Messimers missionaries minister to international students at christian campus house

12/2/13 Missionaries minister to international students at Christian Campus House

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COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

Missionaries minister to internationalstudents at Christian Campus HouseBy Marcie Veit

November 26, 2013 | 6:00 a.m. CST

Dennis Messimer, right, holds up his grandfather's axe as he speaks in front of international studentswith his wife, Linda Messimer, at Forum Christian Church. Dennis said that the axe was the kindused to build log cabins, something that the pilgrim character he adopted to explain the history ofThanksgiving might often do. | Jacob Hamilton

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Dennis Messimer wears dress shoes with added buckles at the Christian Campus House'sInternational Thanksgiving event at Forum Christian Church. Messimer and his wife donned Pilgrimoutfits to explain the story of the first Thanksgiving to international students. | Jacob Hamilton




International students from the Christian Campus House and their families eat a Thanksgiving dinnerat the International Thanksgiving event at Forum Christian Church on Saturday. Christian CampusHouse Minister David Sowers said this year's turnout was the largest they've had for the annual event. | Jacob Hamilton

Dennis Messimer, right, leads a line of international students with their families as they fill their plateswith traditional Thanksgiving food at the Christian Campus House's International Thanksgiving event.

Dinner fare at the event included mashed potatoes, turkey slices, biscuits and gravy, as well as




Dennis and Linda Messimer spent 38 years as international missionaries. Now, they work with international students

at MU's Christian Campus House. ¦ Jacob Hamilton

COLUMBIA — Baking chocolate zucchini muffins is bewildering to Amy Sun, an MU international

student from China.

In the Christian Campus House kitchen, Linda Messimer is happy to teach her how to mix the

ingredients and spoon the batter into muffin cups.

Sun carefully measures the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, flour, sugar, eggs and shredded zucchini

into a bowl. After stirring, she uses an ice cream scoop to fill the 24-cup pan.

Sun slides the muffin tin into the oven and her work is done — until the muffins are ready in 15

minutes.

"I love baking," Sun said. "Chinese baking is different from American baking, so sometimes I mess

up."

Christian Campus House sells muffins and other baked treats to raise money for mission trips. The

Dinner fare at the event included mashed potatoes, turkey slices, biscuits and gravy, as well aspumpkin pie for dessert. | Jacob Hamilton

Dennis Messimer, right, and his wife, Linda Messimer, watch Khang Thai, 3, at the Christian CampusHouse's International Thanksgiving event. Khang, nicknamed "Mizzou," was born in Columbia duringthe year of the Tiger. | Jacob Hamilton






fundraiser also serves as a baking lesson for students such as Sun, who are unaccustomed to the

muffins, cupcakes and cookies common in America.

Linda Messimer, 65, and her husband, Dennis, 69, are part of a team that ministers to

international students at the Christian Campus House on College Avenue.

In addition to baking, the Messimers help students with driving lessons, conversational English,

Bible studies and trips to the doctor. They repair bicycles for transportation around town, and

they invite students to a monthly home-cooked meal.

"They offer everything to every international student without asking what they believe," said

Lance Tamerius, director of the Christian Campus House.

Because the Messimers are retired Christian missionaries who spent 38 years abroad, they

understand how difficult it can be for international students to adjust to an unfamiliar place.

"Living overseas for 38 years, we are no longer typical Americans. We enjoy being with people

from other countries," Dennis Messimer said.

International enrollment at MU has been on the rise for the last 10 years, according to data from

the MU International Center.

The Institute of International Education reported this month that Missouri ranks 12th in the

nation in the number of international students enrolled on state campuses.

MU leads the list with 2,490 students. More than one-third of the 17,300 international students in

the state are from China.

The increasing number of international students at MU has intensified the efforts of international

ministers at the Christian Campus House, including the Messimers. They serve as stand-in

parents or grandparents for them. Students even call them "Grandma" and "Grandpa."

"They are missing family back home," said David Sowers, another minister to international

students at the Christian Campus House. "To be a part of a family here is a helpful thing."

Adjusting to another country

The Messimers experienced culture shock when they first moved to Belgium and then South

Africa as Christian missionaries.

"We empathize with students from other countries who may have culture shock," Dennis

Messimer said. "We understand some of their frustrations they are going through."

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The couple arrived in Belgium in 1970, not knowing what to expect. Belgium presented them with

a new language, a different culture and even unexpected weather patterns.

It rained two days out of three in Belgium, Dennis Messimer said. "If you don't do anything in the

rain, you never get anything done."

Linda Messimer said learning Dutch was difficult at first.

"It was all Greek to me," she said. "I didn't understand anything for the first three months."

She would mix up similar words in Dutch, mistaking "freckles" — sproeten — for "Brussels

sprouts"— spruitjes — which led to a bit of confusion in restaurants.

Another misunderstanding occurred when the Messimers were driving a group of choir students

to an event.

One of the girls kept asking a boy for kisses — or so the couple thought. Kussen in Dutch means

either kisses or cushions, depending on the context. Turns out the girl wanted a cushion, not a kiss.

Christian studies in Belgium and South Africa

Most of the Messimers' work in Belgium was dedicated to helping churches find their footing. They

also conducted special Bible studies for new Christians and welcomed many of them into their

home.

"We opened our home for women and kids who needed refuge," Linda Messimer said. A 16-year-

old girl, who stayed with them for more than six months, now has children and grandchildren.

"Those kind of things make you really happy about what you do," she said.

When they arrived in South Africa in 1987, the Messimers were unprepared for the violence. The

Messimers recalled Johannesburg, where they lived, as a violent and crime-ridden place.

"In South Africa, conversation would always eventually get around to violence," Linda Messimer

said.

Their vehicles were vandalized six times, and their home was burglarized at least nine times.

During a 2004 break-in, they were at home watching TV when they heard a noise upstairs.

Investigating, they discovered two men armed with knives. The men stabbed both of them, and

Dennis Messimer was pushed to the ground where his hands and feet were bound together behind

his back.



He said he could feel blood running down his side from the knife wound. "I started praying right

away," he remembered.

Linda Messimer was forced to hand over all the money and valuables they had in the house before

her husband's hands came free, allowing him to push an alarm. The robbers fled, and the

Messimers were able to get medical attention.

"We felt like even though God allowed the break-in, he set the perimeters and caused the cords to

loosen on Dennis' hands at just the right time," Linda Messimer said.

In South Africa, the Messimers worked to help integrate schools that their children

attended. South Africa had a system of racial segregation called apartheid from 1948 to 1994.

Funding for black schools was six times less than funding for white schools. In 1989, three schools

the Messimers' children attended were among the many that opened their doors to children of

other races based on voter approval by parents.

When apartheid ended in 1994, Linda Messimer was able to take a woman to vote for the very

first time in her life.

"It was a very emotional and special time for her," Linda Messimer said. "We both cried."

The Messimers apparently passed their compassion along to their son, Brent. He saw people in

need on his own mission trips to Uganda and later founded Rescue Innocence, an organization that

seeks to end human trafficking, educates people about human trafficking and provides services to

those in need.

Ministry to international students

The Messimers met at Ozark Christian College in Joplin on Thanksgiving Day 1966.

Dennis Messimer's father was a professor at the college, and his wife invited Linda for holiday

dinner since her family was in Louisiana.

Dennis Messimer's mother jokingly said to her son: "Your future wife is coming for dinner."

The couple married in August 1967.

After their four decades of combined missionary service abroad and in America, they came to the

Christian Campus House 2½ years ago as ministers to international students.

Christian Campus House engages in a number of service ministries — visiting the Women's



Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia every Monday, pairing students

with widows in the community and going to hospitals every week.

On scheduled field trips, students visit farms, the Capitol in Jefferson City and maybe a zoo.

Christian Campus House also holds Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the international

students.

The Messimers organize Bible studies and also participate as conversation partners at the center

each week with the non-native speakers.

About 75 international students are a part of the "conversation partner" program at Christian

Campus House. Sessions are one-on-one, and the Americans use the Book of Luke to teach

conversational English, if the students are comfortable with that.

"Campus ministry is not an easy job, but it can be very rewarding," Dennis Messimer said.

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Messimers missionaries minister to international students at christian campus house

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