Opening your door to others pays off

By Anna Maria Ospina
Student essay

I wake up to the smell of coffee brewing, bagels toasting and bacon sizzling, mingled with the sound of voices in the kitchen. As I roll over on my bed of blankets on the floor in my parents’ room, I remember why I am there.

Our guests arrived the night before; my brothers and I gave up our rooms for their use. This time it was a family with two children from Spain and two young ladies from China. The church my family attends invites Christian brothers and sisters from many countries all over the globe to visit Irving, and also sends some of our own members to these different nations.

Some people find it strange to give hospitality (or “hostility,” as my six-year-old brother said when he was a toddler) to strangers coming from different countries into one house, and at the same time too. It is not so odd when we share the same faith. True, it is a bit awkward when they first arrive, but by the time of their departure, I feel as if I have known them all my life.

Before our guests’ arrival, my family, especially my mother, does all they can do to make their rooms comfortable and to plan activities for them. My mom also has my younger brother check out books from the library about the countries they are coming from. That way, my brothers have questions to ask when they arrive.

During their stay, we take them sightseeing, shopping at the mall, walking downtown or maybe just picnicking at the park. In turn, they tell us about their life, such as what they do everyday, what their family is like or what they normally eat compared to what they have eaten in the U.S. They also try to teach us some of their language.

If someone ever tuned in to one of these special times that we spend together with our guests, this is what they would see: a family with their guests sitting comfortably in the living room. My little brothers, who forget their shyness quickly and make friends easily, would be sitting on their guests’ laps or next to them, bombarding them with questions. Our new friends would answer in broken English, occasionally pointing to a specific place on the globe or at a picture of their traditional outfit in the open atlas on the coffee table nearby. It is a very heartwarming scene.

Every once in a while, our church sends my family to a different country. For instance, two years ago my parents and I went to Brazil for two weeks. We were able to meet many different people and visit quite a few cities such as Sao Paolo, Brazil and the towns nearby. What was so special was receiving the same care and love that we had expressed to our guests, except that we were the ones answering their questions in broken Portuguese.

If ever I have the opportunity to give such hospitality in a home of my own, I would have no reservations whatsoever. Besides all the fascinating information my family’s guests have given us, I have made some very sweet and intimate friends whom I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life.

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