T h e y r e a c h o u t to s tu d e n ts f r o m o v e r s e a s to b r in g th e m to C H R IS T . . .
Within weeks, more foreign students made their way to this home, where they always found a wel come and a happy, relaxed atmosphere. The Red dings felt that these contacts were a seal of ap pr val on their work with foreign students. In September, 1968 they joined the staff of Inter national Students, Inc., an evangelical organization dedicated to establishing and strengthening a Christian testimony among all nations. The financial condition of foreign students ar riving in America varies greatly. Some come with meager finances. Eight young men from Tibet are among those whom the Reddings are helping earn their way through college. These students were allowed by the Indian government to take only $8.00 each with them when they left the country. Today they cook and serve seven-course Tibetan meals to Americans eager to sample authentic Tibetan food. They also sell handmade Tibetan rugs. In 1959, these eight young men were among thousands of Tibetans who were forced to flee their homes in Tibet. Their country was under Com munist rule and they could not withstand the op pression and brutality. Led by the Dalai Lama, they traveled 1,000 miles across the Himalayas to refuge in India. Seventy teen-age boys migrated to the mission school which the Reddings had established in India. Here they received instruction in academic and Biblical studies as well as in the English language. Last year the Reddings helped sponsor the immi gration of eight boys in order for them to have an opportunity for higher education. These students look forward to returning to their own country. One of them states, “Meanwhile we must concen trate our study in fields enabling us to be practical and helpful to our countries when we return.” Articles concerning these young Tibetians have been carried in newspapers across America. “Ti betans Cooking Their Way Through College.’ and “Students Use Cooking Art to Pay Way” appeared in the Los Angees Times. A man in Iowa read about how the boys miss yak meat. He had thirty pounds of yak in his freezer that he wanted them to have. After a short time, the boys were enjoying yak meat a t their table. Redding points out that one-sixth of all foreign students in America are located in California. One- half of the leaders of Red China today were once students in the U.S. He says, “The pages of his tory would have been different if American Chris tians had gone out of their way to help these Chinese officers while studying here.” The philosophy which the Reddings employ in their outreach is that of a person-to-person con tact. Redding says, “Our program is to make friends and to influence students for Christ. We have a friendship program that goes ‘beyond
by Marjorie Larson
HE cablegram said that Tom was dead. It hardly seemed possible to Elcho and Millie Redding that the young Chinese college stu dent who had been in their home only a few weeks earlier would never visit them again. Tom had returned to his home in Brazil where, within days, he had been kidnapped by bandits and slain. Two of Tom’s best friends, Pat and Mike, had remained in California to study at Santa Ana Col lege. It became the Reddings’ task to console them. This is typical of incidents which confront the Reddings daily, for they have dedicated their lives to serve students from overseas that they may win them to Christ. Elcho and Millie spent many hours with Pat and Mike in their Orange, California home. The incident was tragic and heart-rending but Tom was not without hope. He had heard the gospel many times in the Redding home and had respond ed favorably. Pat and Mike found consolation through God’s Word. A year and a half ago, the Reddings returned from missionary work in India where they had served for 18 years under The Evangelical Alli ance Mission. Unable to return to India, they asked the Lord to provide a way in the United States by which they might serve people from abroad, especially students. Their consuming interest in India had been student work. They settled in Orange County. One day, while looking for a store, they drove into a gasoline sta tion to ask for directions. The attendant was a young man from India, John Komanapalli, a grad uate student at Chapman College. The Reddings soon discovered that he was the nephew of some of their dear friends in India. John was homesick to hear of his people and to converse in his native tongue. He visited with the Reddings in their home.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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