Return to El Oasis!

Alumni re-connect through events at Santiago campus ministry

Graduating from college usually means leaving your campus community behind, but the Globalscope team at El Oasis in Santiago, Chile, is always looking for ways to keep their alumni connected to the ministry, according to campus minister Brent Vokes.

“Many of the people who graduate and leave El Oasis still live and work in the city of Santiago, so we want to put more focus into re-connecting with them and offering opportunities to be involved in the ministry,” said Brent. “So one week in November we held a social event for them to re-connect with one another at El Oasis. A few weeks later, we invited them to participate in putting on our Thursday night event by helping with the food, music, and other parts of the service.”

During the Thursday night service, team member Andres “Frizz” Valencia interviewed a couple of the alumni about their experiences in El Oasis, and asked them to share how God has shaped their lives.

“Gianfranco shared his experience of arriving at El Oasis as an agnostic,” said Brent. “In time he came to believe in Jesus, was baptized, served for a year as an intern in El Oasis, and is now preparing to serve in the Globalscope campus ministry that will be planted soon in Montevideo, Uruguay.

“Kathy came to El Oasis as a Christian,” he added. “She spoke about how the community of El Oasis was a support to her in her walk with Jesus, and of her experiences inviting her university friends to come to hear about Jesus. Frizz was actually one of the people who came to know Jesus after being invited to El Oasis by Kathy!”

The team was happy with the response to their re-connection events.

“It was a great experience for the alumni to get back in touch with old friends and to worship with us again,” said Brent. “And it was also good for the students to see people who have moved on from El Oasis but are still continuing to serve and follow Jesus where they are now.”

Semester in Thailand was “an incredible journey!”

Austin Daily was a Globalscope exchange student in Bangkok, Thailand, from August to December 2014. He served on the staff of the Grapevine campus ministry. Here he shares his reflections on his experiences, made possible by donors who partnered with him on the trip:

A couple of weeks ago my time in Thailand officially came to an end. As I have tried to process what all God has done this past semester, one thing keeps coming to mind: God has each one of us on a unique, just-right-for-us path. Looking back on my life, I can see glimpses of how God was able to use all kinds of circumstances, events, and people to change and mold me into whom I am today.

I am just so thankful for how, even if only for one semester, I was walking along a similar path with so many amazing and wonderful children of God. I can hardly express what a blessing it has been to be a part of my Thai friends’ lives, to get to know them and to be able to share their joys and struggles. My time in Thailand and all the friendships that I made are now an integral part of my story; they are things that God has used to grow me in powerful ways.

God did more during my last month in Thailand than I ever dreamed possible! In the midst of students wrapping up the semester and studying for final examinations, God provided ways for campus ministers Mark and Princess Bernadino and me to still spend some amazing quality time with them. One student went to church with Mark and Princess for the first time the day before I left! Another student, who just graduated at the end of this past semester, told me while we were studying together that she is so grateful for the Grapevine community and that it has helped her find joy in her life again!

As I transition back to life in the U.S. and at Georgia Tech it is hard not to feel like things are returning to “normal,” and before I know it I will unthinkingly sink back into my old habits and the grind of engineering classes. But I think nothing could be further from the truth. God is still moving and active in my life. And my prayer is that He would continue to reveal His living Presence to each and every person I met in Thailand as they, too, continue on this incredible journey we call life.

We are looking for young, passionate Jesus followers who want to meet international college students and be part of a dynamic community that points those students towards Jesus.

We have a big need for staff and interns who are willing to serve for a year or longer in Bangkok, Thailand, and in Salamanca, Spain. Both of these ministries are well-established but need more staff to join the ongoing work. Both ministries also have a heavy focus on relational evangelism and one-on-one discipleship. There is a special need for young men to serve on the team in Spain.