International Friends hosts annual dinner
Published Sept. 7, 2009
More than 70 people attended the annual International Friendship Dinner on Sept. 5, one of International Friends' many activities that aim to build international camaraderie.
After dinner, international students watched the Charlie Chaplin film “The Immigrant.”
International Friends Ministry Director Craig Colbert said the silent film helped the students relax because everyone could understand it regardless of their English language skills. He said everyone laughed at the right moments.
“A sense of humor is the best way to adjust to a new culture,” Colbert said at the dinner.
International Friends runs a variety of activities geared toward building international relationships, including English classes, conversation groups, Bible discussions, dinners for Christian fellowship and luncheons to meet MU professors.
Colbert is also the pastor of Global Life Church, which meets at the International Friends Center.
Columbia resident John Pasquet, who leads an Old Testament discussion group, said many of the students are experiencing religious freedom for the first time at International Friends.
Pasquet said he’s grown spiritually through Bible discussions with them because they remind him of what he believes.
“A lot of people come here and they’ve never even held a Bible,” Pasquet said. “People who don’t know everything about Christianity have really fresh perspectives.”
Colbert said International Friends offers ways to learn about the Bible for those who are interested, but they never teach internationals what to believe. Non-Christian activities, such as English conversation groups, do not include any religious content.
Shirley Colbert said when faith comes up in a conversation, she first asks international students what they believe, to make them more comfortable and understand where they’re coming from.
“I think they sense that we’re safe people,” Shirley Colbert said. “They feel the freedom to ask questions and not feel pressured.”
Jiniya Chandra, a Hindu originally from Kolkata, India, said she participates in the Bible studies and attends Global Life Church every couple of months.
She said she respects the Colberts because they respect her and the other international community members.
“I am a Hindu, but I also believe in Jesus,” Chandra said. “I learned to accept my religion and accept Christianity. I just consider it to be learning about God, and it gives me peace of mind.”
Chandra came to Columbia in July 2007 after her husband pursued his doctoral degree at MU. Unable to work or study on her visa, Chandra asked Shirley Colbert if she could volunteer for International Friends. Chandra and Colbert found a common interest in cooking, and Chandra helped her prepare the Friday night dinners.
“It’s a relief that I met Shirley because otherwise I would have been going crazy alone,” Chandra said. “Whenever I miss home, I come to International Friends. That’s how comforting it is. Shirley and Craig are definitely God-sent, and they just keep on helping people. You can come here without any fear in your heart.”