New college students experience a plethora of “first experiences” in their initial semesters of college. It is their first time to live away from home. It is their first experience taking classes independently and navigating a new city on their own.
While some of these experiences might seem a bit daunting for U.S. college freshmen, they can be downright terrifying for international students. Imagine experiencing all of these things in a foreign country where people speak a different language and have different cultural customs. A place where you are multiple flights and time zones away from the nearest family member.
The number of international students on Alabama college campuses continues to rise. And as more international students begin to study in the state, Alabama Baptists and Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) have an opportunity to encourage, engage and walk alongside these students as they experience these “firsts” far away from home.
One of the most practical needs many international students face is the need to learn English. Many universities offer conversation clubs and conversation partners, which gives BCM students and local churches the opportunity to build relationships with international students while meeting a tangible need.
Global Café at Auburn University serves such a purpose, and BCM students are able to connect with international students. They meet with internationals twice a month to practice English and conversational skills.
Spiritual conversations
Steve Thompson, senior campus minister at Auburn, explained that meeting this practical need for international students often leads to developing and deepening friendships as well as opportunities for spiritual conversations.
Brad Bensinger, campus minister at Troy University, agreed that helping with conversational clubs is a great way to build relationships with international students.
“We have tried different things as far as [programs] for international students are concerned, but I think it all just comes back to spending time with them, practicing English, showing interest in their culture — you’ve got to invest the time in it,” Bensinger said.
Dustin Edwards, student pastor at First Baptist Church, Livingston, said the church has developed a partnership with international students by offering Bible study options and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. First, Livingston, became involved with international students through a Chinese Bible study they started offering twice a month at a local Chinese restaurant. The church also offers an ESL class on Tuesday nights and they have seen some of these students develop deeper relationships with church members.
Chad Hess, student minister at Woodmont Baptist Church, Florence, shared a similar story about his church’s relationship with a Chinese student, Sami.
Sami was first introduced to Woodmont Baptist through a progessive dinner in partnership with the BCM at the University of North Alabama in Florence. Since then Sami has become involved in the ministry at the church and recently joined the choir and participates in Bible study.
Another way Alabama Baptists have been reaching out to international students is by introducing them to American life and culture.
Shannon Hughes, associate campus minister at Auburn and Southern Union State Community College in Opelika, said some of their events are solely for the international students to experience American culture. Taking a trip to the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta or going ice-skating gives them that experience.
The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions also helps support cultural connections through an event known as the International Friends Retreat. The retreat, held each fall, allows international students to spend a weekend at WorldSong Missions Place in Cook Springs, where they have the opportunity to spend time outdoors taking part in American recreational activities, engage with American students and hear more about Christianity. In October, 130 students participated in the retreat.
“The retreat opened doors to talk about the gospel,” Hughes explained.
Tea for Troy is another organization that aims to help internationals learn about culture focusing not solely on American culture, rather creating an environment where internationals and Americans can learn about many different cultures.
Tea for Troy
Graham Pierce, a student at Troy, is the 2014 Tea for Troy leader. The organization hosts bimonthly presentations on tea rituals practiced in various countries. Some countries they have spotlighted include Sudan, Vietnam and Egypt.
“Our goal is to create a place where internationals feel at home and can be friends with Americans — where they can start seeing the way we live, which begs the question of why we live that way,” Pierce explained. “It’s a different opportunity to share the gospel.”
While international students can learn much about culture through campus events, many would say the most helpful place to learn about American culture is in the home.
Three Plus One, a program at Troy, connects three international students and one American student with a local family. Several local churches have partnered with Troy’s BCM to help build community among internationals through Three Plus One.
Samford University in Birmingham has a similar program called Friendship Partner Program. The program is organized by the English Language Learner Institute (ELLI) at Samford and is designed to assist local families connect with international students.
Anna Ralston, coordinator for enrollment and cultural education at ELLI, said churches can easily serve internationals by being a friend to them and plugging into a program like this at a local university.
Sitao Chen, a Chinese student at Samford, arrived in the U.S. in August 2011. Before arriving he was connected with a local family, Lee and Catherine Allen. The Allens are members of Mountain Brook Baptist Church, Birmingham, which has a partnership with a church in China. The Allens had visited China several times and offered to host Chen because of a housing shortage at Samford.
Over the course of the past three years Chen and the Allens have developed a close relationship. Chen spent his first American holidays at their home and experienced Thanksgiving and Christmas, where they introduced various holiday traditions to him. While with the Allens, Chen also was introduced to Christianity.
Catherine Allen recalled, “Chen did not have any Christian background or knowledge. But when he was living with us, we said, ‘On Sunday, we go to church,’ and he said ‘Okay, I’m for it.’”
The Allens introduced Chen to Christianity, helped him plug in to their church and encouraged him as he learned about American life and about Christianity. Chen is now a Christian and is involved at Mountain Brook Baptist where he sings in the choir.
Dongemei Ma, known by her American name “Echo,” is a Chinese master’s student at Auburn. She got involved in a Chinese Christian Bible study where she became a believer and joined First Baptist Church, Opelika.
Echo has been discipled by a couple from Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn.
Hess said, “One of America’s advantages we need to leverage is that sometimes the nations come to us. And that’s what you see on a college campus — that the nations are right down the street. We have the opportunity to make disciples of all nations.”
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