A total of 19 student representatives from various universities and 4 staff members participated in the East Asia Regional Conference (EARC) organized by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) in Bangkok, Thailand from July 3 to 9. Students have had many insights and gains from this experience. Let’s hear what they have to say:
Theme of this year’s EARC is “Voice Matters”. We are surrounded by different voices in our daily lives, but what voices are important? What voices are being ignored? We called out slogans at the opening ceremony. In the session “Standing in the Gap”, we introduced our student movement in Hong Kong. And in the session “Voices of Students”, we communicated with each other every day, to voice out the current situation and needs of each region. We also listened to the testimonies of other movements, worshipped, meditated, and listened to sermons with students from different regions to hear the voice of God. EARC not only encouraged me to learn more about the situation around the world, but also reminded me to interact more with the people around me. May God help me to bring this inspiration back to my church and fellowship. Amen.
Kiu, EdUHK student
As a second-generation Christian, I have been learning how to be a “good Christian” throughout my growth. I tried to follow the principles of various faiths – to be kind to others, to forgive others, to serve actively – but I felt tired from time to time. When I reflected, one of the reasons was that I placed my hopes in my own actions. I also realized that I had never dared to embrace the love of others and of God, and could not imagine that this kind of “unconditional, non-demanding love” was given to me. In addition, I was also worried that if I gave up because I was tired, it would lead to failure in serving the Lord, and I would be a bad witness. This made me even more anxious, and I didn’t know how to return to the peace of the Lord.
However, in the EARC, probably because everyone around me was enthusiastic, or simply because it was God’s timing, I was greatly moved by the hymns on the first night of worship. The lyrics described how God had walked with us in our past lives, as both a father and a friend, through both the good times and the bad. Another song talked about how Jesus had died on the cross to wash away my sins. It was the first time I had felt God’s love and redemption so clearly. This EARC experience was like a date with God, allowing me to listen and see God’s work. It also helped me to proclaim with greater confidence that I am a follower of the Lord—a Christian.
Charis, HKUST student
During this EARC, I experienced a very impressive and touching scene. Twice a day, we had Standing in the gap, where student representatives from the two countries introduced the situation in their own countries and shared the challenges of evangelism. On the sixth day, during Standing in the Gap, representatives from Hong Kong and Taiwan shared updates and prayed for each other. Although I had watched the video introducing Hong Kong many times while editing it, I could not hold back my tears when I watched it on site for only about ten seconds. The lyrics coupled with the images instantly released my sense of powerlessness in recent years. The team members next to me patted my shoulders to comfort me, and during the prayer session, more team members patted my shoulders and prayed for me and for Hong Kong.
Although we have had to face these emotions alone in Hong Kong in recent years, I felt that at this EARC, students and staff from different countries were walking with us, willing to pray for us and accompany us out of the darkness.
