During this time of travel restrictions and extra precautions, many mission-minded students are feeling stuck. How can students engage the world when there seems to be a wall in every direction? Global events in recent years have brought people from closed countries into places where they are more likely to hear the gospel message.

On Saturday, February 27th, the Student Missionary Fellowship partnered with the Global City Mission Initiative to host Our World in Philly. This day brought students into the city to see how God has brought people from all over the world to Philadelphia. This event served to open students’ eyes to the thriving international community in the city. Students took a bus into Oxford Circle and Rhawnhurst, where they first observed the diversity of the area. Everyone spotted business signs in Chinese, Arabic, Russian, and even Hebrew, among several other languages. This segment emphasized the importance of paying attention to things which may normally be passed by without another thought. Then, students engaged in a quiet prayer walk. Everyone prayed for perceived needs, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and blessings upon the immigrants and their countries of origin. In the middle of the day, students stopped for lunch at Al-Sham, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant with authentic ethnic dishes, such as shawarma and kibbeh. I recommend the lamb shawarma sandwich! Al-Sham is unique because its employees come from approximately five different countries, and English is their common language. People from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and several Middle Eastern countries come together here and form a successful business. 

After a flavorful meal, everyone gathered for the final portion of the event. For this last segment, everyone paired up and explored the neighborhood, speaking with immigrants and hearing their stories. Students aimed to get to know the people around them, seek spiritual conversations, and reflect Christ in word and deed. One pair spoke with some women and inadvertently revealed that both of them were Christians, a fact which they never realized. Another pair spoke with a Korean woman and heard her immigration story. She was eager to share facts about her culture, and quickly introduced the pair to K-pop. 

In the age of COVID, students can still have an eternal impact on the world. While these efforts may look different than they have in previous years, there is an abundance of new opportunities. Philadelphia is home to a beautiful and diverse population, and many of these people have not heard the gospel before. Global City Mission Initiative is always looking for students to serve with them. If you are interested in working with them, you can reach out to Gabriel Brazle at gabrielbrazle@globalcitymission.org.