Cambridge brings the world to our doorstep. We rightly send missionaries to the 4 corners of the globe - not all of us can go, but if we stay we can easily take part in cross-cultural mission here in Cambridge. Hopefully those who have been at Eden and in Cambridge for some time will already be aware of this fact, and also aware of some ways in which internationals are being reached with the Gospel here in Cambridge. There may well be relative newcomers who may not be so informed.
There are, in fact, hundreds of visitors in Cambridge from countries which are completely closed to the Gospel, where it would be very hard or impossible openly to send missionaries. Students who come to Cambridge, whether to the universities or to language schools, will often return to very privileged positions in their own countries and may even have important influence on their nations. Their experiences while in the UK will shape the way they think about us, and you can only begin to imagine the consequences, good or bad, this could even have on world events. Don't we as Christians have a vital role to play here? Each individual needs to hear about Christ for him/herself but in some cases, what they do or don't hear will affect attitudes of whole populations.
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" ()
There are many ways in which Christians in Cambridge are seeking to reach out to international students. Most of this outreach ministry stems from the Kairos Trust, affiliated to Friends International (formerly International Student Christian Services-ISCS), co-ordinated by Bartow Wylie. Outreach happens through coffee bars, Bible studies, Christianity Explored-type courses specially adapted for international students, hospitality and much more. Volunteers are always needed for all these activities - please see us for more information on how to get involved in something that will suit your particular gifts/talents. Eden has supported the work of Kairos Trust for many years, both financially and with 'manpower'.
For now, in this article, we would particularly like to focus on the area of hospitality. Who wouldn't appreciate being invited to someone's home, sharing a meal, conversation, getting to know each other….all the more so if you are in a foreign country trying to learn the language and the customs/culture. Many international visitors in Cambridge never even enter a British home, let alone get to know any Brits! They may (justifiably) leave with the impression that we are a very cold, unfriendly and unwelcoming nation. Don't we have a great opportunity as Christians to alter this impression and show what a difference it makes when Jesus resides in us?
"…I was a stranger and you invited me in…" ()
During the year at Eden there are a number of requests for hospitality to international students. You may sometimes feel bewildered about the various requests for this hospitality, so here we shall summarise the main requirements there are in the year. An important point to make is that anyone can offer 'hospitality', whether you are single or married, young or old, with or without children! Obviously it helps to have a home to where you can invite visitors, and this is not always possible depending on people's circumstances.
Before mentioning the needs for hospitality which come from outside Eden, let us first remember that within Eden there are so many international visitors (and British too!) whom we could invite for a meal, or meet up elsewhere to eat or do something together, eg visit Anglesey Abbey. A lot of people already offer hospitality but there is surely room for more.
Here follows a number of areas we can help with which can be referred to as hospitality:
Before Christmas, another appeal is made for families would can offer hospitality particularly over the Christmas period and this is very much appreciated by students who would otherwise be very lonely.
CIO is always in need (sometimes desperate need!) of accommodation for team members, for 2 weeks or more. If you are going to be away and are willing to offer your empty house, that is fine too. There will soon be leaflets about this at Eden, but if you can help out, don't hesitate to speak to us. The dates of this year's teams are: 6-20 July, 20 July-3 Aug and 3-17/23 Aug.
Several students have come to faith during their time at Central Language School; most students leave having had contacts with a number of Christians and with seeds being planted.
I (Sian) feel privileged to have started working for Central Language School as their Administrator. It is fantastic to work with Christians in a Christian business and therefore to work professionally but also entrusting our work, the students and the future of the school to God. This attitude is so different from the other language schools where I have worked over the years.
Part of my varied job is to organise accommodation for the students, which, as mentioned above, is in Christian homes. I like to call it 'homestay' rather than 'host families' since as previously noted, you most certainly do not have to be parents-and-2-children to offer this kind of hospitality. In fact, most homestay providers are older couples or single people.
While our student numbers are low at the moment and we already have enough Christian homes on our books for this time, if this summer turns out to be as busy as last summer (we hope and pray it will), we will be looking for Christians who are willing to offer homestay to a language student.
Here I would like to clarify some misconceptions about language students: the minimum age is 16 but most students are older than 20 and some are in their 30s, 40s or older! While a few stay long-term (several months) many come for only 2, 3 or 4 weeks, especially in the summer time. Therefore, what I am saying is that if you are able to help us this summer, it does not need to be for weeks at a time. If you are interested in offering homestay all year round, that would be great also. (There is only one family at Eden who is one of our host families).
It can be a really interesting experience to host a language student and often long-term relationships are built up. Besides, this is a wonderful opportunity to share your faith in a natural way with this person who will be eager to find out as much as possible about British culture, which in their eyes often includes the religion/going to church. We encourage our host families to pray for their students and we at the school pray daily for the host families and students too.
The additional bonus to offering this kind of accommodation is, unlike the above types of hospitality, you will get paid for this one!! For many families having a student or two brings in some much-needed extra income.
What is required? You would need to:
If you would like any further information, I would be only too happy to talk to you. Do you have contacts here or abroad who may be interested in studying English at Central Language School? One of my other roles is to recruit students (I consider this my main role, as without students we cannot survive!). The current world crisis is obviously not helping the situation as potential students are naturally wary of booking up flights for the coming weeks/months. If you do have contacts, please let me know and I can get in touch with them. For information, our website is: www.central-ls.co.uk
This article has turned out to be very long, and if you are still reading it at this point, we hope that in future when appeals are made for hospitality/accommodation in the bulletin, you will at least have more idea about what is involved and be able to make a decision.
"Practise hospitality" ()