International Students!

I dream about living overseas. Every time I have gone, it has been an energizing, heartfelt, and life-changing experience. After we were first married, we went somewhere international every year...until we had kids, and in fact, I was planning a trip to Indonesia when I found out I was pregnant with my first. As a result, our overseas ministry efforts slowed to supporting missionaries through prayer and giving, and, beginning this year, working with international students!

Meet Yukie! We got hooked up with her through the Topeka Friends Network, an organization that seeks to give international students cultural experiences that revolve around family and faith.

A little fuzzy (nice photo bomb, Matthew)

Not quite...

There we go :)

For instance, the typical exchange student does not experience Thanksgiving unless they are invited by a fellow college student, and, let's face it - how many college students do this? Through TFN, American families are partnered up with students to help give them these experiences.

So far, we've connected with Yukie four times. The first was our introductory cook out at the home of our friends who coordinate TFN. Yukie LOVED the kids and immediately got down on the floor and started playing with them (which was kind of nice, since it was the first full day of school and I was EXHAUSTED!). Yukie and her friend Chen have come to church twice. The first time I picked them up, but I felt awful because only one of them had an actual seat in my tiny car and the other had to squeeze in between the car seats in the back. :( But she did not seem to mind in the least. That is one thing I  have noticed over and over again about the Chinese - they don't mind a little inconvenience, and they are perpetually enthusiastic. I introduced them both to Lindsey at church and they jumped up and said things like, "Hi, nice to meet you!" before I even had a chance to get through her name, and with so much enthusiasm that Lindsey was a bit startled and had to take a step back before she laughed and shook their hands.

We also introduced Yukie and Chen to "American" Chinese food at our favorite quick stop, Dillon's. Having been to China, we knew that actual Chinese food really isn't much like what we have here in our Chinese restaurants. They had NO idea what crab Rangoon was (they ate a bite with their chopsticks and politely put it down and did not touch it again), and, though they had seen egg rolls before, they don't eat them frequently in China. They stuck to sticky rice (white rice) and veggie dishes.

Yukie is only here until December, but we are excited to continue to connect with her this semester!