30-Days of Prayer for Myrtle Beach Exchange Visitors

Though the J1 program is in part about employment and making money, it is also about cultural exchange!  One of the greatest things students can experience is a meal around the table with an American family!  Dinners create a sense of family and intimacy, and often lead to great conversations about faith.  When believers invite students into their homes for a meal, it creates an opportunity for deeper connection and lasting friendships!  As we hosted a young man for a simple barbeque dinner one evening, he exclaimed, “This is a dream come true. It was my dream to get to have dinner with a family while I was here. The burgers, sitting at the table with your kids, your dog running around, it is just perfect!” This simple act of hospitality led to a summer of friendship, discovery Bible studies and relationship! Pray for the ANC volunteers who connect with students at the Cafe nights to be bold in inviting students into their homes!  Pray that students would be impacted by intentional hospitality that expresses God’s love for them.

Imagine you are in a foreign country with no family or close friends, and you break your leg and become immobile?  What would you do?  Who would you call?  With limited resources and connections, students who are in emergency situations are in very vulnerable positions.  Believers in the city regularly step in to help, providing housing, rides, care, and love to students in crisis.  This often leads to opportunities to share the reason behind their care and concern- Christ’s command to love our neighbors!  There is a team of dedicated volunteers at the ready to help when medical emergencies arise. Pray for those who help to be able to be the hands and feet of Christ in times of crisis.

Exchange visitors come here with a wide range of religious backgrounds- from atheists from the former Soviet bloc to devout Muslims from Central Asia, Buddhists from Thailand to Roman Catholics from Spain.  Each student is on their own unique journey, and many are curious about Christianity and the Bible.  A personal invitation to attend church can have a huge impact on students!  After attending church with us for the first time, a student from China said, “oh, now I understand- when you worship, it is like you are singing your prayers to God.”  It was a lightbulb moment that lead to deep conversations about a personal relationship with God.  Pray for local volunteers to boldly invite, for students to have courage to say yes, and for them to encounter the Lord in church in a profound way!  

This summer, YWAM is launching a new program with Exchange Visitors who live in our base housing for the summer. Students who want to be a part of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) complete and essay and phone interview, and agree to be a part of an intentional community, weekly coaching meetings, and weekly community events (like attending ANC or bible studies). Students don’t have to be believers to be a part of the program, but they have to be open to exploration of faith. So far we have 8 students who will live at the house and be a part of the LDP, with room for 4 more to join. Pray with us for open hearts, great connections, and that many of of our exchange visitors will grow in a saving knowledge of Jesus’ love for them!

For the next few days, we will focus on some of the ways local believers attempt to connect with Exchange Visitors in a meaningful way for the sake of the Gospel.  First up- All Nations Cafe! All Nations Cafe is a ministry that serves exchange visitors in a variety of ways, but primarily through Cafe’ nights.  Twice a week throughout the summer, ANC, through the help of local churches and volunteers, serves a meal to students and provides a place for them to connect with each other and believers from the city.  It is a great place for fun and fellowship, but also to get to know students and share the love of Jesus with them!  There are two locations that host cafe nights, in both Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle.  Pray for great connections to be made!  Pray for boldness and sensitivity for the volunteers to know when and how to share about their own faith and the love of Christ. We have several new volunteers joining the team this year, Praise God! Pray for them to find their place within the varied ministries offered through ANC.

South and East Asia are represented with students from Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, and China.  The majority of these students are eager and excited to experience American culture in all its forms, good and bad.  Their excitement is contagious and makes them fun to be around!  Many have had little or no exposure to Christianity, but are open to learning and experiencing it despite the fact that they identify as Buddhist.  They rarely turn down an invitation to a home or church service. The Chinese students are especially curious about the Bible and Jesus since these subjects are taboo in their country. Pray for protection from the evil aspects of American culture. Pray that they would encounter Jesus, not just as a part of the Christian culture of America, but as something personal and real for them.  Pray that many of them would read and explore the Bible for the first time.

Exchange visitors come from all across Europe each summer, spanning from the United Kingdom, through the Czech Republic, and all the way to Turkey.  (We will include Turkey here, though it is considered both part of Europe and Asia).  Their religious background is as varied as their cultural backgrounds: atheist, Christian, and Muslim.  As many (especially those from Turkey) come from wealthy families, this summer will be their first time working and living on their own. Imagine having to figure out how to do things for yourself for the first time in a foreign country! This creates a unique set of challenges for the students, their employers and their roommates.  Pray for a willingness to “adult” well by working hard and making mature decisions. Pray for their bosses to be understanding and patient. Pray ultimately that the challenges, conflicts, and failures of the summer would lead them to acknowledge their need for God.

Many countries from Latin America are represented among our J1 students, with the majority coming from Ecuador, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.  Ecuador had the second largest  number of J1 students in Myrtle Beach in 2025!  Their religious background is primarily Christian, though for many, it is a cultural identity more than a personal commitment to make Jesus the Lord of their lives.  Pray for their families back home who face civil, political, and economic upheaval. The cultural climate in Ecuador in particular is very volatile, as many areas in major cities are controlled by gangs and violence.  Ecuadorian J1s carry a heavy burden of care and concern for their families left behind for the summer.  Pray for our Latin American students to have a personal encounter with Jesus that leads to repentance and surrender.

For the next few days, we will highlight the areas where the students are from. We will start with Central Asia- The largest region represented last summer was Central Asia, primarily from Kazakhstan. Their religious background is predominantly Muslim, but some are atheist or Orthodox Christian. The Muslim students tend to be either very committed to their religious identity or defy it outright while living in America. However, they do like to have conversations about beliefs and spirituality. They are genuinely curious about the Bible and Jesus and share a similar desire as Christians to live a moral and righteous life. Pray for good conversations with believers that cause them to know God in a different way, to know Him as the loving Father that He is. Pray that they would have a divine encounter with Jesus and worship Him as the Son of God. 

It is no secret that Myrtle Beach depends on the tourist industry to thrive. For many local business owners, temporary summer help is the only way they survive the influx of tourist during the summer season! Please pray for each business that employs Exchange Visitors. That they would treat their employees with respect and consideration, that they would be fair to schedule the hours agreed upon in the contracts, and that they would have great success this season. Pray for those employers who know Jesus to shine brightly to their employees and be great witnesses of His lovingkindness.