Tim and Elisa Skinner
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS INC — Los Angeles, CA, USA
Tim and Elisa Skinner joined International Students, Inc. (ISI) in March 2022, bringing prior missions experience overseas and the USA. They married in 2011. Our work as campus staff at University of Southern California in Los Angeles is mostly with international students from India and China who are open to hearing the gospel. About 60% of these students are from regions of the world (10/40 window) that are least evangelized, closed to the gospel. We enjoy working with volunteers.
ISI exists to share Christ's love with international students and to equip them to serve Christ effectively. ISI missionaries 1) give international students the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel and 2) disciple them in their faith to prepare them for future ministry.
Both Tim and Elisa have a passion for mission. While Tim was majoring in Bible and Church history/mission at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas, he engaged in a five-month internship in agricultural mission in Thailand. His Master of Theology thesis at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary described leprosy missions in Thailand. As a Bible college librarian, he taught Church history courses, including missions history.
Elisa has worked mostly as an accountant (CPA). After her short-term mission in the Philippines, she completed her Certificate in Bible at Columbia International University (CIU). She served with SIM USA as a church planter among the Maguindanaon Muslims in the Philippines in the 1990s. Returning to CIU for an M.A. in Christian Education led to a job as the seminary's Assistant Controller. Her degree in business administration has been an asset in her missionary career.
Both of us began our enjoyable experience with international students decades ago. Elisa volunteered with ISI in Los Angeles, CA and Columbia, SC. As a fellow student, Tim worked with international students at Ottawa University, Kansas State University and Northern Illinois University.
Our goal is to build relationships with international students, giving them opportunities to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.