ATLANTA – For the wife of a professor at Mississippi State University, Diana Bridges is an avenue to God. Almost every time she and Bridges talk, the Muslim woman asks her friend to pray for her. “God listens when you pray,” she told Bridges.

With a call to missions that began at the age of 13, Diana Bridges has a heart for internationals. She was commissioned as one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel in 2007, after 10 years of working with internationals through the Baptist Student Union at Mississippi State, and serving concurrently for seven years as the director of Crossroads International Friendship House, a ministry focusing on the needs of international families in Starkville, Miss.

For a small college community, Starkville has a substantial international population of close to 1,000 individuals. Mississippi State has more than 600 international students from more than 70 countries, including India, China and Korea.

When internationals arrive in the United States they often need help orienting to a new community and culture. Bridges has taught English classes at the university, led weekday ministries for family members, hosted Bible studies, helped parents get their school-age children involved in soccer or other after-school activities and accompanied women who were nervous about going alone to doctor’s appointments.

“The heart of my work is building relationships in the international community, meeting the needs that I’m able to meet, sharing my faith as I share my life,” said Bridges, a native of San Antonio, Texas. “Many of their needs decrease with time, but the need for friendship and a sense of community doesn’t. The level of trust that develops over time allows for the fullest sharing of the gospel.”

At one of Bridges’ conversational English classes last fall, Sun, who is from China, told the group, “You all have a God, and I would like one, too.” Bridges took the opportunity to invite Sun to join her Bible study, and soon Sun was attending church regularly with Bridges. During the Christmas season, Sun read the entire Bible. By spring, Sun had accepted Christ and was baptized on Palm Sunday.

“She then moved to another state,” said Bridges. “But the last time I heard from her, she was teaching Bible school in a Chinese language church.”

A partnership with World Neighbors Association, a local organization that provides opportunities for internationals to share their cultures with the larger community, has helped connect Bridges not only with internationals, but also with Methodists, Presbyterians, and others who share her desire to build friendships across cultures. The organization hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas events, as well as a spring event called “International Fiesta,” held on Mississippi State’s campus. According to Bridges, it’s the international community’s biggest event of the year, with more than 1,000 people in attendance.

Bridges encourages churches that are interested in reaching out to international populations to contact local colleges and universities. She said many international students look for volunteer conversational partners.

“Try to figure out what’s already going on first, to avoid unnecessary duplication” said Bridges. “Look on the university’s Web site for international activities and learn about the population before you start planning.”

Bridges dreams of growing a network of Fellowship Baptists and partner churches who are committed to intercultural ministry.

“We all need to take a look at the numbers,” she said. “There are large concentrations of international students in states where CBF has a sizeable presence. Texas, my home state, has the third highest number of international students and Florida is fifth at 31,000. These numbers don't include visiting scholars or family members, so the number is really much higher. If we want to raise a new generation of intercultural ministers, we don't need to go far. We just need to open our eyes.

“CBF’s paradigm for ministry is a world without borders. Churches can be part of that paradigm by supporting the Offering for Global Missions, but also by getting to know internationals in their own communities.”

To learn about partnership opportunities with Bridges or resource for ministering to internationals, contact Chris Boltin at cboltin@thefellowship.info or (800) 352-8741.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who are a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.