Global Friends Estes Park
Don will frequently quote the stalwarts of Estes Park, who in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, ran their businesses and served the community with a charm that almost seems lost in our culture today. The other day, I heard him retelling a story and he quoted Bob Mobus, a pharmacist at the old Rexall Drug Store. Bob once said, “Every summer is good, but some are better than others.”As school approaches and the transition to fall begins, we look back with gratitude and reflect on a very good summer. As Bob said, all summers are good, but some are better than others and this was indeed “a better one.” One of the biggest contributing factors to the joy and success of the summer was the introduction of Global Friends to Estes Park. This has been a dream come true and an answer to prayer for multiple individuals. Global Friends Estes Park seeks to promote cross-cultural friendships and understanding by providing meeting places and activities in multicultural settings between Americans and international Exchange Visitors. For me (Jamie) there is something sweetly nostalgic and deeply rewarding about bringing Global Friends to Estes Park, as I was part of this outreach at the University of Nebraska in Omaha nearly a quarter century ago.
This summer, I sat in the beautiful house of Mike and Cindy Kingswood, who graciously and enthusiastically opened their home to a weekly gathering of dozens of international students, and thought about the nights in college when I was in a different home with different international students doing the same thing. Julie Arant, the founder of Global Friends, is a visionary, who has dedicated over 30 years of her life to loving, honoring, and serving International students in Omaha, Nebraska. Over the years, her zeal for welcoming them to the U.S. and giving them a place to feel at home has grown and expanded to include other campuses and resort communities in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Colorado. Global Friends Omaha grew out of a simple practice of hospitality. What began more than 30 years ago as welcoming refugees and international students into a home has grown into a lasting ministry of friendship, support, and cross-cultural connection. This summer, we saw firsthand the impact that simple hospitality can have on a community.
Over the course of the summer, we met hundreds of international J-1 workers in Estes Park and had the privilege of fellowshipping with them. From hikes, to ice cream dates, to Sunday night meals, to Ride-a-Kart and the Mustang Mountain Coaster, to time at the Lake, building friendships with these beautiful young adults quickly became the highlight of the summer. And, none of this would have been possible without the five college interns that came from Omaha, Nebraska to launch Global Friends Estes Park.
Brady, Callie, Ellia, Joel, and Michaela were the both the magnets and the glue that made this program wildly successful. They came to Estes Park with bright-eyed optimism, expectation of impact, and a commitment to love the internationals with all their hearts. They succeeded at every level. These five young adults made a tremendous impact on many lives. Their phones are full of photos representing unforgettable mountain memories, rich conversations, and friendships that transcend borders. Day after day, the internationals would come into Brownfield’s looking for the Fab Five, as we called them. The faces of both the internationals and the interns would light up at the sight of each other and high-fives and hugs always ensued. I would watch, my heart nearly exploding, at the thought of witnessing heaven on earth right before my eyes.
I could tell story upon story about this summer. It was beautiful in every way. As we stood in the backroom of Brownfield’s to say goodbye to the interns last week, the smiles upon tear-stained cheeks told the story better than words ever could.
To Brady, Callie, Ellia, Joel, and Michaela, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your light and love shown as bright as the Colorado summer sun. To the Christian Church of Estes Park, we are deeply grateful for your partnership. This would have never existed without you. To the Kingwoods and the Conners, thank you for generously opening your homes to both the internationals and to the interns. To David Hernandez and Val Thompson, thank you embracing this mission and spreading the word about Global Friends. To Julie Arant and Global Friends Omaha, thank you for your passion and powerful commitment to your calling. To the international students, thank you for your courage to come, your willingness to work, and your contribution to our community. We will never forget the summer of ’26…Better just doesn’t cut it.
