 The English Language Learning (ELL) classroom is the perfect place to personally connect with local internationals by teaching English, building relationships, instilling confidence and independence, and ultimately pointing them to Jesus. Two Knox County ELL programs have facilitated incredible friendships, impacting lives on a deeper level along the way. They began with different target groups, but have the same beautiful story of network collaboration! by Bobbie McClain West Hills ELL started their program in West Hills Elementary School Cafeteria after Northstar Church asked KIN to help them carry out their faith journey in fall 2022. KIN provided a teacher and encourager (teacher assistant), while Northstar volunteers formed program teams and worked with school staff to share about the class with parents of ELL students. God also brought a new couple to Knoxville, and to Northstar, at just the right time, as they were seeking a church where they could carry out their calling to teach ELL.  Kevin and Lynne Quinn taught upper-level students the first year and are now the program co-directors. Kevin says, “If you can speak in English, you can help an international student navigate their new environment!” Lynne states, “Our lessons lead to conversations that help students talk about their experiences here and in their home country.” Last year, West Hills ELL had students representing 10 countries and 7 languages!
They all began doing things together outside class, and with their families, such as attending Northstar’s “Family Day at the Farm” in Lenoir City. The class bonded that night as they scaled ropes, wandered through corn mazes, rode potato sack slides, and went on hayrides. Another memorable event was the multicultural Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day. All who attended stated it was the first time they had been invited to a traditional Thanksgiving meal and they were honored and excited to receive such an invitation. Building trust is often difficult for some as they come to this new country, so the ELL classroom provides a safe place to encourage taking those steps. After one Afghan student’s house was hit by three downed trees during a recent storm, she and her husband hired someone to remove the trees, paying a 50% down payment - only to never hear from them again.
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 by Anna Garlington
When Sabrina, a native of Honduras, and her daughter, Luna, arrived in Knoxville, they moved from another state; so they were not new to the US. However, they felt unsure how they would fit in and how Luna would make new friends and adapt to a new school. For Sabrina, she wanted classes to improve her English and to also find some work.  In the spring, an article ran in KIN's e-newsletter explaining the "network" and how it functions. So, how is that going? Does the network work?....
Not only does it work, it works well: facilitating relationships to support acquisition of individual needs, sharing resources so each volunteer doesn't individually have to beat the bushes to find them, and sharing systems and processes information (healthcare, insurance, government assistance) so new volunteers learn from what others have already discovered. Check out these examples of the network at work:*  Sometimes it takes a village…or in this case, an Embrace group. When KIN was notified that a family from Afghanistan would arrive at the Knoxville airport within a week, a call for an Embrace group went out to our church partners. Immediately, the Mission Director at Shoreline Church responded enthusiastically, “We’re in!!”
Although there were steps to be completed such as applications, background checks, and training, the group of nearly 20 quickly and eagerly did what was needed to be paired with the family of eight. “I was initially apprehensive; but once we met the family, I realized they weren’t much different than us and simply needed friends to guide them on integrating into Knoxville,” stated one Embrace member.  by Blythe Thompson
Gone are the days of having to leave our homes, our country, and our culture. We can now step out our door to love and care for the nations without ever leaving what is familiar to us. 2nd Home, a program of KIN in association with the Knox County Association of Baptists, launched in the fall of 2022, connects a family in the Knoxville area with an international student at the University of Tennessee to provide a “family away from home”. As the program began, Clark and Alyson Cutrer, a young family in Knoxville, saw that KIN still had a need for sponsor families… but Alyson had just given birth 2 weeks earlier to their second child. Feeling very strongly the mandate of the Great Commission, the Cutrers signed up! There was excited anticipation in their home as they invited their student for dinner, hoping that their circus of a family would not scare him away. Quite the opposite… there have been great conversations, shared meals, and outings, including a recent visit to the Knoxville Zoo. And as the 2022-23 program winds down, with school ending soon, Alyson says it doesn't just meant a lot to the students, it has meant a lot to their family, as well - and has gone above and beyond their expectations. The Cutrers highly encourage others to participate in the program. As Alyson says, “Just do it! If you wait for the perfect time to, you’ll miss out.”  by Blythe Thompson
Growing up an American missionary kid in Ecuador, now residing in the US, Geri knows the challenges of feeling at home in a foreign land, which for her, is the US. So, since moving to the US as an adult, Geri has always found a way to connect with internationals in her community, wanting to help them feel more at home. Additionally, volunteering had always been part of her retirement plan, to give back to the community, and help people find Christ or grow in their faith.  by Charles Simerly, KIN Volunteer
It was a brisk and cold day the week of Christmas. My wife, two young boys, and I loaded into our car and headed to our destination. We parked on the street of a neighborhood I had many fond memories of, because growing up, I had a good friend that previously lived here. However, the house up the hill remained unfamiliar. I can’t say I'm never nervous about meeting new people, so I felt hesitant as we walked up the steep driveway toward the door. We had a gift for the international family that lived there that included some homemade desserts, pajamas, and toys.
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Nate* could have chosen any city when he immigrated to the USA, but he chose Knoxville. He had friends, he says, who were “giving me good words about Knoxville.” They said his children would have a good future if he moved here, and the cost of living was reasonable. Three years later, Nate is “giving good words” about Knoxville himself! He wants to buy a house and see his children grow into adulthood here. But getting to Knoxville wasn’t easy.
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IMPACTRead the stories of Knoxville's local internationals and the volunteers who have impacted their lives. Get a first-hand view of what it's like to move here and/or to serve those who've moved here from other countries. Discover how KIN has impacted life and culture in metro Knoxville. Archives
September 2023
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