Christmas dinner outreach spreads holiday cheer

Love Ottawa project creates memorable Christmas for international students

By Craig Macartney and ChristianWeek Senior Correspondent | December 12, 2013

OTTAWA, ON—Love Ottawa is organizing its second annual Christmas outreach for international students. The interdenominational ministry is calling on Christian families in the national capital region to hold a special Christmas dinner for international students.

"Our goal is to connect international students to Christian homes for a traditional Canadian Christmas dinner," says Jevin Maltais, a member of the planning committee for the "Friends for Dinner" project. "Our hope is that there will be an opportunity to talk about the real meaning of the season, and that the student would be invited to other fun activities by the family."

Love Ottawa is working with several local Christian groups on campuses to recruit international students. The students are then matched with volunteer hosts who arrange the evening and make sure the student has transportation.

"People are busy during the holidays, so we want to be flexible. It doesn't have to be the host's main Christmas dinner, but something that has a similar feel for the student," Maltais explains. "Hopefully they are able to continue that relationship and have more fun and deeper experiences later on."

"Experiencing traditional Canadian heritage is fun, but loving the lonely is part of the calling we have in Jesus. It's really through friendship that the trust exists to allow [gospel conversations] to happen."

Maltais says most international students never have the opportunity to visit a Canadian home. Additionally, the flow of domestic students returning home during Christmas break often leaves international students feeling isolated and lonely. It's a feeling Carleton University student Clyde Huang knew well.

In late 2012, Huang was in a church for the first time and felt "awkward, just standing there looking around. As an international student, I had no family in Ottawa. I wanted to experience a Canadian Christmas. I wanted to know what it feels like to have dinner with family on Christmas day."

At the church, Huang met a couple involved with "Friends for Dinner" and was invited to celebrate Christmas with them. Huang kept in contact with the family who invited him to several more dinners and outings. He says the experience helped him become a more grateful person.

Maltais says the ultimate goal is demonstrating love and developing the trust to effectively share the gospel.

"Experiencing traditional Canadian heritage is fun, but loving the lonely is part of the calling we have in Jesus. It's really through friendship that the trust exists to allow [gospel conversations] to happen."