Though not entangled in political mischief and court dramas, our trio of “John’s” might have in some ways been likened to the famed Three Musketeers.
Our auto-savvy-Johns (McCants..Wood..Yokum) along with veteran Insurance agent Eddie Huff heeded a call. Marshalling their combined talents in a great enterprise: ISM’s Car Care Clinic. Dan Sterling, our ‘rotating luncheon chef’, brought his great mechanical skills into the mix, too.
Ninety minutes after our students from abroad took their seats in the Clinic classroom, they stood gazing wide-eyed into a car’s open hood in a nearby parking lot. While they absorbed key tips on checking fluids, brake pads and the like they made the most of capturing fresh new lingo tied uniquely to the auto industry.
Priceless insights supplied by our friendly industry craftsmen were all made available without charge. The annual mini-course was first launched as a response to students making a heartfelt, straightforward appeal. Beginning with the phrase, “I need help”. Help on how to shop for a car, how to properly maintain the vehicle. Learning to drive the vehicle fell into the mix somewhere along the way!
The flagship organization that first alerted me to cross-cultural student ministry (International Students, Inc.) highlights a crucial focus. Discover a student’s most keenly ‘felt needs’. Strive however possible to address at least some of these needs.
Helping meet felt needs, I was coached, includes “offering an authentic sense of community, combating feelings of isolation and loneliness, helping newcomers navigate American culture. Offering support on practical, down-to-earth aspects of living in the US.”
By taking to heart that last bit (selflessly helping internationals with practical aspects of navigating life in the U.S.) our delightful Car Clinic guys met that challenge and then some! Year by year, empowering the latest arrivals to navigate by the most poignant of ways. . . on wheels.
©2024 Jerry Lout