One area in my life that is lacking is ethnic diversity within my "groups." Minus one Japanese friend I went to high school with, I spend my time with white, middle class people. My friends, family, colleagues, and church circles are filled with people who are almost just like me. I am drawn to and comfortable around people I have things in common with.
Several times this past year I have felt pulled outside my comfort levels. One of my responsibilities at Bethany is to organize host homes for our international students. This job has led to plenty of interactions with our South Korean students and families. I make trips to the airport to drop off and pick up students and I check in periodically with students to see how their hosting situations are going. I do not do when in situations with language barriers. I find myself becoming very flustered and overwhelmed with these conversations. I realize these situations are stretching for me, mainly because I do not spend a lot of time with people who are different from me.
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