Photo essay: Introducing international students to Christ

Students (from left) Sarah Schultz, Rachel Wagner, Rachel Walker and Bekah Zimmerman sing with Kari Walker (back row) during a Feb. 21 Vespers service at Luther House in Minneapolis. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

Story by Megan K. Mertz

Photos by Erik M. Lunsford

On the edge of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, campus in Minneapolis, there’s a little Lutheran oasis where students gather to play games, eat, laugh and study the Bible together.

Luther House — a former sorority house-turned-bed-and-breakfast — is home to University Lutheran Chapel, a congregation of 140 members with an active campus ministry led by the Rev. David Kind.

Kind is assisted by Rebecca Wagner, an LCMS national missionary through the Synod’s Mission Field: USA initiative.

Wagner focuses on outreach to international students, bringing not only genuine friendliness to the role, but also the ability to speak Mandarin Chinese and Russian.

This unique combination helps her bridge cultural gaps and make friends with many of the international students.

There’s great opportunity to share the Gospel at the University of Minnesota, since the Twin Cities campus hosts nearly 6,500 international students from 130 countries. Almost half of those are from China.

“Fortunately for us, a lot of people who might not be able to hear the message of Christ in their own country are coming here, where they can ask as many questions as they want,” Wagner says.

“That’s the reason I said yes to Pastor Kind when he asked me to take on this role. It’s a wonderful chance to share the Gospel with Chinese students and people from Muslim countries. You can’t pass this opportunity up.”

Read the full story in Lutherans Engage the World.