3 minute read
Community Profile: Northern Nevada International Center
PROFILE
Leading with Open Heart and Open Home
By Diane Williams
An open heart and open home policy
has never been a foreign concept for me and my husband. Serving as missionaries for more than 16 years, we understood first hand the power of hospitality in new and unfamiliar environments. When we stumbled upon the University of Nevada, Reno’s Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC) advertisement seeking shortterm (6-12 days) home hosts for exchange participants five years ago, we were quick to investigate.
NNIC is highly lauded in our community for their work in resettling refugees along with language interpretation and translation services, but a lesser-known component of the nonprofit is their exchange programs. These programs engage some of the most intelligent, innovative and entrepreneurial minds from across the globe as they dive deeper into their pursuits across the country and, often, right here in the Biggest Little City. With individuals hailing from diverse locations such as Brazil, Africa, and Korea, the organization bridges students and professionals to opportunities in northern Nevada while giving them opportunities to draw closer to American culture. We hoped to be a warm and inviting family for these bright young minds to connect with.
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Before inviting our first international guest Leila (from Algeria) into our home, the organization primed us with information to ensure her stay was comfortable for everyone involved. We sat in a home hosting seminar to understand information about their home countries and cultural nuances we should be aware of. They even provided halal meat (similar to kosher meat, but slaughtered by a Muslim, rather than by a Jewish individual) to ensure her dietary needs would be met. The majority of the day the students are off participating in activities with the organization, so time with host families is largely spent in the evenings and on weekends. Leila was coming to town for only 12 days, so we wanted to ensure her stay was comfortable so she could make the most of her trip.
Upon welcoming Leila into our home, we were gifted with so much cheer, learning about her and her family. She shared stories of her daily life back in Algeria, and we heard the highlights of her day-to-day experiences in the states. We made an effort to create dishes that reflected both Leila’s heritage and ours, forging a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other’s cultures when we got to break bread together. It was a little surreal watching her stand in front of the mountains of cereal and bread in Walmart, mouth ajar. In another excursion, we realized how many options we truly have nearby as she meandered through Costco samples with sheer excitement. Leila got to see our life through new eyes, and it was a feeling so pure that it’s difficult to describe without experiencing it first hand. It has now been five years since she was in our home, but we remember these anecdotes like they were yesterday. The relationship we nurtured in that time has kept us close and allowed us to stay close as she grows up and completes incredible things.
Our family has also created amazing bonds with fellow home host families. From holding barbeques and pool days to heading out for horseback riding excursions, we have worked together to create everlasting memories that we hope our guests will carry home with them.
We fully endorse participation in home hosting through Northern Nevada International Center but there is one drawback we must warn you about… the goodbyes come quickly and they never get easier. Many of ours have even been filled with tears. Still, we wouldn’t trade any single experience. It’s truly a gift to be able to connect with new friends so deeply as they experience new things in our hometown. Every experience reminds us that, despite all that makes us different across our culture, there is so much that unites us.
Our commitment to home hosting will persist as long as we have an extra room to spare, and if you have the opportunity to host as well, we encourage you: take it. Your life will be enriched.
I know our family has been enriched in ways we simply could not have imagined, and I wish the same for yours!
