American colleges and universities host almost 900,000 students and scholars from other nations (2013/14 statistics). In the last decade, the number of internationals studying in the US has increased an astonishing 40+%. The United States remains the “destination of choice” for higher education.
With many of the world’s future leaders living and studying on our doorstep, we in the American universities ought to ask, “What can we do to show Christian love to these young men and women?”
Start a Family Tradition
Over 25 years ago, our family decided to invite international students and scholars into our home – and we’ve been doing it ever since. On holidays, we typically wanted to “protect” our family time together, not share it with others. But the idea that the best and brightest international students might study for years in the US, return to their country and say they were never invited into an American home didn’t sit right with us. Our young sons agreed and we started a family tradition of developing international friendships.
Our family “started small” by praying who and how we should invite an international friend to our home–at first for our Thanksgiving meal. A visiting Russian scholar from the local university where we ministered help us begin. Now, we’ve keep the tradition of reaching out to visiting faculty and students every year for Thanksgiving and now often for Christmas and Easter.
All three American Christian holidays offer a chance to explain the reason for the celebration. The last two holidays offer your international guests a chance to attend your church with you before or after a meal at your home. We’ve kept the goals simple: make friendships, sharing American family traditions, getting to know each other. The background history of these holidays allows us to often have spiritual conversations that lead to further relationship building and conversations on campus or during another visit together.
A Thanksgiving Meal Example
In the photo above (from a previous event), we hosted some of the best and brightest from seven different countries – Taiwan, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, India, China, and S. Korea. Many had been in America for just a few months, had never celebrated Thanksgiving, and certainly had never been in an American home or church.
Normally, before we eat, I’ll share about the holiday and its spiritual significance. Then we ask everyone to share their first impressions of America – and that’s always insightful and funny. We all laugh with each other, creating an atmosphere of acceptance for our international friends. Then we eat.
After our Thanksgiving meal, but before dessert, I share why the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom. I often compare their new status as international students to the Pilgrims — like the Pilgrims they had left the security of family, friends, and country to come to America. We then ask each guest to very briefly share about their family and why they chose Princeton for graduate school. Then we have dessert and coffee (or tea).
Often this natural banter and sharing opens the door to deeper conversations and questions about the really important things in life – friends, family, and God.
Over the years, we’ve so benefitted from “giving up our holiday.” The whole family now have life-long friendships. Jan and I and our sons have learned about other cultures in ways we never could otherwise. And many of our international friends have began spiritual journeys that will last for eternity.
So finally, consider opening your home to world this Thanksgiving. Let me encourage you to check out a fantastic online site with resources, best practices, and links from national ministries that reach out to international students.
Scott and Jan Luley
Faculty Commons Staff
Princeton University