Two hundred and one international students, representing 19 different countries enjoyed the 8th annual Hay Ride, co-sponsored by InterVarsity’s University of Wisconsin-Madison International Fellowship and Walnut Hill Bible Church in Baraboo, WI.
When members of the church first contacted Terrell Smith, InterVarsity staff serving international students, they indicated that they wanted to find ways to actively participate in InterVarsity’s ministry, not just give financially. The church already had a Hay Ride for their youth group, so they welcomed Terrell’s suggestion to include international students from campus. Now the church’s Missions team sees the Hay Ride as an important part of the church’s outreach in missions.
The Hay Ride gets congregation members involved in outreach and missions. Through conversations with internationals, church members are exposed to missions without going overseas. The Missions team organizes the event, from designing the welcome banner to preparing the food for students. The team also provides Bibles and Jesus videos in various languages, so that international students may have copies in their own language. Terrell recruits the internationals from campus and organizes volunteers from local churches in Madison to drive internationals to the Hay Ride, about 45 minutes away.
Students participated in various activities to develop relationships with one another. Students made caramel apples, played a game of volleyball, and enjoyed snacks. The Hay Ride wagon ran continually throughout the day around the farm. After a day filled with fun and fellowship, a wonderful dinner was served, including vegetarian dishes.
After dinner, Terrell spoke on Who is Jesus? He took a $100 bill and asked students how much it was worth and what they would be willing to sacrifice to get it. He crumpled it up and asked, “How much is it worth now?” After wadding it up, throwing it on the floor and jumping on it, he explained that the $100 bill is still worth $100, even though it’s messed up. Its value comes from its maker.
So, too, our value too comes from our Maker, God, no matter how messed up we are. None of the students were willing to sacrifice their lives to possess the $100 bill, yet Jesus sacrificed his life to save us. “We show how much something is worth by the sacrifice we are willing to make,” Terrell explained. He finished the presentation by drawing a simple diagram to illustrate how God gave Jesus to free us from the separation from God we experience due to our messed up lives.
Students filled out response cards indicating that they wanted to get involved in Bible studies with other international students; other students asked to talk with someone one-on-one to discuss their questions about God.
After the Who is Jesus? presentation, internationals were able to receive a copy of the Bible and the Jesus Film in their own language.
A graduate student from Tanzania responded, “Thank you and I pray that God will bless you. I received a Bible and Jesus movie. I will definitely join you in the Bible discussion.”
A visiting scholar from China said, “Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness! I got one Bible in Chinese for my daughter and one Bible in both Chinese and English for me. We’ll study them with my friends.”
Forty-five students received a Jesus Film in their own language; 41 received a Bible in their native language; and 17 international students said they would like to study the Bible with others.
On the drive to and from the Hay Ride in Baraboo, students had an opportunity to build relationships with others in their car. The event took place three weeks after the Tour of Madison for new international students, which was held at the beginning of the school year. Many students and drivers rode in the same vehicle to both events, which made it easier to build friendships.
Many of the volunteers return year after year to the Hay Ride. One of the drivers said, “We had a wonderful time once again with our internationals. We think of them as our kids and feel like we are establishing a warm friendship. We have tentative plans to share a meal together, and I envision many other opportunities to deepen our friendship and share Christ’s love with them. I loved the Bluegrass Band, and I’m planning to petition our pastor to have them at our church!”
InterVarsity chapter members on campuses across the country invite students to activities and events with the desire to build relationships with each other and with Jesus Christ.
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You can make a direct financial donation to support InterVarsity’s ministry to international students by following this link.
