YOUR HUT BURNING? The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened - everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It's easy to get discouraged sometimes when things appear to be going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.                                                                                                --Terry Tiberio, ISF Assistant

LETTER FROM THE ISF ASSISTANT Dear International Friend, Greetings to you from International Student Fellowship. The summer season is officially here and now that all the rain seems to be behind us here in the Pittsburgh area we hope you will enjoy the warm summer weather we have all been waiting for. For anyone outside of this area it has been a very rainy spring and a few weeks ago we actually experienced a tornado in the surrounding region. When the funnel cloud touches down including the top of the trees it is considered a tornado. Although it doesn’t happen very often it causes a lot of excitement and it is very interesting to hear the accounts of those who saw it or felt its effects in their neighborhood. We thank those who came to the last gathering to hear Mr. Stonebraker speak and give tribute to his wife Ruby who passed away in June. She had a great impact on many lives and now she is enjoying all the wonderful things that Heaven has to offer to those who believe and trust in Jesus. It is a goal that each one of us can aspire to. We will be thankful for all eternity that we gave our life to Jesus. We hope you were able to join in the Fourth of July celebration where you live. It is a wonderful summer holiday and helps us to remember the privilege and responsibility that freedom brings to us. It is very difficult for us to say goodbye to those who move from Pittsburgh. While you have the opportunity to attend an ISF gathering we encourage you to do so. It means so much to us to be able to provide an evening for you where you can feel as though this is your home away from home. So we will look forward to seeing you at the July gathering. This gathering will be on Friday, July 18th at 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. As always there will be a challenging lecture, good music, wonderful fellowship, a full course meal for you to enjoy and of course there will be children’s activities in the Kurtzman room. And remember it’s all free! We hope to see you on July 18th at 7:30 PM.                                                                                                       --Terry Tiberio, ISF Assistant