True stories
Genuine interest
"I have been in the UK for a year already now, and now
I am so pleased to have met you because you are the first British
people to take an interest in me and my country" International
student studying in the South of England.
Missionary visas
“I have the final stamp of authority on Christian missionaries’
visas. I will see this part of my job differently now.”
– A female MA student from a restricted Muslim country after
a meal with a Christian host family.
Worldwide implications
A German student began coming along to the international café
and soon became a Christian. She was so excited about her new found
faith. She became a great witness, encouraging all her friends to
come along to church with her. It was sad when she had to leave
Cardiff to go back home, but within a month or two she had started
up an international work in her city! Many students from her home
city have also come to Cardiff to study and when they went back
they became involved with the international work too. We know that
the effect of what God does here in the UK will have implications
worldwide but it’s great to be able to see what is happening.
Church as a research project
A Japanese masters degree student eagerly comes to our Bible studies
each week. She always has pen in hand to write copious notes on
everything that is said. “I don’t sleep too well
after our times together”, she told me with a smile,
“because I have so many ideas going around in my head.”
I met her for the first time at church, a new experience for her,
where she enjoyed the informality of the service and lively singing.
When I asked who had invited her, she pointed out a Christian Japanese
couple. She said she’d asked if she could accompany them to
church after her supervisor suggested that she visit a church. I
was surprised not only that an academic would give such a recommendation
to a student, but also because social anthropologists are not known
for being enthusiastic about the Christian faith.
It became clear when I spoke to the Japanese couple later. Her
supervisor had advised her to meet church people so that they could
help with her research: her topic being ‘Sexual Behaviour
in Senior Citizens’. He thought church was the best place
to find old people. I am pleased to say that she now comes to church
for different reasons.
Cross-cultural misunderstandings
An Indian Christian man was invited into a family home for Sunday
lunch. He was asked if he would like a cup of coffee – as
he did want some, he politely declined the first offer, expecting
to be asked again, as is the custom in India. No further offer of
coffee came, so he went without. They then progressed to Sunday
lunch, a traditional British meal of roast beef. Chicken is the
meat associated with having visitors for a meal in India –
certainly not beef, the cheapest meat available. He therefore did
not feel that his hosts were making a special effort for him. After
the meal, even though he’d always left his wife to wash the
dishes at home, he politely asked his hosts if he could give them
a hand with the washing up, expecting a no – but his hosts
took him up on the offer. He left the house thoroughly insulted.
|
