Warren & Beth Bauman - A Home full of hospitality

My wife Beth and I are both grateful to have been raised in Christian homes where hospitality was practised and was a normal part of our lives growing up.  When we got married and settled into our first home together, we agreed that one of our priorities would be to follow the example of generous hospitality that we were raised with and to look for opportunities to welcome people into our home.

For the first twenty or so years of our marriage, Beth’s parents owned a house in Florida where they spent their winters, and they lived with us during the summer months. That meant for at least half of the year, we had extra space in our home which could easily accommodate people who needed a place to stay. This was especially suitable for students as Beth’s parents were usually away during the school year. We were able to have many different students living with us during that time, some of whom we are still in touch with. Most came from other countries to study at university or Bible college and were with us for a few years. It was good to be able to provide a more homelike environment for them while they were studying. It was also a great experience for our daughters who were young children at the time, for them to be able to interact with the students, some who were married couples, and to include them in our family life.

We have also had the privilege of hosting many friends and family as well missionaries and other people who needed a place to stay.  Some would be with us for a few days, some for a few months and some for a few years. More recently, we have been able to open our home to refugees and people who are new to Canada.

The opportunity to share our home and our lives with people from many different backgrounds and circumstances has not been without its challenges. It has not always been easy to share our space and to give up our privacy; to make ourselves available; to be open to sharing and to be willing to give up control of our environment. It can be very humbling to realize how much little things can matter to us. But we can truly say that the benefits of opening our home have far outweighed the challenges. It has brought a richness to our lives that we are very thankful for.  We have learned to grow in patience and to put others before ourselves, we have learned about other cultures and enjoyed wonderful meals together, and most importantly, we have been able to deepen relationships and make many new friends.

God has blessed our family far beyond what we could imagine and what we deserve and it is our deep belief and conviction that He has done that for a very specific reason, so that we can have the joy and privilege of blessing others in return.