Welcoming the Nations to Mobile

                                                Welcoming the Nations 

  Dear Friends and Family;

  Our welcome dinner on August 26th was a huge success. Although the number of new international students was lower than usual, we had a tremendous overall turnout of over 200 guests. Our team of volunteers did a superb job of inviting students from both the University of South Alabama and the University of Mobile. We were able to get a food waiver which enabled us to solicit local ethnic restaurants including the Yak (Nepali), Cuisine of India and Hart's Fried Chicken for donations. We also had several families and friends donate food from home too! The idea behind this welcome dinner is to create an atmosphere of welcome! This year I felt inspired to have the Mobile City Council President to officially welcome the new students. Gina Gregory did a great job of speaking to the students about the ever growing presence of global industry in our region. Our faculty advisor, Dr. Zohair Hussain interviewed Mary and I about the vision of Friends of Internationals and noted the tremendous growth of the ministry over our 19 years of involvement.

  In addition to delicious food we had a mix of music, dance and gifts to help welcome the students. Katleho (S. African) and Kayleb (Malawian) and two friends from the community shared a traditional Nigerian dance. Anna and George shared a swing dance that represented American culture. Richie Bennyson led the Friends of Internationals Worship team performed through a mix of popular and Christian songs including the famous Alabama song, "Sweet Home Alabama". We gave out several gifts to new students including FOI T-Shirts and gifts cards in a lucky drawing. If I had to use a single word to describe the atmosphere of the evening it would be joy. There was a real sense of joy that permeated the evening from beginning to end. In fact it was difficult to actually end the evening as a large number of students just spontaneously began to dance together to different music that they were familiar with. Thank you so much for praying for this ministry. It's not easy to put together a large gathering with students from various nations and cultural and religious backgrounds. But God drew people together in a marvelous way.

                                                Empowering Future Leaders Globally

  Just last evening we gathered with several of our student leaders over a lasagna dinner. I shared our heart to empower the student themselves to use their God given gifting to represent God's love on the campus of USA and then beyond into their own vision for life. We have these students for a brief window of time. As Mary and I get older our vision is shifting more to empowering and cheering on these young people to do the work of the ministry. We will continue to direct and lead FOI but in a strategically different manner. We will be supporting these young people and urging them onward even now to reach out to the ever growing international community here in our area. We are not just impacting students. We are seeing international families seeking out the ministry of FOI as a way to find loving and welcoming community. Just this past weekend our own local church (Mars Hill) hosted a Labor Day Family Picnic. We invited students and international families and we had a huge response of people who otherwise probably would not attend a local church gathering. People are hungry for genuine and loving community. This semester we have several key events that will continue to gather and by God's grace grow our international family of friends! Right now we are preparing for an "Indian Night", "Venezuelan Night", "Japanese Night" and a special weekend retreat in October that will focus on a Biblical vision for relationships! Please pray for our hearts to be tender to the leading of the Holy Spirit in all these meetings and plans. We need God's wisdom now more than ever!

Thank you for praying and giving;

Jim and Mary

If you would like to financially support ministry of Friends of Internationals you can give by writing a check to IGO (enclose a note for Mather Support) and send to P.O. Box 1008, Semmes, Alabama 36575  You can also give online to support the Mather family at www.igoministries.org

Moving Forward in Mobile

                                          Election Eve in the City of Mobile, Alabama  
  On August 22nd the city of Mobile will vote to decide between Sandy Stimpson our present Mayor or former Mayor Sam Jones. (There are two minor candidates not relevant to actual results) Never in my lifetime have I seen two candidates and their campaign styles and personalities in such stark contrast. Our former Mayor Jones has sadly conducted a sullen and sour campaign filled with an us vs. them theme, while our country reels from real division. It's a dangerously combustible formula to win power without a clear vision. Sandy Stimpson on the the other hand has attempted to stay on message with "One Mobile" his campaign slogan. Sandy has by all accounts righted the financial ship in city hall. The facts reveal (denied by Sam's public statements) that our city was in serious financial straights and infrastructure and city employees were waiting for $ to meet their very real needs.
  There are still many serious problems festering in Mobile, Alabama. Most pundits are picking Sandy to secure a second term in office. One issue that neither campaign has adequately addressed is what to do with declining revenues from our dangerously high sales tax. Sam in the debates talked about how our success recently was largely due to his incessant push for our 'tithe' (10 percent sales tax) to the city coffers. But the facts are that retail locally and nationwide is in free fall. A changing reality of the 'internet' economy means that cities are naive and short sighted to think you can tax your way to prosperity in an ever connected global economy. This issue will be staring whoever wins directly in the face. Will we find a way for significant tax reform for the city and state of Alabama?
  For those who know me well, it's clear that I'm an ardent supporter of Sandy Stimpson as Mayor. Sam Jones just doesn't have either the vision or managerial and leadership skills to lead our city forward. But we the citizens of the city of Mobile should not be naive in thinking that we still don't face serious issues in order to fulfill the vision of our current Mayor. It will take innovative solutions and an honest assessment of the serious issues still confronting us in our city, state and nation. Do your civic duty and vote on August 22nd.... and stay involved in serving the city that God has placed us in. Pray for the well being of the city of Mobile! 

Friends of Internationals July Newsletter

  For international students attending the University of South Alabama summertime is a mixed bag of classes, study and work. We still have a good number of students here in Mobile, so we choose to continue to minister through the summer terms and even begin preparation for the fall. This week we took a number of students to the beautiful scenery of the Pier in Fairhope, Alabama. We had a great turnout on a very hot and humid evening! God has made us of us we deep relational needs. Try to imagine being separated from family and friends for years at a time....what would that feel like emotionally? Loneliness is very tough to deal with over time. Our ministry seeks to communicate and meet various needs that will help people experience God's love and more fully embrace the gospel.Over the course of a few hours of hanging out together sharing food, conversation and great scenery we saw relationships forming, deepening and granting opportunity of overcoming loneliness and isolation for so many. Christian writer Dallas Willard said it so well, “The aim of God in history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself included in that community as its prime sustainer and most glorious inhabitant.”

 Our vision at Friends of Internationals is to help create opportunities for God's people to use the ordinary rhythms of life to welcome and love international students, refugees and others struggling to connect relationally with God and people. We need your prayers to be sensitive to how to do that in ever more challenging environment of fear and anxiety. Satan seeks to separate, isolate and destroy people. God seeks to place the lonely in families! (Psalm 68:6)

                                     Special Prayer Focus 

  As we continue to experience global terror and political upheaval I think it would be wise for Christians to really pray about the conditions of our own hearts and minds. The change in our lives can almost be imperceptible and not easily discerned...perhaps a change in our commitment to a certain ministry or relationship. We often react to stress and perceived danger or uncertainty with some version of what is known as the 'fight or flight' response. Here are Jesus words of warning from Matthew 24:12, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."

  As we prepare for a special outreach later in July we are calling, "Christmas in July" we are asking you to pray for our team for God's ideas on how to minister through our various activities and relationships. When I was a child, our cousins in Connecticut would invite us to their home in the summer to help us celebrate Christmas together since they could not visit us in December. We loved the idea of celebrating the joy of Christmas twice a year and the warm weather and swimming in their pool didn't hurt at all!  In seeking to communicate the message of Jesus across cultures, we have to be creative and often 'out of the box'. Pray for God's grace to be revealed as we have some fun and also share the true meaning of Christ in this outreach to international students!

                              Fall Semester Welcome Dinner

    On July 9th, 1998 our family drove into Mobile, Alabama to begin ministering as directors of Friends of Internationals. Almost immediately, we faced immense challenges that would test our faith. Mary developed a kidney stone requiring an emergency procedure. Mary's mom came to help us and collapsed from an allergic reaction  that almost caused her to stop breathing. A few weeks later we were to host our first welcome dinner without the money we needed and very little idea of how to do the ministry. We needed God desperately and we knew it....and now all these years later we have not moved far from that realization. We need God desperately to help us to minister to these wonderful students in need of God's love. Make no mistake.....we still realize that apart from God's sustaining grace and power, we cannot do the ministry of Friends of Internationals. On August 26th we will host our annual welcome dinner and we are asking for your continued generosity in both prayer and financial gifts to enable us to continue to serve the nations represented. Who knows who God will bring to our doorstep? We wait with expectancy and great faith. God will do marvelous things! Thank you for standing with us all these years! We are so deeply grateful!

In Christ love;

Jim and Mary

  

Let's Reelect Sandy Stimpson Mayor of Mobile!

  On August 22nd, Mobile citizens will go to the polls to choose their Mayor for the next 4 years. It doesn't seem that long ago that Sandy Stimpson upset incumbent Mayor Sam Jones who had been in power for 8 years (two terms). It came in the aftermath of a realization that fiscally Mobile was on shaky ground and in need of a more accountable and better managed city. Sam had struggled to communicate a clear and hopeful vision for the city in his second term. Sandy with his strong business background elevated the hopes of many in Mobile with his campaign theme of "One Mobile". Campaign slogans don't often instantly solve problems but they do offer a direction and a vision of what could be....what should be in public life. Now 4 years after his election, we can see some significant improvements in our cities trajectory and climate. Here are just a few key significant fiscal markers to illustrate progress:

1. Reduced city debt by 45 million dollars
2. Built a 'rainy day' reserve fund of 20 million dollars.
3. Rating increases by both Moody and S &P
4. A burgeoning Aerospace industry that continues to expand.
5. New tech corridor launched on St. Louis Street
6. Improved salaries of both Fire and Police forces
7. 63 million dollars invested in our broken infrastructure which had been sorely neglected by Sam and previous administrations.

  Much of public service is neither glamorous or headline grabbing. But paying bills on time and caring for streets and parks and providing decent salaries for public servants is vital to the well being of any city. I believe that Sandy Stimpson has offered a clear vision and has acted upon that vision with integrity and hard work. He deserves another 4 years to continue the progress that he and his administration have provided to city hall. In his own words Sandy summarizes what I deeply believe, "Mobile is undergoing an incredible transformation. The changes we've made stand to have a lasting impact and we aren't done yet." I urge my friends and fellow Mobilians to come out to the polls on August 22nd and vote to reelect Sandy Stimpson as our Mayor!

Spotlight on Japan

       

                                                    

 This month I would like to focus on a special unexpected opportunity to reach out to Japan. Japan is a nation of 127 million people. This past January we had 4 new students arrive from a University based in Osaka, Japan as one year exchange students. They came from Kansai Gaidai University. One of the students,Haruna Inoue has become especially close to us during the last few months. Due to an unforeseen change in her volunteer work position in California, she is now working with Friends of Internationals for this month! I asked her today if I could interview her so that people would know about her life in Japan and America and what is happening through our ministry.

 Haruna told me that she has studied English for 8 years and has desired for many years to live and work in America in some form of international business. She applied for a scholarship to study abroad at the University of South Alabama. She describes life in Japan as much more formal than life here in Mobile, Alabama.  She also enjoys the slower pace of life compared to Osaka which is a mega city in Asia with a population of nearly 9 million people!

 I asked Haruna what was the best thing of her experience so far in America. I was pleasantly surprised when she said this, “I think that the best experience I’ve had is my interaction with Friends of Internationals. I have gotten to meet people from many nations and also learned more about the local community in Mobile.” Haruna mentioned that initially she was a bit cautious about coming to Bible study but the welcome dinner helped her feel happy and loved. Japanese society is traditionally Buddhist but they are not very religious in everyday life. Christianity is viewed as foreign and is equated with some cults that have been viewed very negatively in the media and society of Japan.  

                                            Friendship Makes All the Difference

 You can imagine that someone from a non religious background might find it difficult to understand the value of a weekly Bible study. It was the friendship of an American student, Ragan Ferguson that has made all the difference for Haruna. Though Haruna did attend a Christian Junior High and High school she was only vaguely familiar with the message of the Bible. She describes Ragan’s love and example as a big factor in her now finding the Bible study as something she enjoys very much. Her favorite part has been being prayed for and seeing answers to those prayers. I asked her directly if she thinks that she could come to the place where she herself would believe in and follow Jesus. Her answer was insightful and hopeful, “In Japan when we are in trouble, we have nowhere to turn but ourselves. Perhaps that’s why so many commit suicide. In Christianity you can pray and ask God for help and you have a community of friends that reach out and love you. You’re not alone.” God is using Friends of Internationals to touch the hearts of many who otherwise would not know His love. Pray for Haruna to be deeply impacted by her experience and involvement with Friends of Internationals;

In Christ love;

Jim and Mary

When Jesus Knocks On Your Front Door

I came to live in Mobile, Alabama on July 9th, 1998 to help direct an international student ministry known as Friends of Internationals. My entire focus in life was to love and care for the large international student community attending the University of South Alabama. Our family has a home that sits on the doorstep of the USA campus. We were very busy and enjoyed every minute of the ministry. There were challenges of course....trying to balance our own family responsibilities while often hosting 100 students for weekly dinners in our too small home...but we knew we were doing what we were called to do in spite of our own challenges of trying to make it all work. Despite knowing we were doing God's will, I would like to share in this blog about how sometimes we can become so focused on what is directly in front of us, we might miss out on something new or different that God wants us to be aware of and even involved in.
  One evening more than a decade ago during our weekly international student Bible study group, I heard a loud knock on our front door. I went to answer the door to see a very tall young man I did not recognize. He began to ask me a question, "Are you Jim Mather?" I told him that I was and then he proceeded to ask me directly if I could help him! I asked him how he knew my name. It turns out that he had walked all the way from Providence hospital where he had a met an R.N. who knew me from a local church. His refugee family ( he was one of several children) from Sudan were refugees who had a lot of needs and he heard from this nurse that perhaps our family and ministry could help him. Honestly I had no idea how to help a refugee family but invited him to sit with our Bible study group.
  Abraham introduced himself to our group and proceeded to tell his story of escape, danger and trial in fleeing the civil war in Sudan. Over a several year journey of harrowing experiences, he now sat in my house to tell of God's faithfulness and help in allowing him and his family to survive. We all listened carefully and our own faith was challenged and stretched. Since that initial meeting with Abraham, I realized that at times God wants to stretch us and be his hands extended beyond our own 'box' of even the good things we do for him. In time I connected in an ongoing way along with my wife with Refugee Resettlement which is a division of Catholic Social Services in Mobile. I helped connect Abraham's family with a local church that 'adopted' his family. In the next few years we prayed and shifted our ministry for a time to include helping to start an international church known as All Nations Community Church. That in time led us to pray for and receive a full time missionary to refugees into Mobile. Jeri Stroade relocated from Manhattan, Kansas to work here in Mobile where she now leads Dwell Mobile a non profit committed to holistic and ongoing assistance that supplements what Catholic Social Services does in Mobile. (www.dwellmobile.org) On average Mobile receives around 150 new refugees into our area though the number does vary from year to year. Each refugee has a unique story and faces challenges in adapting to a new world--- language acquisition, cultural adjustment, job searches and for children the immersion into a school system often far different from their own. Refugee children often face long waits in refugee camps or temporary settings where schooling might be either limited or even forbidden. To put it frankly, the life of a refugee is hard and uncertain. The trauma of having suffered literal war wounds and or the death of relatives and friends is hard to fathom unless you have experienced it. Many refugees suffer from some form of post traumatic stress syndrome.
                                           Loving People in an Age of Terror
  Refugee resettlement in Mobile has always kept a 'low profile' in our city for various reasons. The need to maintain privacy for their clients is a requirement of the law and serves to protect the vulnerable. In 1975 in the aftermath of the Vietnamese war, there was an upsurge of refugees into our community that began the official work of Refugee resettlement in Mobile. Wars and traumatic events are a part of the age in which we live. Something shifted though on September 11th, 2001. War came home to our own nation and the impact of our own "Post traumatic Stress Syndrome" began to leave it's mark on our national psyche. How can we love people in an age of terror? It's never easy to balance security and compassion. Jesus followers are commanded to 'take up their crosses' and follow him. Where is Jesus in the midst of this age of terror? Where is Jesus commanding his people to go? Who is Jesus commanding us to be? When Abraham knocked on my front door so many years ago, I had a choice to make. Would I slam the door on his plea for help? Would I invite him into my home? Would I trust God to lead me into a pathway where his love is extended? I don't want to guilt anyone into doing anything other than encourage people to really depend on God's leading and guidance in this new reality of loving people in an age of terror.

                                     Responding to the President's executive order
  We have in the last few days heard of a new executive order issued by the new President of the United States. This has a direct bearing on who is admitted into our country and even now it is uncertain how this order will impact refugees coming to our nation longer term. Emotions are running high, as so many people in harm's way wait and see what will transpire. No matter what the government does, I would hope that Christ followers might look to the example of Jesus and the word of God to guide their own responses to this changing reality. The wisdom of Leviticus chapter 19 still speaks to us all, "Do not exploit the foreigners who live in your land. They should be treated like everyone else, and you must love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt, I, the Lord am your God." No matter how our government responds to the national security issues that are very real, we must ensure that our own hearts are not hardened by the challenge of terror and evil. Jesus warns us that when he returns many people's hearts will have turned from the way of love.....'sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love many will grow cold." ~ Matthew 24:12
  I implore you who are reading this to check your own hearts and minds regarding the reality of what the way of Jesus is calling us to. Pray for all those in authority.... and continue to live in such a way that reflects the reality of God's  love to those who are seeking a place of refuge from war and trauma. May God have his way in our fragile and broken world.
Sincerely in Christ love;
Jim Mather
Friends of Internationals
www.foimobile.org