Now that classes have started, things have slowed down… at least relative to last week’s pace! The week started in Corvallis with a 15-hour day at the 7th annual free furniture giveaway and ended with a “Cowboy BBQ.” In fact, I was in Corvallis most of the week volunteering with the international student orientation, helping to welcome 900+ students to campus!
I was able to reconnect with many returning students (like the six I picked up at the airport) as well as move an old friend from Salem into our home. Along the way, I made some new friends, too. Instead of going into all of the boring details of the week, I’ll summarize by introducing you to a handful of these new friends.
The first is George, a new WOU student from Shanghai. He lived with us for 10 days until the dorms opened up.
George’s friend Stanley sent me this IM the other day, thanking me for helping him and his two housemates get furniture, groceries, and internet set up for their new apartment. They were a bit skeptical of the secondhand furniture store I took them to until they found out just how great of deal they were getting. A new dining table and four chairs had cost their friends $190; I was able to get them a used set plus an office chair and a vacuum–delivered–for $50. I think I’m their new best friend. Here’s Stanley’s note:
Matt! I want to thank you for you have done so many things for us, we do appreciate that. Thank you so much! May the almighty god bless all members of your family!
Jason, a returning WOU student, is wanting to get more involved in our ISI activities. This is what he wrote to me yesterday:
if u get some church active,tell me plz. u know thats so boring stay at home everyday with computer
Of course I will, Jason.
In other WOU news, I’m still meeting with Apollo and Kevin for Bible study each week, and they are really excited to go with me to a Welcome Night at the Corvallis Chinese Church this Saturday.
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As for connections down at OSU (where I’m planning to spend most Wednesdays), I was able to meet Nathan (from Japan) and Frank (from China) who are both open to spiritual things. In fact, when I was having lunch with Frank, he commented that Christians are “the best people” based on his experience living with a Christian host family in Colorado and the people he had met so far in Corvallis. No pressure, right?!
I spent a lot of time with Lucas and Greg at the Cowboy BBQ on Sunday. Both graduate students in the sciences, they share an office space on campus. Lucas has only been in the States for one month and Greg is starting his second year here. I’m hoping to see them again at our first international student lunch on October 5th.
Daniel is a Taiwanese Christian who I met at the orientation leader training. He’s an OSU student with near-perfect English and a heart for ministry. Please pray with me that he can get involved in our Friends of Internationals activities, like the free lunches and Bible studies.
Another orientation leader and OSU student, Jonah, and I ended up working together a couple of times. I knew he was struggling with some life decisions, so we sat down for chat on one of the afternoons. He was worried about his studies, because he might not be able to stay at OSU and the eight other universities he had applied to had denied him. I didn’t have a whole lot of advice to give, so I offered to pray for him instead. Despite his Muslim background, he gladly accepted my offer. When he comes to mind, please pray for my new friend, Jonah.
Jeremy, a student in the intensive English program at OSU, attended the furniture giveaway where he was given a Bible in English. He was so impressed with the kindness shown to him that day and hungry to know more about the Bible that he stopped by the church office (where the giveaway was held) the next day to ask if they had any Chinese/English Bibles on hand. The print was a bit small in his English Bible anyway! They didn’t have anything, so I was able to meet him the following morning and give him a bilingual New Testament. Jeremy said that he wanted a Bible because he was
…shocked by what [we] did on the giveaway day. No one in my hometown would do this kind of thing. They only think about themselves, not about others.
Xavier, another student I met at the furniture giveaway (who liked it so much that he went through the line twice!), wrote this e-mail to me:
Thank you for your warm-hearted help. Your Chinese is pretty good, which impressed me so much. And I think as long as you keep practicing, your Chinese will be improved in a high level. I hope we can become good friends.
I hope so, too!
NOTE: Names have been changed to protect students’ identities.
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