Soup & Bread Night

Working in conjunction with the ESL department on campus, we invited up to 25 students to join us at our church's first shared meal of the fall -- a soup and bread dinner on a Sunday night. 21 students signed up, which was great! However, it turned out to be one cold and somewhat wet evening, plus the time had changed overnight and the darkness came on earlier than we had gotten used to; only seven students actually showed up. We don't know if specifically it was the weather or the dark making it difficult to find the church, but it probably turned out okay since attendance was mediocre on the church's behalf, too. The students who did make it seemed to have a very good time -- Neil drove them back to campus after the festivities, and one Japanese gal asked him, "Why did you do this?" (invite them all to the dinner). He told her about having lived overseas and knowing what it's like to feel disassociated within a strange culture; and also of our Savior's decision to reach out to those around him with love and hospitality.

Earlier this month we had two Korean girls and one Japanese girl over for dinner. It was the first Friday of the month, and Ellensburg's Children's Activity Museum offers free admission on first Fridays. After dinner, we took Sunny (mentioned in a post earlier this month), Ji Young, and Mayumi down to the museum for awhile. Then we returned for a game of Pass The Aces with the kids, before taking them home at about 10 p.m. I started an International Students Guestbook, in which they were the first to sign. It will be such a pleasure so remember these students -- all the students we have over -- as the years go by.

The kids and I went on campus earlier this week to meet the director of the ESL program. As we walked that way, we came upon some students a couple of different times that we had met previously. Then we saw a few more while we were in the International Center. What fun to be getting to know, and to be recognized and enjoyed by, these students. It's true what Neil told Mariko, we do know what it's like to be in a foreign country without many friends inside the country. As we left the International Center, I introduced myself to the director of the Study Abroad program -- she's in charge of exchange students (both Central's going out, and others coming in from all over the world). I'd like to also start working with her, since she's not just working with the Pacific Rim countries but also Europeans, Australians, Africans, etc. She seemed quite interested in also taking part in the Friendship Partner program we've been developing with the ESL department (I sent the director of that program 5-6 names last week of people from our church who said they'd be interested in hosting students once or twice a quarter). I look forward to the day when we have plenty of American families with whom we can match students -- and for more than just a one-time get together at that.

"We press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us."

Not one would say "No"

Classes started at CWU a couple of weeks ago, which also means that Talk Time started a new school year as well. Last year, Neil would go with 1-2 of our kids, but last week he and I plus all six children went to this "English Club" for international students. It was quite fun, and we had the opportunity to meet dozens of new students. Some I had met downtown the previous week, at Ellensburg's "Bite of the 'Burg" which is the community's welcome event for all students. As we walked home from Talk Time, Neil and I discussed the huge need for outreach to internationals, by American Christians. There were approximately 35-40 international students there last week, and (as I commented to Neil) not ONE of them would likely turn down an invitation to dinner in an American home. We are praying all the more fervently for outreach to the students to develop more and more here.

I had given each of the Korean and Japanese girls I'd met downtown one of our business cards that offers international students a free dinner in our home. When I bumped into one of these students last Monday night, a Korean gal named Sunny, I showed her the card (I keep some with me) and she remembered me from that. She asked if she could have a few more to hand out because, she said, she had given hers to another Korean student. Praise God! We will try to set up a get together with her and some of her friends when we return to Talk Time this evening.