KIN - CONNECT - Gospel Impact Stories

More Than a Mission Trip

7/18/2022

2022 n05
Carrie loved going on mission trips, but with small children, it was almost impossible to travel to another city—much less another country—even for a week. Amy was already praying about starting an adult English program. When these two friends talked, Carrie realized she could “scratch the itch” of cross-cultural missions without using her passport.

Facebook Absence Leads to Presence in Heaven

4/14/2022

2022 n02
Adult English students pay attention to their teachers even when they aren’t in English class. Often, they also pay attention to what their teachers are not doing.

A few years ago, shortly before Easter, Mo (a Muslim man) Facebook messaged his English teacher, but she didn’t respond. The next time Mo saw her, he asked why.

Phoebe Knows

8/3/2021

2021 n08
Phoebe knows the feeling. She’s been the one who didn’t understand, the one who didn’t fit in. She’s been the one on the outside of a joke, laughing anyway. She knows how it feels to constantly miss your grandparents, your favorite foods, your big city.

All It Takes Is an Invitation

6/1/2021

2021 n06
They begin each adult English (ESL) class with prayer and a short testimony or devotion. When Dale’s turn came, he told the students about how Jesus changed his life and how church was important to him. Then he asked each student, “Do you have a church home?” Some go to the Catholic church down the road, and one is Jehovah’s Witness, but some don’t have a church home—including Nancy.* So Dale asked Nancy a follow-up question: “What would it take to get you to come to a white person’s church?”

A Simple Invitation

12/8/2020

Christmas is a great time to invite someone to your church!

2020 n18
“Can you go to any church you want?”

It wasn’t the question Sandy* expected that afternoon in her car as she drove a couple of adult English students home after a Christmas tea party at their teacher’s home. The two women were interested in how Sandy’s family celebrated the holiday, and Sandy mentioned that they always went to the Christmas Eve service at their church.

They Only Had a Year

3/10/2020

2020 n05
The Grandmother was a Christian from way back. We can imagine she had been praying for years. Perhaps she even prayed her son would meet Christian men and women in the US when he brought his family to Knoxville for a year.

One year: that’s all the time this Korean husband, wife, and two daughters had before they returned to their home county.

ESL? What is That?

2/4/2020

Sally with her "awesome friends"

2020 n03
The photo album on her phone is called “My Awesome Friends.” She held the phone so we could see as she swiped through picture after picture, pointing to each person as she named them.

“I was an old lady sitting in a Sunday school class listening to stuff I’d heard for 50 years,” Sally Martin began. Then someone asked for volunteers to help with ESL classes two days per week.

Christmas Eve at Church

12/17/2019

2019 n26
It started at a culture class Christmas party.

Well actually, it started almost a year earlier when a Christ-follower began a class to help internationals understand American life.

But it became obvious at the Christmas party.

God’s Kingdom Flowered

11/26/2019

2019 n24
Walking the streets of a small city near the Syrian border, Jani prayed, “God, I’ve been here five times. The people I know…are in the same situations as two years ago. I don’t see any fruit or any way their lives are getting better. If you won’t let me move here, why have I been here five times now?”

Read more to learn more about Jani and how God raised her up to be KIN's Executive Director.

Jani with internationals after an English class

What Are You Good At?

10/7/2019

2019 n20
“The Bible tells us that God gives everyone gifts and talents. He also tells us to share our gifts and talents.” Every student was listening intently and taking notes as our culture class instructor began the class. She continued, “What are you good at?” The students took a moment to respond. For most of them, it’s counter-cultural to talk about oneself in this way.

Watch God work!

God is at work through KIN in metro Knoxville! Explore these stories of churches, volunteers, and others representing Jesus among our international friends and neighbors. You may recognize a situation or place.

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