We Love Opening our Home to College Students!
For the past five years we’ve opened our home for college students to gather together for dinner and a Bible study. Our older son graduated from college in 2009 ago and the other one is finishing up. During their college years our sons were part of our university's Christian club, which they called Christian Students' Association. So having other students into our home has been a fun thing for our family. Over these years we’ve had Russian, Hispanic, Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Taiwanese, Egyptian, and of course other American students around our dinner table. Every year it’s been a different mix, and we’ve greatly enjoyed each set of students that have come. I usually make some type of Thai curry and Asian BBQ chicken (either Chinese, Korean, or Thai!). In the coming weeks I’ll post some of these delicious curries. During these years a few other moms have helped cook for the 5-6 students that come each week.
For the past five years we’ve opened our home for college students to gather together for dinner and a Bible study. Our older son graduated from college in 2009 ago and the other one is finishing up. During their college years our sons were part of our university's Christian club, which they called Christian Students' Association. So having other students into our home has been a fun thing for our family. Over these years we’ve had Russian, Hispanic, Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Taiwanese, Egyptian, and of course other American students around our dinner table. Every year it’s been a different mix, and we’ve greatly enjoyed each set of students that have come. I usually make some type of Thai curry and Asian BBQ chicken (either Chinese, Korean, or Thai!). In the coming weeks I’ll post some of these delicious curries. During these years a few other moms have helped cook for the 5-6 students that come each week.
Getting into the Bible & Spiritual Writings
During some years we’ve done topical Bible studies, and one year we read through most of the Gospel of John. We relied a lot on the footnotes from the Recovery Version because this version is an excellent Bible study tool! This spring we had some new believers in our Bible study so for most of that quarter and summer quarter we read excerpts from chapters in the book Lessons for New Believers which is a group of messages given by Witness Lee in 1959. If you want to check this online, you can do that by clicking on this link for Living Stream Ministry Books. The books are listed alphabetically. All of us were inspired particularly by the five chapters called The Practice of Fellowship. These chapters speak in detail about spending time each morning in prayer and reading the Bible.
Meeting an Egyptian Student & His Discovering Rhema's Free Literature Website
Another highlight that happened this spring was when Tom who works as a mortgage broker met an Egyptian Christian at an international college dinner, and he started coming on Thursday nights. This summer we’ve enjoyed his bringing some Egyptian dishes to share with us; I liked trying the falafel. It was a neat experience to see his joy when some friends returned from California with some books in Arabic that were published by Living Stream Ministry. He was also happy when we showed him Rhema’s new website, which is a site devoted to providing free Christian literature in 18 languages, and he saw that Arabic was one of the choices!
Hearing Sharing from the Brothers Who Work with Christians on Campus at the University of Texas
About a year after opening our home for these dinners, my husband and I with some others flew to Austin, Texas in June 2007 to hear some other believers from the Christians on Campus club at the University of Texas share their enjoyment and experiences of working with college students. The heart of these brothers for the college age is compelling, and their speaking which uses examples from the Lord's ministry in the Gospels and that of the early believers in Acts along with the rest of the New Testament has both encouraged us and given us a view of the Lord's heart for people. We also went again to Austin in 2009. This fellowship over the last four years has been like the fuel in our tank that keeps us motivated.
Tonight's Student Dinner
Tonight is one of our dinners, and I already have some ribs marinating with some Korean BBQ sauce that I am trying for the first time and some Thai chicken with pineapple and basil. I just spoke with the Korean student that comes, and he's looking forward to see how they come out! Besides being a lot of fun to know, these students have been my best food critics to see if I'm getting the taste right! Anyway, after eating dinner together, we enjoy even more the time we have reading Bible, fellowshipping spiritual matters, and praying for each other. It has definitely become a highlight of my week and my Christian experience!
Tonight's Student Dinner
Tonight is one of our dinners, and I already have some ribs marinating with some Korean BBQ sauce that I am trying for the first time and some Thai chicken with pineapple and basil. I just spoke with the Korean student that comes, and he's looking forward to see how they come out! Besides being a lot of fun to know, these students have been my best food critics to see if I'm getting the taste right! Anyway, after eating dinner together, we enjoy even more the time we have reading Bible, fellowshipping spiritual matters, and praying for each other. It has definitely become a highlight of my week and my Christian experience!
Other College Student Dinner Fellowships on This Blog:
Do You Have the Assurance of Your Salvation?
Getting Spiritual Food From God's Word
What are the Securities of Your Salvation?
Hearing God - Dinner Fellowship with College Students
Why Should a Believer Get Baptized?
Why Should You Read the Bible?
What Happens When You Read the Bible?
Coming to the Lord in His Word
Did You Know God Made You With Three Parts?
What is the Key to Experiencing Christ? - A Fellowship with College Students
Calling on the Lord Makes a Difference!
What's the Secret the Third Generation of Mankind Found?
Why Are Just 2 Trees Mentioned in Genesis 2?
Discussion with College Students--What is the Church?
Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway? Part 1
Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway? Part 2
Do You Have the Assurance of Your Salvation?
Getting Spiritual Food From God's Word
What are the Securities of Your Salvation?
Hearing God - Dinner Fellowship with College Students
Why Should a Believer Get Baptized?
Why Should You Read the Bible?
What Happens When You Read the Bible?
Coming to the Lord in His Word
Did You Know God Made You With Three Parts?
What is the Key to Experiencing Christ? - A Fellowship with College Students
Calling on the Lord Makes a Difference!
What's the Secret the Third Generation of Mankind Found?
Why Are Just 2 Trees Mentioned in Genesis 2?
Discussion with College Students--What is the Church?
Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway? Part 1
Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway? Part 2
Thank you so much for all your wonderful dinners and all your dedication to make each time more wonderful then the next and opening your home to the students world wide. - John
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie, I want you to know that I enjoy reading your blog so much. Also, I want to say thank you for warm welcome everytime I visit you. Getting to know you and other believers is a wonderful experience. I will be back in about two weeks, and I hope that I will see you soon. Love, Suchakree.
ReplyDeleteI do miss those days with the family even thought I am not really participating the meeting recently! I do appreciate that God gave me this chance to know the family and all the brothers and sisters!
ReplyDeleteThanks the lord for gathering us and building us in love, it's been a wonderful fellowship with your family. The joy, the sweetness, the laughter... all are so precious and only in the lord we are one regardless of where we came from! May God bless you and your household, and continue his blessings on whoever came hungry and thirsty. Lets enjoy him to the fullness!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's awesome! Open homes and open hearts are the Lord's favorite things. :) When I was a college student, being in an older believer's home has shepherded my soul and nourished my spirit to the uttermost. I feel like that's where I learned to be a normal Christian living ordinary days under the divine supply of God.
ReplyDeleteThe College Student Dinners were some of the best memories I've had when I was attending Western. Not only were you being fed physically, but spiritually as well! The kindness and generosity of all the Saints who opened their homes to all the believers (and non-believers alike) was a genuine expression of Christian hospitality. I learned so much by going deeper in the Word as well as the sharing of testimonies by other Believers. It truly felt that we were one Body and my prayer is that all Believers will be able to experience that as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for opening your doors to us. What a joy and blessing to be part of such an amazing Christian family!
What a Wonderful blog. As a person who has been in this home I can testify that the Love of the Lord is the first and foremost impression when you visit here. Jean
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