The apostle Paul loved foreigners. He was raised in a “Jewish only” culture, but God called him to the Gentiles. Many of Paul’s disciples were foreign. Timothy was half Greek, Titus was Greek, Onesimus was a runaway slave from Colossae (in modern Turkey), and Luke was the only Gentile who wrote part of the New Testament. A woman named Persis, which means “Persian woman,” was on Paul’s team (see Romans 16:12), along with many Italians.
Paul required church leaders to be “hospitable” (1 Tim. 3:2). This word in the Greek means “love of foreigners.” You cannot be a good leader if you don’t open your heart to those who are different from you! I have been blessed with friends and disciples who are Asian, African, Hispanic, Brazilian, Slavic, Romanian, Indian, Icelandic and more. They have stretched my love and made my heart bigger. There are foreigners everywhere! God can use you to mentor them.