Help A Student

Thousands and thousands of young people from non-western countries travel to the West to study.

Travelling to a different country is very stressful. The more different the culture, the more difficult it is to adjust. Add to that the pressure of succeeding in your studies. International students arrive carrying high expectations from their families who have spent a lot of money to send them to Western schools.

Their biggest need is for good friends. Friends to help them with paperwork, directions to places like the Post Office, supermarket etc. Friends who can give them a pleasant environment to relax and study, away from the institution they're working in.

Many of these folk arrive from countries where there is little or even no opportunity to see a real Christian witness! In some of their countries it may even be illegal to "convert" to Christianity. Arriving in a country where there is freedom of religion is a wonderful chance for these young men and women to see what "real" Christians are like.

Also many of these young students represent the next generation of leaders of these countries. What a tremendous blessing it is to be able to present a positive example of what a Christian is to such future "movers and shakers". Who knows what future government policies concerning freedom of religion and worship may be made by international students currently studying near you!! Think about that...

Elsewhere we asked the question about Pol Pot of Cambodia. How history may have been different if he was nurtured by Christians while studying in France, instead of been influenced by French communists!!

Here's another one ... Hassan Turabi. He is the leader of the National Islamic Front in Sudan. He is the one who established the radical Islamic policies that have produced war, persecution and slavery of Christians, and untold strife in that country. Turabi was also educated in the West! Imagine if he'd been befriended and helped by sincere loving Christians while studying as a young man...

And of course, another tremendous blessing in befriending an international student is learning about their home, their culture and lifestyle.

Following is an article by an American group that has a vision to minister to international students. Check out their list of ideas as to how you may build bridges with students in your area. You may help to make a big difference, not just in their life, but perhaps in the future of their country...

NOTE. Of course the first step should always be to see what sort of ministry is already established in your area, and to work in with people who "know the territory", so to speak. If you're unsure what there is in your area, ask around your local churches and perhaps Christian groups that meet on your nearby college campuses. Or, if that draws a blank, send me an email by clicking on the "Send Email" text opposite, telling me where you are. I'll try to reply with information relating to your area.

TOUCHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Prepared by Rev. Carl R. Selle, North American Missionary
RATIONAL: International students are a mission at our doorstep. By the end of this century, 550,000 international students and scholars will be attending various colleges and universities in the United States. Many of these students (80%) will return to their countries to become political, educational, and business leaders. While they are with us, we have the privilege to impact their lives, and they, in return, will have the opportunity to touch ours. God is providing us rich opportunity for hospitality, friendship, and witness.
WHERE SHOULD I LOOK FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS? At local colleges, vocational and business schools and universities. If you live near an institution of higher education, you will find that most colleges and universities have students (or faculty) who come from another country. Percentages range as high as 17% in some student bodies. At local high schools. Look at your local high school for foreign exchange students; some are here for one year, others for only a few months. Most exchange students welcome opportunities to practice English, or to meet individuals from our culture. In community resettlement programs. You may have in your community a settlement of refugees from Southeast Asia, East Europe, or Africa. You may also live near an ethnic community (i.e. Cuban in Florida, Chinese and Korean in California, Asian Indian in Chicago, or Hmong in Wisconsin). Look here to meet new students. In the business community. Many ethnic groups now operate businesses here in the U.S. In Walworth County, WI, a huge Kikkoman soy sauce plant was built. From Michigan to Tennessee, the automobile industry includes plants operated with Japanese management. Students will be among these short-term employees. In recreational/tourist areas. It is estimated that 16 million internationals visit America each year. You will not have to look far to find individuals or groups eager to learn (students) about our culture or visit in our homes.
CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC? LOOK.. in a home hospitality program or volunteer friendship organization at a university through the international student office at a school near you at your local campus ministry for connections at the high school foreign exchange office with the help of the local Chamber of Commerce through an English tutoring program or literacy office in your elementary schools where you meet others (banks, grocery stores, hospitals, post offices, and churches)

CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME IDEAS OF WHAT I CAN DO?

Individual action:

Be bold in sharing a smile or in initiating conversation
Volunteer to be a conversation partner or assist in a tutoring program
Become involved with a home hospitality program or volunteer in a community friendship program
Invite a student to your home for a meal (or take a student out for a meal)
Offer assistance to the spouses of international students. Spouses often end up being lost in the shuffle. Children also have great needs.
Assist in a nursery or day care center for children of international students.

Unit action:

Provide tours of your city for students when they first arrive in our country (or later at some of the historical sites, state parks, scenic areas, etc.)
Offer to provide a culture class (cooking, customs, religious holidays, American way of life, etc.)
Offer to become a teacher's helper in elementary and secondary schools where there is an ESL (English as a Second Language) program
Serve an American dinner for a group of students
Offer to care for the children of those involved in an ethnic Bible class (i.e. Korean, Chinese, etc.)

ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES TO HELP ME?

Check your local library for specific information on areas and countries.

BOTTOMLINE Who's living in your street, neighborhood? International students? Refugees? A family from another country? Is there any way you can help them out? Is anyone helping them out?... What all people need is a friend...

If you want to get involved and don't know if there's any ongoing ministry to "internationals" in your area, email me, tell me where you live (your town, not your street address!!?) and give me a few days to send some info to you.

Table of Contents Send E-Mail