Published August 26, 2021 by in
Mary Beth Goodrich
Hi, I’m Mary Beth, and I’m a professor at UT Dallas. But I’m also the faculty advisor for International Christian Fellowship, and one of our major ministries is the American Friendship Partner program. We have the opportunity to reach out to international students coming here to study. The commitment is very small, but the impact is big. All you have to do is check in with them by text or email once a week, and hang out once a month. The students will get to meet you and learn about your culture. You can help them navigate Walmart for the first time or explain how car insurance works, small things that will help them acclimate to living here in the USA. And you can show them God’s love through that relationship and just let God take that wherever it leads!
We have a big need right now! 190 students have signed up for friendship partners, but we only have 56 partner families. The commitment is for one school year, but often people enjoy the friendship so much they stay connected long after the student has graduated.
This is a great opportunity for families and even young children to meet a student from another country. Kids have a way of connecting with students that helps them open up and feel at home. I have seen lives transformed as students learn about Jesus Christ through these relationships. That is one way that we can show God’s love to students who might have never had a chance to hear the gospel in their home countries. And connecting with international students is a very strategic way to fill every neighborhood with the good news of God’s love, because they will return home and be leaders in their businesses and communities.
If you’re interested, sign up here on the ICF website, but make sure to email/text/call me (mbgoodrich@verizon.net or 214-282-2156) to let me know you signed up! If I know you signed up, I’ll try to match you with a student I know. Thanks for prayerfully considering this opportunity to share the love of Jesus while learning about a new culture, sharing yummy food, and just being a friend!