“….and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

I love this passage. It was the shepherds living out in the fields that got to experience the first Christmas. While working, they were visited by a host of angels proclaiming a message and an invitation to go find Him, the Babe lying in a manger. They went! They found Him and His mom and dad, in fact everything the angel said was true. Then, they left the Babe, and went back to their responsibilities of shepherding sheep, but as changed men. They gave God the glory for the great privilege of welcoming to earth His precious Son, the Savior of the world.

To be challenged to “go,” to witness the work of God, to let your life be changed, and to give God the glory is what we humbly try to be about at Students International. By bringing students and the poor together cross-culturally to encounter God, share the Good News, disciple and serve others, we see students and the poor transformed into the likeness of Christ and discover their true calling. It is what we desire to be about. Jesus is the transformer. Changing the lives of simple shepherds who are called and have the desire to “go” is still the message for us today. The testimonies we receive from team leaders and the country directors continue to encourage us that God’s work increases through the partnering of humanity with His Holiness. Thank you for your partnership with Students International, and at this year’s end, please consider making a financial contribution for the continuation of this work.

All Glory and Praise to Him,

David Hansen