International Staff and Foreign Exchange Students

We had so many exchange students in high school and college, and I was always kind of intimidated by them...or scared of them (this Venezuela guy used to try to kiss everyone). Then the tables were turned and I became an exchange student teacher.

It was hard leaving my home and being all alone in a place so foreign. It helped that everyone spoke English, thank God, and I fit in pretty well physically (yes, I mean most people there are white, and I'm white, so that was kind of nice that I didn't stick out too much). But the hardest thing was that no one really wanted to befriend me. Sure, they were very friendly. They asked me questions about 9/11 and George W., they asked me about The Simpsons and American Idol. But beyond that, it was really hard to make friends. I guess since they knew I was there only temporarily, there was no point in trying to befriend me.

This summer, there will be some international staff here at camp and I hope that I can do a better job at making them feel welcome than I did with international students while I was in school. But what do international students or people expect? What do they want? What can I talk to them about?

When I was away from home, I would have loved for a family to invite me over for dinner or to go out to a movie (several people did do this for me and it was great!).

I would have loved to just talk and talk for hours like friends do. It's difficult with international students because there's not much you may have in common. But I don't think there's anything wrong with planning conversations before you have them. This has been especially helpful since I am kind of shy and self-conscious. Sometimes I just try to think of questions or topics to discuss with someone before I meet with them, and I like to bathe the meeting or get together in prayer (though I usually forget to do this). This also helps to lead the conversation to healthy topics instead of to gossip or whatever. I need to remember to do these things, for sure! I really hope I can do a better job this summer. Please pray that I will, and that our international staff feel not only welcome, but loved and cared for.