Meet Jason

Meet Jason (far right in the photo, with his family). Jason is from Indonesia and is studying engineering at a local university. He has been living with us for a couple weeks now and we are enjoying our time with him.

We have hosted students from Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, India, and Ethiopia. We enjoy learning about our students' countries and cultures, and we also enjoy welcoming internationals to our city and country. We also think it is a wonderful opportunity for our children to learn to appreciate different cultures. Belachew can now find India and Indonesia on a map (he already knows Ethiopia).

When I lived in Kenya, a Kenyan family hosted me. They welcomed me, made me feel comfortable and secure, helped teach me about their culture, and helped me settle into life in their country. They had lived in the US before and shared with me that they didn't always feel welcome in the US. When I returned home from Kenya, I got involved in an international student ministry. There, I was told that over 85% of internationals in the US never enter an American's home. That statistic saddened me and since then, I have looked for opportunities to welcome internationals to our country. Over the years, Paul and I have spent time with refugees, tried to find housing and jobs for new immigrants, waited at the airport to welcome new immigrants, and hosted international students. We have been so blessed through these friendships and hope we continue to have opportunities to make new immigrants to country feel welcome.

If you are interested in hosting international students, check with your local university.