Wandering into an Italian Bakery and Cafe in Panama City Beach, Florida, this summer, I met Olesea Z. behind a counter and surrounded by drop-dead gorgeous marzipan pastries and ice cream. As I indulged in a chocolate eclair (ok, ok, I was on vacation from my diet), I realized her English was inflected with an unfamiliar accident.
“I’m from Atlanta,” I said. “Where are you from?”
Olesea said, “I’m from Chisinau, Moldova.” Noting my puzzled look, she added, “It’s located between the Ukraine and Romania.”
At least I’d heard of both of those countries. I’ve always thought of myself as a world missions kind of a Christian, but I was puzzled at how a college student from one of the poorest countries in Europe ended up working for the summer in an area known for its million dollar ocean front property.
Over the next few days, and I must admit, a few sweets later, Olesea said she was here on a college exchange program. At the State University of Moldova she was a senior studying Information Systems with a minor in English. “I wanted to come to America for two months to learn English and to see the people, how they live and to learn the traditions of this country.”
Probing deeper into her life, I learned she lived with eight other women in an apartment. Her second job was working in the produce department of a Publix grocery store. I asked her how she found her place to live and her two jobs, and she said, “I found my own place to live and both of my jobs after I arrived.”
“Have you ever visited an American family at home to see how they live?” I asked. Silently, she shook her head, “No.” Regretting that I was on vacation, instead of home, I wished she’d had a totally different experience during her visit to America.
Just a few weeks before, at Fellowship Bible Church in Dalton, Georgia, I met Anna from Kazakhstan who was on their college exchange program. Sponsored by
E2 Educational Services, Anna’s internship had a higher purpose reflecting the E2ES mott ‘To develop leaders capable of renewing their nations.”
“Our summer exchange program has a two-fold purpose,” said Lars Peterson, E2ES Director in Kazakstan (Central Asia). “The first component is a legitimate business internship and experience in their field of studies. The second is an exposure to Christianity through the time spent interacting with a church family and living with a host family.”
This summer Peterson is shepherding seventeen upper-level university students through the internship experience. “We have exposed more than 130 students to different areas of the U.S. through the willingness and vision of Christian host families and businessmen who opened their lives and offices. The students who come to us for this exchange experience are educated, fluent in English, and very willing to learn. We know what they’ll take back is a new vision for their own countries.”
When many students visit the American churches, such as Fellowship Bible Church, it is the first time they’ve met authentic Christians. Tom Perry, Chairman of the Missions Committee at Fellowship Bible said, “The concept of the ‘reverse’ missions trip appealed to us because it involves so many more members of our congregation in missions. And, the best part is they don’t even have to leave home.”
Two students from Kazakhstan have lived with families in Dalton while interning at a local bank and accounting firm. “The experience has been terrific for some of our people who are reaching far out of their comfort zone to share Christ’s love and we’ve found that many families who’ve never been involved in missions are now doing various things with these two women,” Perry said. “Another benefit I’ve noticed is we’ve deepened our relationships within the church as we’ve collaboratively worked to provide the very best internship experiences for these students.”
Tom and Sally Perry hosted Anna in their home for the exchange period and have heard first-hand her impressions of an American church. “Last night, over a cup of tea, we spent two hours talking with Anna about her thoughts since she’s been in America and what she’s learned. It’s been very easy this summer to experience the joys of kitchen-table evangelism with Anna.”
Fellowship Bible Church has long been a missions-minded church with at least ten percent of its budget devoted to missions. There have been short-term mission trips to countries where supported missionaries serve, such as the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso. Additionally, missionaries often speak during the annual Missions Conference. “Currently Fellowship Bible supports 15 full-time missionaries,” Perry said. “After Hurricane Katrina our church also sent teams to Louisiana to assist churches there with home reconstruction projects. This is the first year we’ve experienced the reverse missions trip idea, but we’ve discovered the church has gotten a greater bang for our missions buck. Instead of sending only a handful of people on a short-term mission trip, a larger portion of the church has had a cross-cultural experience.”
“The world is at our doorstep! A half million of the brightest international students from 210 countries come to the United States to study. Most of them live in the 10/40 Window which is made up of unreached people groups, often with restricted access and from closed countries,” according to InterVarsity’s International Student Ministry. You’ll never know if that international college student behind the bakery counter in your town needs to experience first-hand the power of a simple invitation home to meet your Jesus.
Sidebar:
Want to minister to International Students? Contact:
E2ES to ask about the Summer Immersion Program. Tom Goetsch (425) 260-1415 E-mail: tgoetsch@gmail.com
1420 NW Gilman Blvd #2572 Issaquah, WA 98027
International Students, Inc., P.O. Box C, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-3000, 1-800-ISI-Team
InterVarsity International Student Ministry, www.intervarsity.org/ism/ International Student Ministries
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
P.O. Box 7895
6400 Schroeder Rd.
Madison, WI 53707-7895, Tel: 608-274-9001, eMail: ism@intervarsity.org
