InterVarsity’s Urbana Student Missions Convention is known for inspiring students to overseas missionary service. But there are many more Urbana stories, including some that involve students who have come to America from overseas.
When the Vietnam war turned sour and the U.S. pulled out, thousands of Hmong allies were left to wage a losing war. Many fled their homes and became refugees. One family took the year-long trek to Thailand on foot, losing both a grandmother and a young daughter to starvation. The family managed to get to the United States and the eldest son, Cheng, eventually enrolled at Bradley University.
I was Bradley’s InterVarsity staffworker back in the early 90s. I had the privilege of meeting with Cheng regularly, watching him grow, and seeing him lead others toward greater faith in Jesus. When I left Bradley, Cheng had become the Chapter President.
Fast forward over 10 years. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chapter saw increasing numbers of Hmong students. With the leadership of a few key students, a small fellowship of Hmong students was established. This past November, InterVarsity sponsored our first Hmong Christian Leadership Conference, drawing Hmong students from all over Wisconsin. I had the privilege to be one of the speakers and to lead a Small Group.
It was exciting to see the openness of these students, many who were not yet Christians. I was amazed to listen in as one Hmong pastor helped students wrestle with the Shamanistic tribal religion of their families. He even brought in an elder of his church who used to be a Shaman priest!
For me, the most moving experience was having my old friend Cheng there at the conference. He had gone on from Bradley to get his seminary degree and is now a pastor at a Hmong church. On one occasion, I noticed something tucked away in his Bible. It was his Urbana 93 commitment card. Cheng explained that he had kept it in order to remind him of the commitments he had made.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw such evidence of InterVarsity’s transformative influence on his life. When I met Cheng I knew nothing about the Hmong, yet God gave me the privilege of walking alongside Cheng as he matured in faith. And then years later, I get to see God continue His work as He sends Cheng into the Hmong community to advance the gospel. It makes me want to fall on my knees in gratefulness and praise.
