SAMS Missionary,  Dr. Mary McDonald, put her mission experience and enthusiasm into an outreach ministry near her home in Blacksburg, Virginia. Mary regularly mentors veterinarian students at Virginia Tech and asked a couple of her mentees to help her start an Alpha course for some of the international students at Virginia Tech.

Students from Muslim, Atheistic, and other non-Christian backgrounds came together with Mary and her helpers each week for 10 weeks to explore basic tenets of the Christian faith, eat a meal together and form a community. Mary opened up her house and farm to host the group for a special weekend of friendship and learning about the Holy Spirit.

This ministry is growing, and Mary’s passion for reaching international students has helped launch a new missionary network. The Anglican International Student Mission Network (AISMN) is a new initiative which all Anglicans are welcome to join! Mission Networks, an initiative of New Wineskins Missionary Network, allow people who are interested in a particular type of mission to collaborate, consult and conference together in an intentional and on-going way that will exponentially increase our missional effectiveness. Leiton and Lisa Espineli Chinn, ISM global consultants and AGMP Missionary Partners, and Dr. Mary McDonald will be co-leading the ISM mission network and can’t wait to welcome you to the first official AISMN gathering this May 31st!

Perhaps you are wondering how you could befriend someone from another culture from right where you live. Find out more at the AISMN gathering. Click here for more details and how to register.