Friends,
We are so glad to introduce a faithful partner in ministry, Sarah! Sarah has been a Friendship Partner with IFM when she was available since 2015. We hope you can relate to her experience and consider being a Friendship Partner!
What made you want to be involved (with IFM)?
I lived in China for 5 years and fell in love with the Chinese people. When I moved to Columbia, I felt this need to get connected to Chinese friends.
One day I saw IFM while driving through Columbia and introduced myself to John at the office.
John connected me to the Welcome Banquet where I hosted a table, with Chinese students
Those students were the first Friendship Partners!
What should people know about Friendship Partners?
The students are not expecting a ton of time together but using little times of intentionality (can help them) to grow closer. For example, I invited my friends to Greek festival when I went and they loved getting to know me in a comfortable environment.
It's meaningful for them. It can open doors for opportunities to talk about Jesus.
It's a chance to truly share about Jesus and be a safe place for students to come back to as you become a piece of their lives.
You are a part of that person's journey, give them an opportunity to see Christians in a positive way moving forward.
What were your relationships like?
Every one is different. In 2020, I connected to 2 Chinese PhD students for 4 years. I connected well with both of them, but one of the students in particular had more contact with me. When she moved away for post doc, she came back to stay with my husband and I. This friend of mine stayed for a week. She said that Columbia was her American home. I even got to visit her when we went up north.
One thing that is a blessing for me is that they were invited to my church for an event. It was a 45 min service, perfect for ESL students.
We would go afterward to a Vietnamese restaurant and would talk about the event and have a great conversation.
Eventually I had a full gospel conversation, deep conversations of planting seeds, and they were hungry.
As I grew in these relationships, I learned that I had to allow people to give back to me. They want to treat you so we should let them. It's part of building deep friendships.
One time, I shared specific dishes that I missed from China with a friendship partner of mine. The student listened carefully to me and then brought me over and cooked those exact dishes for me!
Thank you Sarah for your consistency over the years. It’s not always easy with different life circumstances, but you have made it work!
We have Friendship Partners across Columbia connecting with internationals. If you would like to become a friendship partner, please fill out our form at ifmusa.org/american-friendship-partner.
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