Friendship Partners
FRIENDSHIP PARTNERS...
It is a great opportunity for international students and American friendship partners to learn about each other's life and culture. Statistics show that many international students studying here in the US leave without ever entering an American home. This leaves them to form impressions of who we are as a people from what they experience in campus life and from TV / Movies. This is such a awesome opportunity to not only share with the students who we are culturally but who we are as Christians. Extending ourselves in friendship and hospitality to others, allows them to see and experience Christ in us. It is the way we can show them the love of Christ in a tangible way. Our agenda is to love and serve.
Friendship partners receive training and then matched with students who have asked to participate. Some typically activities for Friendship Partners are:
- communicate with students via phone or email
- invite students to your home for a meal, for a outing (movie, play, picnic etc)
- take students on shopping trips to the supermarket, superstore (Target, Wal-Mart) or mall
- invite the student to participate in a community service project or help with a project around your house.
The important thing is to incorporate the student into what your family is already doing- not create an extra thing to fit into your aready busy schedule.
As you get to know one another and feel comfortable, Friendship partners often treat students as a part of their family. This can be so helpful to international students in adjusting to life away from their family and culture to life in the U.S. The schedule and activities for each partnership will vary according the schedules of the Friendship partner and the student. Many students are working very hard and have many school commitments that take up a lot of their time.
If you are interested participating as a Friendship Partner or would like more information, please let us know. This is a wonderful way to make new friends and learn from each other.