International Student Houseparties
Standing on frozen Lake Huron, bundled against the biting December air, InterVarsity staff member Terrell Smith watched a handful of students plunge through a hole in the ice after steaming in the Finnish sauna on shore.
He noticed one student in particular obviously enjoying the frigid water experience. He had to ask him why he liked the extreme temperatures so much. “He said, ‘Terrell, I come from Indonesia. I would never be able to do this in my whole life.’"
Most of the students who participate in InterVarsity’s annual international houseparty at Cedar Campus, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, skip the sauna and the plunge. There are a lot of other cold weather holiday traditions for them to enjoy.
Winter Getaway
The late December houseparties at Cedar Campus and Bear Trap Ranch—in the Rocky Mountains near Colorado Springs—are an InterVarsity tradition going back to at least 1954. International students usually can’t go home for the winter break. They’re open to the opportunity to have some winter fun, learn about American traditions, and also get some of their questions answered about Christianity.
"I believe more and more students come because they have questions,” Terrell said. “There has been a change, especially among the mainland Chinese." Years ago, Chinese students who were invited to the houseparty usually responded self consciously, “are there any other Chinese there?” Being too curious about Christianity could get them in trouble. Now they usually ask, “Can I bring my friend?” The atmosphere has changed greatly.
Small-group Bible studies and speakers who talk about God are daily features of the houseparties. But there are lots of additional activities, including a talent show, ice skating, and broom ball games on the ice. On one evening the students enjoy dinner with American families who live nearby.
Food Focus
A highlight for everyone is the New Year’s Eve International Dinner. Students have the opportunity to cook a dish from their country. For several days the camp staff have shopped for all of the ingredients that the students listed in their recipes.
"All afternoon they're cooking,” Terrell explained. “The entire dining room turns into a kitchen. They're making Chinese dumplings; they're making Indian dishes; they're making salads. They're doing it together with people from their own country, and they're doing it with people who are not from their own country. It's a huge international undertaking, and lots and lots of fun."
The days are filled with food, fun, and fellowship, and time passes quickly. Students at the houseparty represent the proportions of international students attending U.S. colleges, with students from China and India making up the largest groups.
Good Conversation
The conversations in the Bible studies and also at the meal times usually move toward questions about Christianity. "Asian students have the preconceived notion that everybody here is a Christian and that this is a Christian nation,” Terrell said. But their observations of American behavior don’t always agree with what they’ve learned about the Christian faith. So they have lots of questions.
Some students come to the houseparty because they realize that they have a spiritual vacuum in their lives. They may come from a country that doesn’t allow Christianity to be taught, and they are curious. The informal conversations around a table are the most enjoyable part of the houseparty for Terrell, especially when he sees the face of an international student suddenly light up with understanding.
"It could be during a question and answer session. It could be sitting at a meal. It could be at a Bible study. It could be on a walk. It's like scales fall off of their eyes. Suddenly a smile comes on their face and you can see something has just happened to them. That to me is what makes it so fun and exciting," Terrell said.
Bear Trap Ranch is hosting its winter international houseparty December 20-26. Cedar Campus is holding its winter international houseparty December 27-January 2.