How To Do Global Ministry Without Leaving Your City

https://internationalstudents.org/

Bill Hendricks: 

Welcome to the Table Podcast where we discuss issues of God and culture. My name is Bill Hendricks. I'm the Executive Director for Christian Leadership at the Hendricks Center, and I want to introduce my co-host, Kasey Olander. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes, I'm the web content specialist at the Hendricks Center. 

Bill Hendricks: 

In Matthew 28, we have what has been called the Great Commission, which most all of us are probably very familiar with. The Lord told us to go and make disciples of all the nations, all the people groups. And many folks down through the years have interpreted that to mean that we need to go, meaning we need to physically travel to distant places, encounter different cultures in order to begin the process of creating Christ followers, which is absolutely needed. 

But we have a unusual dynamic that has come about just really in the last generation or two, where we have vast numbers of people from different cultures coming certainly to the United States and to Europe. It certainly takes place elsewhere in the world, but we have many people who are not native North Americans or Europeans, but they're coming to those regions to study, to do business. There's no end of diasporas of different people, groups taking place, Chinese, Spanish, many Africans. This is a global phenomenon. 

There's the whole phenomenon of refugees, and this has tremendous impact on our understanding of the Great Commission because when we say go, there's a sense in which we no longer have to go. The world is coming to our doorstep if we live in North America or Europe, and that means we have an opportunity to have a global ministry without even leaving our city in many cases. 

And that's what we want to consider today. And to help us with that, we've got Sundeep and Pranutha Malickal, who are with International Students Incorporated. And Sundeep is the Campus Minister with ISI and a DTS grad, DTHM degree. And Pranutha, you're working in our IT department here at DTS- 

Pranutha Malickal: 

That's correct. 

Bill Hendricks: 

… as the Senior Systems Administrator and also working on your PhD up at University of Texas at Dallas where you all are with ISI. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

That's true. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Thank you for being with us today. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Absolutely. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Thank you. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It's our pleasure. 

Bill Hendricks: 

And we get a bonus guest who's also a co-host because in fact, Kasey, you're doing work in international work yourself, right? Through BSM. Tell us about that. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes, the Baptist Student Ministry, especially at UT Dallas, has lots of international students. I think it's the highest number in Texas as far as different, like you said, different countries represented. So there's Indian students, Chinese students. I'm sure will get into it, but it's been an awesome opportunity to work with not just the students who are from Dallas or even from Texas but also, like you said, the nations are coming here. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, and that was actually I think part of how you got into this work. I think you told me a little while ago that when you first came to DTS, the library was closed and you ended up at UTD and you looked around and said, "Wait a minute, there's all these Indians." Tell us more about that. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, so it was a Sunday. DTS library was closed obviously, and I was with my dear friend of mine, and we wanted to go to some other library, and we ended up in UTD. And as soon as I entered, that was the first time I entered UTD, and I saw that so many Indian faces like, "Oh, sorry, wait a minute, am I in India?" And that's actually started the whole thing. And I just started to talk with the students over there, and it was a natural thing for me to just then go every time to the campus over there. 

Bill Hendricks: 

You all had a real advantage. You didn't have to, in a sense, cross cultures. It was more like, "Oh my gosh, I'm home." 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes, yes. We're reaching to our own culture. They were all many, many Indian students. And the moment they see us, they want to be home because they're away from their home. They're homesick and they're alone here. And they definitely wanted to be with us and have that fellowship and friendship and spend time with us. That was so natural. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes. An easy way to connect with people. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes, yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Absolutely. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

We were able to connect. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes. So, how did you get involved with International Students Incorporated? 

Pranutha Malickal: 

It was actually with that, how it started, and maybe you want to start your journey? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

That was actually a fun story because I had taken a DTS course on World Missions, WM101, and we had an assignment on international friendship. And the assignment was such that you had to have meet some people who you need to meet and talk and understand the culture, so it cannot be North American, and it cannot be from your culture. And so, I'm here in the US just a month, I have no car, I have nothing. Where will I find? 

And so, I didn't know what to do and that's how I got connected with ISI Ministry. Somebody took me to a home group and these were all Chinese scholars from UTD, so I went to the foster home group on a Friday night, and we both went with our kids, and it was an assignment where I really got to meet some people. In fact, I got a friend who's Chinese, and he was a professor from China and came here as a research scholar, and our friendship developed beyond that assignment and beyond that semester. And we actually got into… We never thought that- 

Pranutha Malickal: 

He came as a family, and his kids were friends with our kids, and it was good. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. From then, our association with ISI started, and then I came to know that, "Hey, they're having a bigger ministry in UTD campus," and I mentioned I went to the library and all of that stuff. So, that's how it was. 

Bill Hendricks: 

And just to clarify, the history of ISI, International Students Incorporated, goes back into what, the 1950s, '60s? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, it's quite very old here. Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Yeah. I mean, the founder really had a vision way back then for international students coming to the United States and realizing what a great opportunity this was to engage people. As you say, they're out of their normal context and that little bit of disequilibrium at least opens their awareness or interest in, if nothing else, in a friendly face and somebody who- 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Correct. 

Bill Hendricks: 

… makes them feel welcome. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Absolutely, yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah, I mean, especially for the fact that now the situations that India are pretty closed, this gives us an opportunity to actually witness the Christ love in us. So, whenever we approach students, mostly it's because we love Christ. We want to show that Christ love to them. And therefore, we develop that friendships and the relationships with them, which is genuine friendships are not with any secret agenda or anything. That's how we wanted to keep our friendships all about. And then, this is a huge opportunity for us to reach out to the students. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yup. As she mentioned over there, so don't see this as a tool to reach Christ. What we have seen and learned is because what Christ has done in our life, we just simply serve them and be authentic and just open up our lives to them. And so it's a very, very, very authentic and very natural relationship. We don't have any, as you mentioned, we don't have any agenda. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Of course, that which is very close to our own heart, what we believe to be true and good, we wish it for everybody else. And so that's the message of love of Jesus Christ. But our friendships are genuine, our friendships are authentic and just be real and being real with them. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

We want to invite them to our homes, and we want to share them our love and share our lives. And we want them to see what Christ has done in our lives, how we enjoy that joy in our lives, and we want them to see it and witness it, and we invite them to our homes. That's because we want them to be with us. 

Bill Hendricks: 

So it sounds like first and foremost, it's a posture of hospitality. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Bill Hendricks: 

We want to welcome people into our home and into our lives. And having come there obviously because you're Christ followers, I think the New Testament describes it as they smell a certain aroma of Jesus. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, definitely. In our conversations, over the period of time, they would definitely ask. Very simple. For example, we don't do something which we would not otherwise do in our family. For example, when we are all here, "Hey, it's our tradition, it's our custom to pray before we have the meal. So, would you like to join us?" Obviously, nobody says no and we pray together. And they understand, "Oh yeah, okay, so this is how you do it." And then, there will be some conversations which they may ask on this matter and then we have an opportunity to just tell it out to them. 

Bill Hendricks: 

That's great. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

So yeah, we don't do anything, which we don't do it kind of thing. What's just being natural, what we do in our house. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Our children are very good conversation starters. I have two girls. They're fun to be with. Once it happened that we had these few girls, we invited them home, and then we're having good food. I made good South Indian food, and we are just having a good time having food. And then, my younger one, she was then six, so she was saying that, "I have a newborn cousin," and she was telling so excitedly telling about her cousin. 

And there were some discussion that came up, and she said that she's a sinner. So, all the girls saw the six-year-old using a big word saying that she's a sinner. And then again, she said that, "Even my newborn cousin is a sinner." And that caught the attention. So, all these girls are now very much interested to find out why she said that. Sundeep actually took that opportunity. 

We didn't want to do anything preaching over there, but he just kept asking her questions like, "Why do you think you are a sinner? What made it? So, how can you be saved?" It's just simple questions. And this little girl, over the top, she was just answering all that. No filters. She's just telling about how Christ love and how Christ saved her. And that made those girls to think that if the little girl could say that she is a sinner, then how much they will need Christ. So, things like that. We would just open the conversations and then we would ask them. 

Kasey Olander: 

That's awesome. I love that your whole family is involved. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It is. In fact, yeah, it's a whole family thing. I would've not done, although you mentioned my title is campus minister, but it's actually the entire family who is part of it, yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

Mm-hmm. Yeah. It sounds like you're doing several things. You're creating a place for people to feel welcome and helping them to feel comfortable in addition to just living the Christian life in front of them. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

In fact, so we see our home as the place where it all takes place. The home is where everything is. They're coming to our houses, so we all are there, my children are there, and so everything is there and then it's in front of them. 

Bill Hendricks: 

You mentioned the food part, and I love the cook, so I have to ask this question. So you're Indian, and let's say you had Chinese folks over. The question becomes, what's going to be the menu? Are you going to cook Indian food for these Chinese folks? Are you going to attempt to do Chinese food so they feel comfortable? Or are you going to say, "Hey, we're in Texas, we're going to grill out"? 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Usually, in our home groups, we will have this mixed crowd. Any student from any background, they would come in. But what we usually try to understand is that when the students sign up that they want to come in, we would like to know their preference of the food. So based on that preference, we would make multiple items over there that at least they should not go back hungry. That's the goal, that they should have something to eat. There's some comfort food of their culture that they can easily go without asking any questions. But if we are inviting them home, we usually invite students in a smaller groups because we wanted to spend time with them, talk to them, have a- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Get some conversation- 

Pranutha Malickal: 

… yeah, fellowship with them. So therefore, we want to invite the smaller groups. So, when we are inviting the smaller groups, we know exactly what their preferences are. And when we talk about India, it's not just one culture. 

Bill Hendricks: 

No. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

It's so much of- 

Bill Hendricks: 

A lot. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

… subcultures that are there. Even in that, also we would make sure if they're from South Indian or North Indian or the ones who would not touch anything of meat, then we make sure that it is even cooked in that style, so that they're comfortable, and they are accepted in our culture. So, that's how we take care. We try to take care. And then, we intentionally work towards showing that love of Christ to them. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Food is a great conversation opener. We have some foods which will be new to them, but we first need to know, "Hey, what are the kinds of food you prefer eating?" And all of that stuff, but the best part of India is that if you know what they eat and their preferences, we can make different things, mix and match and make a lot of things. And it's basically good conversation starter where they ask about this, and we have an opportunity to ask to them about, "Hey, tell me something about what do you do with this? If you get these ingredients, how do you prepare this particular thing?" And that's… 

Kasey Olander: 

Mm-hmm. It sounds like the name of the game is flexibility. I think of the Baptist Student Ministry, in BSM, and UT Dallas has vegetarian options. If they're going to provide a free lunch, they have non-veg options and different opportunities for, like you said, you never know who's walking in the door, and you want people to feel comfortable. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. And food is definitely an important part of… If you want students to come after their busy week, food plays a major role. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Exactly. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

You'd really want to come. 

Bill Hendricks: 

The Italians have a saying, "I cannot know you until I have dined with you," and I love that. Food does have a way of bringing people together, which is of course a large part of why the Lord instituted the Lord Supper. It's a unifying thing. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

I always see whenever the Lord met these disciples, he always had that. Have you a fish? 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, you mentioned flexibility. It also sounds like in welcoming people from different cultures into one's home, you have to give it a bit of forethought about what culture are these folks coming from, and I assume do a little bit of background research to the extent that you can to understand where are these folks coming from? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes, that is very important. Mostly our mission is mostly oriented towards South Asian, but again, South Asians is a very big diverse thing. Even India for that matter, we just- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Oh, yeah. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

… cannot put India in one box because there are several cultures. We have 2,500 people groups within India itself, so- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, definitely. 

Bill Hendricks: 

They are very different in the north and the south. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes, very much. A small example, when I met her for the first time, guess what was her common language? It was English because I didn't know to speak her language, which is Telugu, and she didn't know my language, it's Malayalam, and so English became our language in the family. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Wow. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

There's a lot. That's the way we're just different. Cuisines are different, food is different, everything is different. Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And also, talking over the subculture and to be aware of this culture, before assuming something about the culture, we need to know what their assumptions are. We had this interesting thing. It's one of our home group. We have our elderly couple from our church who ministers along with us to the international students. 

During the food, those younger students were having conversation with him, and he mentioned his age. In India, with age, there's a respect that is so much attached to it. So what happens after the photos is done, we called everyone for games. Immediately, the student got up and gave hand to him, whereas he wasn't expecting that. I mean, he felt little like, "I didn't ask for the help, I can do it myself." But in his context, it was a respect, giving that respect. 

Bill Hendricks: 

It's courtesy. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes, giving that hand. And whereas, this couple took it like, "No, I'm not in need of a help." So, there's this difference before we assume something from the other culture, what are their assumptions are about? 

Bill Hendricks: 

Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

That's a great point. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Kasey Olander: 

I was a college student on a mission trip one time in Canada, and we're from Texas so we all said "yes, ma'am" and "yes, sir." And one of the women found that offensive. Ma'am was like, "I'm old enough to be a ma'am? Excuse me." You're talking about here something is respectful and somewhere else it might be- 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

… disrespect. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

That's so true. And also, always good to know what does that symbol or that… Best thing is to detach any symbols or things, which we have attached to a particular assumption. Another example would be like here it's very common, that when you meet people you hug an opposite sex and all. But in certain cultures, especially eastern cultures, that may not be very common. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Appropriate. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. And in the other way, it's very common. People if they're friends with same sex, you can hold hands and you hug each and go, that's very common there. But if that is important here, it's a different- 

Bill Hendricks: 

It means we're very different? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

… location. So, yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Do you ever run into situations culturally where, I don't know if ISI has single women that want to host groups of students in their home, are there challenges with, "Oh, single men from a certain culture might feel uncomfortable coming to a single woman's house?" 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It's sort of thing. We do have something called the Friendship Partner Program, where we match people, those international students with person local over here. So, if it's a single and single person, we were very careful that it would be the same gender. But if it's a large group, it doesn't much matter because it's a bigger group. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

I think the other aspect of your question is that when the international students comes, boys I think would not mind, they would go whoever invites, they will go out. But whereas coming to the girls, they are very careful about who they are getting into. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Sometimes I get calls from their parents to make sure that they're going into the right home. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Sure. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Even if we invite them home, they would want to know who- 

Bill Hendricks: 

They're looking out for their daughter. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes, yes. So they're kind of like a trust that needs to be developed. With girls, that's what we have noticed, especially with the girls, when they have to come to our home or come with us. Whereas with the boys, whoever is single women or single men, whoever invites them, they would usually go out. They're fine with it. So yeah, that's the only thing that we would take care, but I've spoken with many parents. 

Kasey Olander: 

So we've talked about food, we've talked about male-female relationships and about physical touch and things like that. Are there other general areas to keep in mind about what assumptions we should not make? Just categories for things that other cultures might have a different view of? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, I have seen that. Although cultures look very different, they are not too different. What happens is that, for example, there are general concepts, for example, love or caring for each other, all these are universal I guess, but it may manifest in a very different form. For example, over here I've seen as children grow, when they are of a particular age, the parents are… the children are allowed, they're given out independence so they don't… That's out of love and concern. That's a good virtue here. But at the same time, for example in eastern culture, wherever the children are there, the parents will move with them, that kind of thing. So two opposite things- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

… but the intent or the motive, I see, is that universally it's the same thing, but it manifests differently. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

So, would you say that asking questions is a good way to avoid making assumptions about someone does or doesn't? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

I think that is really good to ask. The thing is, sometimes when we are so focused on ministry that we are immediately going to the helping mode, and sometimes that's a trouble. We have learned this that it's always good to, before how can I help? how can I learn from you, guys? When I learn something then, I can put it into practice. 

Again, for example, we had an Indian fellowship with few friends, and we were supposed to restart on an afternoon for lunch and I was on my way. And I got a call from a student that they got into an accident, so I just had to change and go there and take care of all of that. It was around 3:30 in the afternoon, and we said that, "Hey, we have to cancel. We cannot come, so you guys proceed." And he said, "No, no, whatever time it is, you will come, you'll just come." And then, okay. So anyway, we came and then when we went there, they were all waiting for us to even start the lunch. And that they did not have the lunch because that's the part of their culture, that's the part that they show their culture. 

But we had the same experience with another culture. And what they said was, "Hey, sorry. Please take your time, and we can meet later on." 

Bill Hendricks: 

Reschedule. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, reschedule it, but they were caring enough that what they did was that they sent food to us through Uber Eat. So that's a different way of- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Wow. 

Kasey Olander: 

Oh. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

… doing it. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Interesting. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

So, I don't see wrong or right. 

Bill Hendricks: 

It's different. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

One culture operates in a different way. One operates in another way. Both were doing their best. 

Kasey Olander: 

That's great. I love that. Be a learner before you're a helper. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

And I guess in some situations, just because somebody is in need doesn't necessarily mean they want your help. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Mm-hmm. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

That's true. Yeah, that's true. The example which she gave you is such- 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. But offering the hand doesn't mean… That's a help. And also, talking about that subcultures not to classify them or put them into categories because too funny experiences is, because we come from India, they would assume like, "Do you eat beef?" Because India is a whole huge country, and there are different parts and different food. It's not just one blanket. The funny thing is that in our home itself and the different generations how the culture kind of changes. 

My older one and my younger one, there's five years apart. And at the table dining table, my younger one goes, in the school they're having this discussion that her friend asked her like, "Hey, can you speak Indian?" And then she goes, "Yeah, I can speak Indian." She's proud. She was like, "Okay, can you say a sentence?" And then, she goes that, "[foreign language 00:27:46], Abigail." And then, my older one goes, "There is nothing called as Indian language. What you just said is a Hindi language." It's like the understanding about that just in the same home, even though she's exposed to the different things, the understanding. When students also come in, they might be from the same country, but they're- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Not the same culture. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes, totally different in how they respond to the things and how they eat and how they take the responses. Yeah, it's different. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, that's a really good point for particularly Americans to hear. Europeans still have different sort of cultural distinctions. But here in America, it's such a melting pot as we call it, where people generally start to learn to speak English, and they start to adopt so-called American ways. And more and more cultural distinctions are being held onto more, but it's still just a very relatively more homogeneous culture. It's easy to forget many countries around the world. There may be boundaries, like somebody drew a bunch of lines, but these are very, very different people groups within all those lines. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yup. That's so true. For example, the moment we say India, first we talk about marriage, they say, "Oh, yeah. So, you all have arranged marriage still? How it was?" 

Bill Hendricks: 

Correct. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

No, oh yeah, that largely takes place. But especially in the cities, in the urban cultures, those things are changing dynamics. I knew my wife. I dated her before marriage. I knew her well before… As you said, asking is good rather than immediately telling this in a statement. 

Kasey Olander: 

If I know one person from a country, I don't know everyone in that country. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

I suppose you have an added dynamic. You mentioned that so many of the students that come to study in the States, these folks are at the graduate and doctoral levels, and they're future leaders back in their countries. And it's been my experience that with more education, and particularly if they're working with a corporation or something, a lot of those cultural distinctions have taken a backseat to what they have to deal with at a global international level. And while they don't dismiss those things, those things at the same time don't have quite the same hold on them that they might if they were in country, in culture, and particularly uneducated. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah, yeah. I mean, for sure when they come over here, their perspective about the things change and their understanding about the things change. And then, we have seen that this understanding would impact back to their families. And as I mentioned earlier, that how I get to speak to their families, to their parents. And they would be so thankful to us that we're actually taking care of their children. And then, even though we want to share the love and Christ love to them, but at least that understanding in India about the Christianity or the missionaries or they're only concerned about whatever the conversions that are there. It's not that. It is actually our life shows the love of Christ. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

And we want them to know that it is love of Christ why we are doing it, nothing else. And when that message is passed back to their homes, their understanding and their perspective of looking at Christians kind of changes and softens. So, that's what we are saying it's so amazing how Christ can work between just few friendships, how he can actually work. 

Kasey Olander: 

Right. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. Definitely, yes. You mentioned when they come over here, they are here to explore. And so, they want to learn, they want to see to understand, which definitely back in their own homes, there is a limit on it. It's not possible to do many things. But over here, they come here, they explore. Just for example, last week, we took a bunch of students to NASA Houston. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Oh, wow. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It's called a Space Weekend. We had- 

Bill Hendricks: 

Fun. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, we had a stay overnight, and so we went to the NASA facility and everything. And it was also an opportunity for them to see other things, like for example, the next day we invited all of them to attend a local church. And so, many of them attended that for the first time, and they had a lot of question because they also had, so when we as international students come, we have some assumptions. 

Over the lunch, they're asking me, "Oh, I was thinking that a church is like this or something else, but this is a little different. Tell us about this thing or…" So, they're happy to engage in you. In fact, when they come over here, it opens up a world for them to explore or learn. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

So, it's a really strategic opportunity, not just for the student that you're actually interacting with but also for their family and also- 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Oh, yes. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

All of them have very strong connections back home. It works in ways we may not really realize here right now. How does it work? Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

Mm-hmm. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. Even in our home group, when we meet some Fridays in a month, it's not just we who would be there to interact with the students. Our whole church is actually behind us supporting it because they also love want to reach out to this international students. So they help with cooking, getting the meal ready for them, and all these international students do not have their own transportation. Around 50 students, if you have to get them to the home group, we need so many cars and so many drivers. So even though they won't stay for the whole thing, they would just pick up the student and drop them and then again pick them back up. 

Bill Hendricks: 

But it's another touch. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes, yes. And then, they have the relation. We encourage, "Meet up these guys later," because they have their other needs, like going to the groceries. I'm so glad that there are other people who meet up with these four or five students regularly, and there are a lot of conversations that takes place. And it's a great opportunity actually to minister actually, to serve the love of Christ in various ways, which just opens up naturally. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, that's a great bridge to a question I wanted to ask. Let's say, here I am, say me and my wife, I grew up here in Dallas. And Dallas looked a whole lot different when I was a kid. I hate to say it, but we didn't have folks from India living in Dallas at least that I was aware of. Okay. Very homogeneous town. And today, I look around, I see all these different groups and at times it's a little scary. But I listen to this podcast and I go, "Huh, I never thought about it. I actually could do global ministry right here in Dallas." 

So tell me, how would I get started in that? I'm not quite ready to… I don't even know any internationals. I'm not ready to have a bunch of people in my home, but what would be some first steps that I could take? And then, maybe when we've talked about that a little bit, what could a church do that wanted to engage in some of these things? So would I and my wife get started? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It's a good question. Actually, I would always encourage to start with an existing relationship. Like for example, in UTD, just to give you an example. We have certain ministries like ISI or BSM. I was just mentioning before we started that, in UTD, it's very unique. We all do the ministry together. We are known as UTD Big Howdy, so any- 

Bill Hendricks: 

That's a good Texas, man. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

… yeah, any student who comes, "Do you know UTD Big Howdy?" So, what do we do is that we network with the existing relationship over there. In UTD, there is Indian Students Association, Chinese Students Association. We meet them, ask them, "Hey, how we can help you?" And most of the time, it will be like, "Hey, we need airport pickups. 1500 students are coming this summer, we need help with airport pickups." And we know how this Dallas Public Transport is so… 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. Yeah, definitely. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

So best thing, "Okay, we can do that." And so then, we've reach out to churches who are interested, individuals who are interested, and that becomes the first point of entry. And then, from you pick up a few students from the airport and then, "Hey, okay, let me know if there is any help, you need any grocery to be done, and…" "Oh, yes." "Okay, second Saturday, I'll be available for you." And so, you go help them with the groceries. So, it's just building one step on the other. 

Bill Hendricks: 

That's correct. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

I just feel that just visiting the university, that will open up a huge… I mean, that happened to us. I just visited it without any thinking about it, and it naturally started so much of relationships there. 

Kasey Olander: 

Sure. So, I'm sure for people who aren't local to UT Dallas specifically, they can look up a university in the area or somewhere else. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. I mean, all universities here attract international students. That's the beauty of it. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It's huge, and it's in Texas, especially Texas is I think the number third state that attracts international students. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Wow. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

In UTD, there are around, 8000 plus international students. It's a huge number. And there is always ways, and there is always some existing ministry which is already there. And so, I would always encourage them just get in touch with… 

Bill Hendricks: 

They'll find a place for you. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, absolutely. We are always in need of volunteers every time. We never say that, "Oh, we are full." No, we are always in need because there's a flow of international students just increasing every semester. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

And it's not only the airport pickups. There are several opportunities. Now this time, especially with the housing situation going- 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Oh, yes. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

… so there's many students who couldn't find an apartment, a place, even for the temporary apartment before they could come in, but they have to come in because their classes are going to start. So they are actually, again, Big Howdy, we reached out to the churches and the homes. There are many people who open their homes for a week or two for the student to be there with them until they find their accommodation. So that's another amazing way that we can reach out to them, to the students. And as churches, how they can be with them. It's such a relief for the parents to know that their children are not somewhere out. 

Bill Hendricks: 

On their own. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. That they're well taken care of. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Just before the semester started, we had a female student who stayed with us for a week before she got her accommodation finalized then. When somebody stays at your house, that opens up a big relationship because they've become a part and parcel of your family. 

Kasey Olander: 

Mm-hmm. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes. You're meeting practical needs and getting to know one another. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes, yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, and you mentioned the importance of family, so I could also imagine a family who has younger children sort of welcoming a family. They're coming in to study, and they have younger children, and it just seems like a natural connection. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Children open up the biggest… There is no boundaries. There are no mental lines or anything. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

No filters. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

No filters. Yeah. I think that's the biggest benefit to serve as a family. It's amazing. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. They're big icebreakers. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

They can do small talk. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

And you can be as you are, and do what we're doing. You're not doing anything out of the way. You're just being as you are and just, as honoring Christ in your family, you're just doing that. 

Kasey Olander: 

You don't have to be an expert on every single culture in the world to get started. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

No, yeah, yes. And we are learning, actually. We are learning, actually. We are not perfect, right? So, we are asking questions to them, and they are asking questions like, "Oh, really, it happens." And they'll ask to us, "This happens?" So there's also a time where we share the vulnerabilities and that's how we actually come closer. It actually works two ways. We think we are ministering, but in a way we are learning a lot, and God is using those experiences. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, when you mentioned children, the thing that comes to my mind is soccer because soccer's played universally and if food is a connection, sports can be another connection for a lot of people as well as music for that matter. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Music, yes, yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. These are different kinds of arts. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Right. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

I saw another pair of thing, talking about certain things, "Hey, what is this thing?" In our place, we have certain things which show certain things and depict certain cultures and they ask, "What does this art piece mean?" So, it's an opportunity. These are things where we can have plenty of conversations. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. Even in our home, even though we both are from India, but we both are so different in our culture. We have five languages in our home, so we have this mixture. When students come in, it is so interesting for them to know about our culture, and how could these two cultures could meet and how we are getting into one culture now. And our children's culture is completely different to how we grew up, and how they look at the things. 

So yeah, it's all learning when they come in. We learn from them, and how they look at the way we do the things. And then, they would ask questions. And it's a good thing that they feel comfortable to ask questions instead of just assuming certain things and go with that idea. And we wanted to cultivate that thing that, if at all there's something that you don't understand, do ask. So, that we both are the same understanding and on the same page. 

Kasey Olander: 

Yes. It takes a certain level of humility to admit, "Oh, I guess I'm ignorant about this," or "I never thought about anything that way." Are there resources that you would recommend to people, whether books or articles or anything like that? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

One good book I remember is book by Elmer. I forgot the exact title of that book. It's on culture, actually. The author is Elmer. I really- 

Bill Hendricks: 

E-L-M-E-R? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes, it was really, really, really good book to actually understand and engage with cultures and all of that thing. Perspectives is another. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Yeah. Perspectives is a course on basic world missions, right? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes, yes. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Who oversees it? Or is it own standard? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

It's called as Perspectives. 

Bill Hendricks: 

It's called Perspectives- 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Bill Hendricks: 

… at many churches. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

There's a course, and also there's a good book, actually. In fact- 

Bill Hendricks: 

The book is excellent. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, those are really excellent, and they have certain cases and all of that, so that really, really helps. And of course, the website on internationalstudents.org that will definitely have a lot of things on that just to get a brief overview of these things. Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

I would say not to worry if you really want to reach the next door neighbor who is from a different culture. It just starts with a simple hello to them and just trying to know them with a good question, so eventually you'll get there. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Yeah. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, that's absolutely true. The early Christians, I'm not talking about the first three, four centuries, I mean, that really was their strategy, if you want to call it that. In one sense, they didn't have a formalized evangelistic strategy. Their main objective was to worship God and be His distinctive people and live together in community. The way they lived their lives then was noticeable to the surrounding cultures, with whom they had to work and interact and be in community. But it was again, that aroma of Christ, they weren't… I mean, there's a lot of documentation on this, but they were not sitting around thinking, "How are we going to reach our neighbor for Jesus?" 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

They were saying, "How are we going to be God's people for here. God is sovereign. He loves people. He will call people to himself as He wills, but my job is to love my neighbor." And they made a big point of that. That was their, just like you said earlier, it's a second commandment. My first task is to love my neighbor. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Right. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. That's so true. Yeah. So, loving my neighbor is we always get reminded that by loving our neighbor is not a tool to reach something in. Loving our neighbor is what we are commanded to do. 

Bill Hendricks: 

It's inherent. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

That is what we are doing, that's what we are doing. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Who proved to be a neighbor to this person, is the question you say. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah, that's true. 

Bill Hendricks: 

And so, here's somebody from a different culture or, in your case, somewhat similar culture, but somebody who's displaced, they're a stranger trying to educate themself, and the question is, so who's going to be a neighbor to those folks? 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

That's true. 

Bill Hendricks: 

It's what you're basically asking. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yes. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Actually, you put that. That's how we actually open our home groups because they come with this question like, "Why are they being so nice? What's the catch?" And it's difficult for them to understand because we go at odd hours to pick them up, we host them. And why? To understand that, it's because we love Christ and what Christ did for us. 

Bill Hendricks: 

We love because He first loved us. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yes. 

Bill Hendricks: 

That's beautiful. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Yeah. That's what we make it. And when have a lot of questions, of course, they'll have… So, we to make it very clear, "Hey, we are disciples of Christ, and our Lord commanded us, asked us to love the neighbor. And so, when we are doing all of this serving, so actually you are giving us an opportunity to fulfill the command given by our Lord, so thank you for doing that." 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Right. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, thank you all, Sundeep and Pranutha, for being with us today. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Yeah, thank you. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Absolutely. 

Bill Hendricks: 

This is so helpful. And we started with Matthew 28, and we can end with another version of that in Acts 1:8. Jesus said He wanted us to be his witnesses beginning where? Beginning in Jerusalem. 

Kasey Olander: 

Mm-hmm. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Meaning, we start at home. Yes, He wants us to go, but maybe it's just to go down the street, go to the local university, that He's got somebody right there on our doorstep that we can reach out to with the love of Christ. 

Sundeep Malickal: 

Absolutely. 

Pranutha Malickal: 

Right, right. Yeah. 

Bill Hendricks: 

Well, thank y'all for being with us. Kasey, thank you for helping co-host today. I'm Bill Hendricks, and I invite you to back next time on The Table podcast where we discuss issues of God and culture.