I tend to be a person who wants to plan every single little detail before I start something new. That’s why I waited so long to start this blog.

I think a lot of us wait to get involved in welcoming immigrants because we want to plan out every little detail. We’re not sure how it will work with our schedule, we don’t know how much time we can commit, we’re not sure we’ll be good at communicating with a language barrier, we feel like we should brush up on our geography, we ought to wait until our house is cleaner, til the semester is underway, til the kids are older, til our boss isn’t so demanding, til it’s not as hot outside, til…you get the picture.

There is no perfect time to start something new. And you won’t find answers to your questions or clarity about your uncertainty until you get started.

Business coach Marie Forleo says, “Clarity comes through engagement, not thought.” I think she’s spot on and this quote is part of what moved me to start Loving the Stranger Blog even though I wasn’t exactly certain what people wanted to read about or how much time I could give to writing. But now, twenty nine posts in, I am gaining clarity in the process of engaging with topics and with you, the incredible community of men and women who have gathered in this space!

In order to gain clarity about what your involvement with internationals should be, start by just getting involved, even in a small way. You can work out the details later. The water is fine—come join us!

On Tuesday, we’ll discuss some ways to meet immigrants in your community—the first step towards meaningful crosscultural friendship!

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