By Hanna Singh
A treasured community organization celebrated its 40th anniversary Sunday at Cook Baptist Church.
Founded in 1984, Friendship International is a group of Christian women dedicated to welcoming internationals into the community by offering English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and fostering meaningful connections through friendship.
The idea for Friendship International took root in the early 1980s, when several Christian women in the community became increasingly aware of the number of international residents in Ruston. With a desire to offer a welcoming space away from home, the ladies approached the local Baptist Women’s Missionary Union, who voted to support their mission of helping internationals feel welcome. Since then, Friendship International has offered connection, support, and assistance in learning English for the last four decades.
Former Director Debbie Corley explained how herself and the other women felt a calling to serve in this way.
“We just felt prompted by God to offer some friendship to them and especially help them with the English language. We had heard of other churches in other cities who had done that, and we thought it was a wonderful way to reach out to these internationals,” Corley said. “We kind of put our heads together and came up with a plan with help from the National Southern Baptist Convention. They had some training and stuff we could use, so we came up with a plan and we presented it to our local Baptist Women’s Missionary Union. In 1984 they voted to sponsor us, and we’ve been here ever since, just offering free English classes and friendship.”
In recognition of the countless individuals who had helped the organization over the years, the ladies of Friendship International extended their invitation to anyone who had ever played a role in volunteering or supporting their cause. Current and former students and volunteers gathered to enjoy refreshments and view a display of photos, capturing memories from past events and milestones.
One of the organization’s former students from China, Christine Farley, described her early experience with Friendship International, which not only helped her improve her English skills but also gave her a sense of belonging.
“I was here in the class of 2003 after moving here in the fall of 2002. I didn’t have many friends here as my mother was in San Antonio and I was here to marry my husband. This class not only taught English, but I made friends there, especially international friends,” Farley said. “It really helped me in the spirit. I love this town, this church, and the teachers. They are so warm and kind, they have such a big heart, and they gave their time, kindness, and love for free. It’s really touching.”
During the reception, Friendship International Director Janet Brown thanked all of the volunteers and people who had given their time over the last 40 years. Then a short video was shown, and attendees were invited to mingle and share their own stories.
“We’re just thankful that we’ve been able to continue reaching out to our internationals who come here” Brown said. “Some are here because their spouses are at Louisiana Tech, some are here from Mexico or Guatemala, places like that. So, we have a whole mixture of internationals and we’re just so happy it’s still going on after 40 years. We’re here today to celebrate that.”
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