A First American Home Experience (November Highlight)

We invited one of our families, originally from Afghanistan, into our home for a meaningful milestone moment. This was the first American home they had been invited into since arriving in the United States. We shared coffee and dessert together and created a lighthearted, culturally intentional experience centered on a common American question: “How do you take your coffee?”

We prepared a small coffee tasting—black coffee, coffee with cream, coffee with cream and sugar, and coffee with just sugar—so the family could explore different options and decide what they liked (or didn’t like). While they are primarily tea drinkers, this was a gentle way to introduce a Pacific Northwest cultural norm and help them feel more confident navigating everyday social interactions.

Along with the coffee tasting, we shared a variety of desserts, including apple pie, and spent time talking and practicing English in a relaxed, relational setting. The visit also included an unexpected cultural moment: meeting our Boston Terrier. In Afghanistan, dogs are not typically kept as pets, so this was entirely new for the family. The oldest son was intrigued and enjoyed meeting the dog, while the rest of the family was less enthusiastic—prompting laughter and conversation about cultural differences.

This evening was not just about food or language practice, but about hospitality, belonging, and cultural bridge-building—helping a newly arrived family feel welcomed, seen, and a little more at home in their new community.

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