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Suggestions for Personal Hospitality to Internationals
Reach out as
a friend, with an open mind, refusing to judge another culture as inferior
or wrong just because of differences. Internationals
are not a special class of people; they are our equals.
We must genuinely appreciate and respect the accomplishments and
cultures of other countries. There
are so many ways for you—as a Christian friend—to reach out to an
international student.
Here are a
few simple suggestions:
- Be
yourself. Invite them to
participate in your normal, daily, routine activities: shop, do laundry,
study together, etc.
- Invite
them to share a meal with you.
- Let them
cook for you.
- Help them
to find an apartment and then help them move.
- Visit them
in their dorm room (or apartment) and meet their friends.
- Take them
camping, fishing or hiking; play basketball, volleyball, soccer or
ping-pong; learn about one of the sports from their country.
- Learn
about their religious beliefs.
- Share
pictures of each other's families.
- Take
pictures together.
- Take them
food when they're sick.
- Send them
a note to let them know you're thinking about them.
- Have a
birthday party for them.
- Bake
cookies (or something non-sweet) together.
- Go to a
play, musical, art show or movie together and discuss it afterward.
- Use
holidays for innovative activities: decorate a Christmas tree, go
caroling, color eggs at
Easter, make cut-out cookies, share Thanksgiving dinner, celebrate their
country's holidays, participate together in 4th of July activities or a
local ethnic celebration, watch a parade, etc.
- Visit a
museum or (where possible) spend a day at the beach or a day skiing.
- Fly a kite
together.
- Spend time
together writing letters.
- Write
their family a letter telling them about your friendship.
- Learn
their cultural dances. Learn
each other's songs and have a folk music evening.
- Share your
concerns and needs with each other.
- Proofread
their English papers and other assignments.
- Go for a
walk together or go sightseeing together.
- Drive in
the country as a break from their studies.
- Visit a
farm or tour a factory.
- Answer an
immediate need quickly. (Ex. finding a community resource, locating a
person).
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