1845 Swiss Settlement of New Glarus
We took some international friends for a cultural activity today to New Glarus, Wisconsin, a Swiss settlement which dates back to 1845. Despite the rain and temps in the 50s, I think everyone had a good time and some good conversations. And yes, this town is the home of the famous brewery of the same name which advertises that it only sells their malted beverage in Wisconsin...
Cultural activities like what we did today are a great way to build relationships with students and scholars from many different nations. Internationals come to the USA to study, and want to experience American life and culture, but often they do not have cars, and lack of public transport outside of the city makes it tough for them to have interesting experiences outside of the university and city. So a trip like this may seem simple to us, but it means the world to many of our international friends, and ministers to their felt needs. Today we met several new friends, and they told me that today was their first outing since COVID started!
Outings like this are often are first point of contact with folks, and provide a bridge to sharing with them about our other educational opportunities, such as our various English classes and Bible discussions during weekdays and evenings throughout the week.