Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Pray for freedom for women in Saudi Arabia
The ruling House of Saud is a Sunni Muslim family, and Sunni Islam is the state religion of Islam. Sunnis comprise the vast majority of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, while Shiite Muslims make up a minority
Women cannot travel abroad or open their own bank account without permission from a male.
While Saudi Arabia does allow non-Muslims to live in Saudi Arabia to work, they may not practice religion publicly. According to the government of the United Kingdom: The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal; as is an intention to convert others.
Unrelated men and women cannot interact in public.
The legal system of Saudi Arabia is based on Sharia, Islamic law derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the traditions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Women cannot go to the hospital without permission from a male guardian.
Source http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/middleeast/saudi-arabia-anti-corruption-list/index.html
A modern hero in the pursuit of God: Nabeel Qureshi
One of my modern heroes is Nabeel Qureshi. At all costs he pursued and stood up for seeking truth. I'm looking forward to meeting him someday.
Nabeel Qureshi's message: https://youtu.be/
Nabeel Qureshi's message: https://youtu.be/
Saturday, September 23, 2017
The Good Neighbor program
The Good Neighbor program focuses on making friends with refugees. Because of the influx of refugees worldwide, one of the best ways to obey Jesus is to love these new neighbors. Refugees are our neighbors and God has brought them to our city for one reason: Life.
God has kept these families alive according to his purpose. He has brought them to St. Louis according to his purpose. And now an invitation has been extended to the church: love these neighbors. Jesus said: "Love your neighbor." And the Good Neighbor program is an excellent, way to go about meeting, connecting with, and developing friendships with people from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, and many countries in Africa.
Every year families arrive in St. Louis from refugee camps and war ravaged locations. As Westerners we cannot comprehend the struggle of their journey, the fear for their children, the sadness and loneliness they've faced. But we want to obey the words of Jesus to love them.
The Good Neighbor program has approximately 100 volunteer families that have signed up to become friends with a refugee family. THERE ARE 400 REFUGEE FAMILIES still wanting and waiting for an American family to come alongside them. They have been asked if they would like an American friend to contact them and they're waiting!
To learn more visit : www.goodneighborstl.com
God has kept these families alive according to his purpose. He has brought them to St. Louis according to his purpose. And now an invitation has been extended to the church: love these neighbors. Jesus said: "Love your neighbor." And the Good Neighbor program is an excellent, way to go about meeting, connecting with, and developing friendships with people from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, and many countries in Africa.
Every year families arrive in St. Louis from refugee camps and war ravaged locations. As Westerners we cannot comprehend the struggle of their journey, the fear for their children, the sadness and loneliness they've faced. But we want to obey the words of Jesus to love them.
The Good Neighbor program has approximately 100 volunteer families that have signed up to become friends with a refugee family. THERE ARE 400 REFUGEE FAMILIES still wanting and waiting for an American family to come alongside them. They have been asked if they would like an American friend to contact them and they're waiting!
To learn more visit : www.goodneighborstl.com
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Refugee Assimilation Involves the church
Thousands of refugees in Germany are converting from Islam to Christianity, although it could carry a huge personal risk for them. Independent churches are especially seeing many new converts.
The conversion itself, however, carries many risks. Converts to Christianity are exposed to hostility - in Iran and Afghanistan they face religious persecution. In some instances they could be dealt the death penalty. In the past years there have been more and more reports about converts being attacked in Germany.
"Right now we have five people with us who have been assaulted. One has lost some of his teeth and one of the others has a wound that had to be sewn up. " The authorities, according to [Pastor] Martens, haven't reacted. The security personnel are mostly on the side of the attackers and even though the police are involved "they are not looking further into the matter."
It's gone so far that the converts are secretly sneaking out of the refugee homes to attend the church services and are hiding their cross necklaces which they receive after baptism. One refugee convert who was attacked and filed a complaint then received 10 complaints from the other residents saying that he assaulted Muslim women. These claims were made up and served as a way to intimidate him.
The aggression towards converts is not new, the Pastor confirmed, but has become normalized. The attacks are partly the other people of the same nationalities of the converts but also "radical Muslims from different countries." Although he knows the change of faith represents a danger for people
Source: http://www.dw.com/en/german-churches-see-rise-in-baptisms-for-refugees/a-38771600
The conversion itself, however, carries many risks. Converts to Christianity are exposed to hostility - in Iran and Afghanistan they face religious persecution. In some instances they could be dealt the death penalty. In the past years there have been more and more reports about converts being attacked in Germany.
"Right now we have five people with us who have been assaulted. One has lost some of his teeth and one of the others has a wound that had to be sewn up. " The authorities, according to [Pastor] Martens, haven't reacted. The security personnel are mostly on the side of the attackers and even though the police are involved "they are not looking further into the matter."
It's gone so far that the converts are secretly sneaking out of the refugee homes to attend the church services and are hiding their cross necklaces which they receive after baptism. One refugee convert who was attacked and filed a complaint then received 10 complaints from the other residents saying that he assaulted Muslim women. These claims were made up and served as a way to intimidate him.
The aggression towards converts is not new, the Pastor confirmed, but has become normalized. The attacks are partly the other people of the same nationalities of the converts but also "radical Muslims from different countries." Although he knows the change of faith represents a danger for people
Source: http://www.dw.com/en/german-churches-see-rise-in-baptisms-for-refugees/a-38771600
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Refugee Assimilation in Germany: Education Part II
This, of course, is a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated 50,000 refugees who are reportedly interested in pursuing a degree in Germany. And the number who have successfully registered in degree programs at regular universities is even smaller. In the 2016 winter semester, a total of 1,140 refugees were matriculated at German universities, the majority of whom were from Syria.
Asylees can generally attend German universities without restrictions. The lack of German language proficiency and other hurdles, however, deter refugee enrollment at public universities. At the undergraduate level, where degree programs are almost exclusively offered in German, all international students, including refugees, must present a qualification equivalent to the German university-preparatory high school diploma, and demonstrate advanced German language abilities, at minimum at level C1, CEFR. For English-language programs, which exist primarily at the graduate level, a comparable certification of English skills, such as the TOEFL test, may be required.
Source: http://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/lessons-germanys-refugee-crisis-integration-costs-benefits
Refugee Assimilation Germany: Education Part I
Among the many efforts to facilitate refugee access to higher education, one of the most groundbreaking is provided by Kiron University, a non-profit, crowd-funded online university that was founded in 2015 with the exclusive goal of educating refugees. The institution partners with online education platforms like coursera or edx to provide free online courses, using existing online course offerings by world-class universities including Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, or MIT. The service offered by Kiron University is remarkable: Not only does the institution not have academic admission requirements, language, passport and residency requirements, or, for that matter, any other forms of bureaucratic hurdles; it even provides each student with a free laptop and internet access.
Kiron is not a recognized university in Germany and does not award degrees. But 22 partner universities in Germany and other countries currently allow Kiron students to transfer into their degree programs, usually after completion of four semesters of study at Kiron University. The large number of donations and applications that Kiron has received since its foundation are testament to the fact that many refugees are seeking a less bureaucratic and more immediate alternative to the comparatively hurdled long-term pathways available at German brick-and-mortar universities. In its first semester alone, Kiron received 5,000 applications, 80 percent of them from Syrian refugees. The institution currently enrolls 2,300 refugees.
Source: http://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/lessons-germanys-refugee-crisis-integration-costs-benefits
Kiron is not a recognized university in Germany and does not award degrees. But 22 partner universities in Germany and other countries currently allow Kiron students to transfer into their degree programs, usually after completion of four semesters of study at Kiron University. The large number of donations and applications that Kiron has received since its foundation are testament to the fact that many refugees are seeking a less bureaucratic and more immediate alternative to the comparatively hurdled long-term pathways available at German brick-and-mortar universities. In its first semester alone, Kiron received 5,000 applications, 80 percent of them from Syrian refugees. The institution currently enrolls 2,300 refugees.
Source: http://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/lessons-germanys-refugee-crisis-integration-costs-benefits
Refugee Assimilation in Germany: Employment Part II
In addition to government programs, there are numerous private sector initiatives in Germany to help refugees into the workforce. Like the public sector programs, these private initiatives have not yet done much to boost refugee employment. One problem with the current private initiatives is that they often focus on low-skilled jobs, internships and temporary positions that, as of now, rarely lead to fulltime employment. For instance, some 300 companies included in a so-called “Network of Businesses Integrating Refugees” employed a total of 2,500 refugees in October 2016. This figure, however, also included temporary employment contracts, internships, and training programs. German businesses tend to be careful when hiring refugees and often use internships to evaluate the suitability of refugees for subsequent vocational training programs. This means that refugees on this track are often still years away from actual fulltime wage jobs.
Source:http://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/lessons-germanys-refugee-crisis-integration-costs-benefits
Source:http://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/lessons-germanys-refugee-crisis-integration-costs-benefits
Refugee Assimilation in Germany: Employment Part I
A 2016 study by the research department of Deutsche Bank concluded that the successful integration of the refugees could help to balance Germany’s age structure and increase its labor force, and should be regarded as an “investment in the future” and “win-win scenario” with the potential to give Germany “the opportunity to consolidate its position as Europe’s economic powerhouse.”
...........
Much of these projected benefits will depend on the speed and success of integration efforts, and more work is needed. The stakes are high: If integration fails, the continued presence of large numbers of refugees in Germany could result in sustained net transfer payments from the public sector, while at best providing a supply of labor for low-skilled jobs.
But if the integration succeeds, the economic benefits promise to be considerable. A 2015 study by the “German Institute for Economic Research” predicted that the current cost-intensive investments in integration would, within the next years, reach a break-even point. After that, increased employment and consumption by the refugees may stimulate economic growth that could, in the best case-scenario, yield more than a one percent increase in German GDP by 2025.
.............
The integration of immigrant populations in Germany is problematic in general, due to language barriers, resentments in German society, and other factors...The workforce integration of the refugees thus needs to be understood as a long-term process that is likely to accelerate over time. While only an estimated nine percent of refugees who arrived in 2015 were employed by 2016, that same figure was 22 percent among refugees that had arrived in 2014, and 31 percent among those that had arrived in 2013.
One focal point of German government efforts to accelerate employment among refugees has been a 9-month integration ‘course’. Established in 2005, long before the current crisis, the course is designed to expedite the assimilation of approved asylees, helping them to obtain needed linguistic skills, as well as softer cultural skills and understanding. The course includes a 60-hour cultural “orientation” unit introducing German society and culture, as well as 600 contact hours of German-language instruction. One goal is to enable participants to obtain an intermediate-level language certificate at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In the wake of the 2015 crisis, asylum applicants, and other ‘tolerated’ refugees were granted permission to take these courses prior to obtaining asylee status. In July 2016, Germany’s government passed legislation requiring that asylum seekers take integration courses, lest they lose government benefits and the legal right to remain in the country.
Source: http://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/lessons-germanys-refugee-crisis-integration-costs-benefits
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Frustrating day for my friends
The father (of the Syrian family) handed me two letters this week. They had their health insurance for the four youngest kids cancelled and found out they owe an extra $240 for day care for the youngest. And he thought day care would be free.
Bummer day.
After a few phone calls, the health insurance will be corrected within a month, the culprit seems to be due to missing info in the application. The day care scenario is just reality.
The father expressed frustration that life is so expensive in the U.S. He works but is the only one working right now, he's doing housekeeping/cleaning at a hotel. It's very easy to forget to count the many blessings we have: to be alive, to have family around us, to be healthy. This is probably a culture clash too. In tough times we need encouragement and hope that tomorrow is an opportunity to work harder, know that our work is progress, and to always pray for divine intervention!
The father's frustration seemed to hit a wall of criticism about "life in America". Germany, for example he's heard from his cousin there, provides assistance for a longer period of time. (Financial assistance is given to refugees in the U.S. for three months, in Germany it's twelve months.)
Ideas meant to divide and cause anger...I won't settle for this episode of discouragement and disconnection. Some Muslims are told by Imams to work the U.S. system, get what you can, suck it dry, the U.S. exists to serve you....oh the lies so many people are being told. Embrace truth and grace my friend. "What is truth?" - Pontius Pilate. Pilate didn't embrace truth even though is wife warned him...
Bummer day.
After a few phone calls, the health insurance will be corrected within a month, the culprit seems to be due to missing info in the application. The day care scenario is just reality.
The father expressed frustration that life is so expensive in the U.S. He works but is the only one working right now, he's doing housekeeping/cleaning at a hotel. It's very easy to forget to count the many blessings we have: to be alive, to have family around us, to be healthy. This is probably a culture clash too. In tough times we need encouragement and hope that tomorrow is an opportunity to work harder, know that our work is progress, and to always pray for divine intervention!
The father's frustration seemed to hit a wall of criticism about "life in America". Germany, for example he's heard from his cousin there, provides assistance for a longer period of time. (Financial assistance is given to refugees in the U.S. for three months, in Germany it's twelve months.)
Ideas meant to divide and cause anger...I won't settle for this episode of discouragement and disconnection. Some Muslims are told by Imams to work the U.S. system, get what you can, suck it dry, the U.S. exists to serve you....oh the lies so many people are being told. Embrace truth and grace my friend. "What is truth?" - Pontius Pilate. Pilate didn't embrace truth even though is wife warned him...
Friday, June 9, 2017
Providing Refugees with a new skill, income, and hope.
This is a video I produced to briefly highlight the Woodworking Program for refugees.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Refugee Driving Lesson - Watch out for the TREE!
Last week I was at the Syrian family's home. We were drinking Coke and having our English lesson when it culminated into a conversation about driving cars, go figure! R. the 23 year old cousin/niece in the family, really wants to learn to drive (what 23 yr. old doesn't want to drive right?), her eyes get really big in her excitement, she stares at me as if saying "Please say yes, please say yes" and I feel so good at the possibility of making this dream of hers a reality.
So yesterday I met with S. (the father) and R (his 23 year old niece) to give them a driving lesson.
It was a beautiful day in StL, blue skies, 70 degrees. We climbed into my car and I gave them a first things first tutorial: gas, brake, Park, Drive, Reverse, Neutral etc., seat belts please, adjust seat and mirrors, turn signals, look behind you before pulling out, turn blinker on, ease out.
As we drove, I pointed out street signs, Yield, One Way etc. they knew all of this, so they said. I drove the three of us to Tower Grove Park, perfect for this occasion, smooth roads, spacious lanes. (There was not a big, empty parking lot in the area.) The park was pretty busy with joggers and several fields full of people playing ultimate frisbee. S. had told me he drove years ago in Syria but that must have been at least 5 years ago because they were in a camp for 4 years. He's 45 yrs. old and I thought he should be first, set a good example.
S. drove for about 30 minutes inside the park. Fully in control but a bit scared, a little white knuckled. He did a good job, both hands on the wheel the entire time, and drove very slowly, which I appreciated. I think he was being cautious, people were staring at this VW Jetta creeping along, "what's wrong with these people" but, hey, I didn't have that sign on my car declaring: "Driving School in Progress Don't Stare".
He would be terrified on the normal streets and definitely expressed concern about the idea of parallel parking (who doesn't!) "Parallel parking, maybe for the next lesson", I said.
Then it was R's turn. She's a sweet gentle, young lady and she's never been behind the wheel of a car. She too was cautious and her gentleness showed towards the steering wheel. She didn't want to use it. She slowly weaved back and forth across the park road at 5 m.p.h. for about 30 minutes. By "weaved back and forth" I mean she took up the whole road!
You have to imagine: a car literally weaving from one side of the street to the other at 5 m.p.h.! I had to intervene several times as I didn't think she was going to swerve away from the curb in time and thought on several occasions she would hit the trees on the edge of the street. I would say: "There's a tree, there's a tree, tree, tree, tree" and she kept the same expression the whole time and didn't move the wheel.
S. sat in back giving her detailed instruction, at times raising his voice, other times making a disgruntled ticking sound with his mouth, a very fatherly warning perhaps saying "be careful" or "oh God what have we begun". Several other cars didn't appreciate our speed and went racing by us, as if we were on a main thoroughfare instead of in a subdued park, but that's part of learning to drive.
After multiple times around the entire park, I thought she had done a good enough job for her first driving experience and I told her so. She's funny, she said in her broken English way "Who's good, my father or me?" I think she was saying who did a better job driving? Funny girl. We will do this again. I consider it a privilege to be giving them lessons. And not having hit the tree.
So yesterday I met with S. (the father) and R (his 23 year old niece) to give them a driving lesson.
It was a beautiful day in StL, blue skies, 70 degrees. We climbed into my car and I gave them a first things first tutorial: gas, brake, Park, Drive, Reverse, Neutral etc., seat belts please, adjust seat and mirrors, turn signals, look behind you before pulling out, turn blinker on, ease out.
As we drove, I pointed out street signs, Yield, One Way etc. they knew all of this, so they said. I drove the three of us to Tower Grove Park, perfect for this occasion, smooth roads, spacious lanes. (There was not a big, empty parking lot in the area.) The park was pretty busy with joggers and several fields full of people playing ultimate frisbee. S. had told me he drove years ago in Syria but that must have been at least 5 years ago because they were in a camp for 4 years. He's 45 yrs. old and I thought he should be first, set a good example.
S. drove for about 30 minutes inside the park. Fully in control but a bit scared, a little white knuckled. He did a good job, both hands on the wheel the entire time, and drove very slowly, which I appreciated. I think he was being cautious, people were staring at this VW Jetta creeping along, "what's wrong with these people" but, hey, I didn't have that sign on my car declaring: "Driving School in Progress Don't Stare".
He would be terrified on the normal streets and definitely expressed concern about the idea of parallel parking (who doesn't!) "Parallel parking, maybe for the next lesson", I said.
Then it was R's turn. She's a sweet gentle, young lady and she's never been behind the wheel of a car. She too was cautious and her gentleness showed towards the steering wheel. She didn't want to use it. She slowly weaved back and forth across the park road at 5 m.p.h. for about 30 minutes. By "weaved back and forth" I mean she took up the whole road!
You have to imagine: a car literally weaving from one side of the street to the other at 5 m.p.h.! I had to intervene several times as I didn't think she was going to swerve away from the curb in time and thought on several occasions she would hit the trees on the edge of the street. I would say: "There's a tree, there's a tree, tree, tree, tree" and she kept the same expression the whole time and didn't move the wheel.
S. sat in back giving her detailed instruction, at times raising his voice, other times making a disgruntled ticking sound with his mouth, a very fatherly warning perhaps saying "be careful" or "oh God what have we begun". Several other cars didn't appreciate our speed and went racing by us, as if we were on a main thoroughfare instead of in a subdued park, but that's part of learning to drive.
After multiple times around the entire park, I thought she had done a good enough job for her first driving experience and I told her so. She's funny, she said in her broken English way "Who's good, my father or me?" I think she was saying who did a better job driving? Funny girl. We will do this again. I consider it a privilege to be giving them lessons. And not having hit the tree.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
God is most glorified when I am most satisfied in Him.
That was a quote from John Piper.
Sometimes people want to reevaluate where they spend time and talents. Volunteering can be the first step for people to live out their interests in a new way, break the routine of their lives, focus on others instead of ourselves. The U.S has a rich history of generosity and volunteerism. I created this video as I present to groups encouraging volunteering. (Friendly Disclosure: salvation is by grace not by works : ))
Sometimes people want to reevaluate where they spend time and talents. Volunteering can be the first step for people to live out their interests in a new way, break the routine of their lives, focus on others instead of ourselves. The U.S has a rich history of generosity and volunteerism. I created this video as I present to groups encouraging volunteering. (Friendly Disclosure: salvation is by grace not by works : ))
"Na'am", Arabic for yes.
(Family names have been abbreviated for privacy purposes.)
During my previous visit, R. had spoken with her father, S., on the phone after I explained I would like to meet him but he hadn't responded to my texts/calls. She was the "appointment setter". S. and the three year old, J., were the only two of this family of seven that I hadn't met. I was excited when S. answered the door. This meant, despite our language barriers, we had successfully set the right appointment time and everyone showed up! As I entered, I gestured to remove my shoes, but he shook his head and said "no, no, no" as if I didn't need to. So in order not to defy him, I kept my shoes on despite having done so other times. I handed him the wrapped present I had bought the family; the game Jenga built in family fun for the whole year and easy to play despite language barriers. They probably opened it later that evening and I imagine wondered about it.
We quickly determined that I didn't speak enough Arabic and he didn't speak enough English to make sense to each other so out came the cell phones and Google Translate. Over the course of the next hour I explained who I was, that I wanted to be their friend and help them in anyway I could. S's priority now seems to be learning English and he currently attends English classes in the mornings at the International Institute. I typed into Google that the Oasis also offers English classes but I'm pretty sure that did not do a fabulous translation job. He didn't understand. I'm meeting with a church this week that will provide me English language curriculum. I'm praying about tutoring the family for an hour during my visits (and having them teach me Arabic).
It's unclear what he does in the afternoons but he's never been there when I've visited in the afternoons. He seems to be interested in whatever type of work he can get and was not permitted to work in Turkey because of his Kurdish nationality and may have done some "agricultural" work in Syria.
He has an instructor's permit and currently takes the bus to the Institute. I had called the DMV and inquired about how he and R. could obtain their driver's licenses. "As long as their Instructor Permits are not expired, they take those, proof of residence, and their I9s to the DMV and need to pass the driving exam." Wow, sounds easy enough but a big responsibility. Do I teach them to drive using my car??? From my experience with other refugees, depending on the bus as the only mode of transportation can get really frustrating really fast because it takes double the time to get anywhere. When you're earning minimum wage, an hour commute each way is tough. We'll see, something to pray about.
At the end of our time together, he invited me back, this time for dinner in two weeks. "Nem, shakran. " (yes, thank you), I said. I felt honored. The whole family will be there. I'll bring more pictures of my family and St. Louis landmarks like the Arch and explain Cardinals baseball to them. And maybe we'll get to play Jenga together.
During my previous visit, R. had spoken with her father, S., on the phone after I explained I would like to meet him but he hadn't responded to my texts/calls. She was the "appointment setter". S. and the three year old, J., were the only two of this family of seven that I hadn't met. I was excited when S. answered the door. This meant, despite our language barriers, we had successfully set the right appointment time and everyone showed up! As I entered, I gestured to remove my shoes, but he shook his head and said "no, no, no" as if I didn't need to. So in order not to defy him, I kept my shoes on despite having done so other times. I handed him the wrapped present I had bought the family; the game Jenga built in family fun for the whole year and easy to play despite language barriers. They probably opened it later that evening and I imagine wondered about it.
We quickly determined that I didn't speak enough Arabic and he didn't speak enough English to make sense to each other so out came the cell phones and Google Translate. Over the course of the next hour I explained who I was, that I wanted to be their friend and help them in anyway I could. S's priority now seems to be learning English and he currently attends English classes in the mornings at the International Institute. I typed into Google that the Oasis also offers English classes but I'm pretty sure that did not do a fabulous translation job. He didn't understand. I'm meeting with a church this week that will provide me English language curriculum. I'm praying about tutoring the family for an hour during my visits (and having them teach me Arabic).
It's unclear what he does in the afternoons but he's never been there when I've visited in the afternoons. He seems to be interested in whatever type of work he can get and was not permitted to work in Turkey because of his Kurdish nationality and may have done some "agricultural" work in Syria.
He has an instructor's permit and currently takes the bus to the Institute. I had called the DMV and inquired about how he and R. could obtain their driver's licenses. "As long as their Instructor Permits are not expired, they take those, proof of residence, and their I9s to the DMV and need to pass the driving exam." Wow, sounds easy enough but a big responsibility. Do I teach them to drive using my car??? From my experience with other refugees, depending on the bus as the only mode of transportation can get really frustrating really fast because it takes double the time to get anywhere. When you're earning minimum wage, an hour commute each way is tough. We'll see, something to pray about.
At the end of our time together, he invited me back, this time for dinner in two weeks. "Nem, shakran. " (yes, thank you), I said. I felt honored. The whole family will be there. I'll bring more pictures of my family and St. Louis landmarks like the Arch and explain Cardinals baseball to them. And maybe we'll get to play Jenga together.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Visiting a Syrian Refugee Family
Helping refugees assimilate means helping them pull together all of the pieces of their new lives. Can you imagine the all changes?
This family arrived from Turkey. They had lived in a refugee camp for four years after fleeing Syria. The youngest boy was born in Turkey, he'll be three years old May 1 (Will he like the same toys as my boy did at 3??)
The first month included beginning English class, understanding how the home functions from lights, stoves, and refrigerators. How public transportation works, U.S. currency and grocery shopping in oversized stores. This Syrian family of seven that arrived in January (2017), are full of smiles and have a genuine desire to learn (a fourth) language and get involved in working and new opportunities.
Their duplex home is probably 700 square feet and their front door is five feet from a busy, four lane, south St. Louis street. The front, living room is sparse of decorations, nothing on the walls except one of those mirrored pictures of a mosque. The few couches and end tables were donated. It's very tidy or maybe empty is a better description.
The oldest of the five children is 23 years old. She seemed so excited and curious about my visit. She had a lot of questions and having a common language was our barrier. By the way, Google translate works best in short, simple sentences. For example, "I would like to meet you on Friday." "I will be here at 12:00." Seems to work versus "In order to get your driver's license, you first need to take a written exam." Too many words and a more complicated concept, seems to not translate so well. I spent several hours using simple words to describe myself and my life, where I was from, refugee work done in the U.S. and Europe, and describing my family as well as showing pictures of my kids.
After several hours of "communicating" I had the privilege of meeting the other children as they came home from school. One by one they extended their hand to me and in heavy accents said: "nice to meet you", each of them had a big smile. When the youngest, an eight year old girl, shook my hand and smiled, a part of my heart began to melt, she's adorable and seemed so happy. She took off her coat and observed me talking to the older three. I felt so honored to be the one in their home. The one trying to be a bridge, a friend. I was amazed at how quickly the afternoon flew by. When I emerged out of their little home, into the bustling traffic, my surroundings seemed a bit surreal. The last four hours could have been spent in another country.
"God bless them in their journey." As I left they said God is with me. I agreed. For all of us, language learning and helping each other grow takes time. Just like a good friendship does.
This family arrived from Turkey. They had lived in a refugee camp for four years after fleeing Syria. The youngest boy was born in Turkey, he'll be three years old May 1 (Will he like the same toys as my boy did at 3??)
The first month included beginning English class, understanding how the home functions from lights, stoves, and refrigerators. How public transportation works, U.S. currency and grocery shopping in oversized stores. This Syrian family of seven that arrived in January (2017), are full of smiles and have a genuine desire to learn (a fourth) language and get involved in working and new opportunities.
Their duplex home is probably 700 square feet and their front door is five feet from a busy, four lane, south St. Louis street. The front, living room is sparse of decorations, nothing on the walls except one of those mirrored pictures of a mosque. The few couches and end tables were donated. It's very tidy or maybe empty is a better description.
The oldest of the five children is 23 years old. She seemed so excited and curious about my visit. She had a lot of questions and having a common language was our barrier. By the way, Google translate works best in short, simple sentences. For example, "I would like to meet you on Friday." "I will be here at 12:00." Seems to work versus "In order to get your driver's license, you first need to take a written exam." Too many words and a more complicated concept, seems to not translate so well. I spent several hours using simple words to describe myself and my life, where I was from, refugee work done in the U.S. and Europe, and describing my family as well as showing pictures of my kids.
After several hours of "communicating" I had the privilege of meeting the other children as they came home from school. One by one they extended their hand to me and in heavy accents said: "nice to meet you", each of them had a big smile. When the youngest, an eight year old girl, shook my hand and smiled, a part of my heart began to melt, she's adorable and seemed so happy. She took off her coat and observed me talking to the older three. I felt so honored to be the one in their home. The one trying to be a bridge, a friend. I was amazed at how quickly the afternoon flew by. When I emerged out of their little home, into the bustling traffic, my surroundings seemed a bit surreal. The last four hours could have been spent in another country.
"God bless them in their journey." As I left they said God is with me. I agreed. For all of us, language learning and helping each other grow takes time. Just like a good friendship does.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Today I met a Syrian refugee. I was hoping to meet the entire family: husband, wife, and 5 kids. We think the oldest girl, approximately 23 years old, is actually their niece. I was delivering a Welcome basket to the family and had been told they don't speak English, only Arabic, but that maybe the 23 year old knew a little bit of English.
The Welcome basket had mostly practical items: toothbrushes, hand towels, paper towels, toilet paper, dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, cleaning products including bleach, feminine products. There was a very soft, cozy lavender and white blanket, a "btania" I later translated, my daughter would have loved it. There was also an American flag, not sure yet what that means for this family.
I had texted the Viber number I was given for the family and called several times in the previous days. No answer, no reply to my text messages either. This could go on for weeks and so realizing in some cultures it's okay to swing by, I did. I had waited until about 10am to visit. After I knocked, there was no answer for about a minute. Man, was my drive in vain? Then I saw a light come on. "Thank you God."
The mother, wife, answered the door with a surprised look on her face. Duh, a bit of alarm for sure. Who is this little white man, in a very bright blue shirt knocking on my door. "Salam." About the only word I can offer off the top of my mind. And a smile. "Do you speak English?" "No Arabic." I'm thinking, need to be able to download Arabic into brain now. "I'm sorry I don't know Arabic." Very helpful thing to say. I mentioned the group I was representing and that seemed to resonate with her. No one else was home.
I handed her the basket and gestured somehow to indicate I would like to introduce myself and described what I've brought. I stepped inside and we kept the door open. I pulled out my phone and accessed Google translate. We went through all of the items with that techno interpreter's pronunciations guiding our conversation. There was agreement. The Mrs. completely understood and had confidence as to what the items were. I used the universal drink this and you will die expression when showing her the bleach. I think she realized in that moment that I can be kind of a goofball, how to translate that Google?
Conversation got really confusing when I was trying to translate about my next visits. Ultimately you can't translate "I want to be your friend and will visit pretty regularly and help everyone however I can." I just have to do it. I gave up trying and just pointed to a number they could call if they needed immediate help. As I drove home, I realized my soul was glad. I now have a face I can think of in my prayers.
"Shukraan", thanks.
The Welcome basket had mostly practical items: toothbrushes, hand towels, paper towels, toilet paper, dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, cleaning products including bleach, feminine products. There was a very soft, cozy lavender and white blanket, a "btania" I later translated, my daughter would have loved it. There was also an American flag, not sure yet what that means for this family.
I had texted the Viber number I was given for the family and called several times in the previous days. No answer, no reply to my text messages either. This could go on for weeks and so realizing in some cultures it's okay to swing by, I did. I had waited until about 10am to visit. After I knocked, there was no answer for about a minute. Man, was my drive in vain? Then I saw a light come on. "Thank you God."
The mother, wife, answered the door with a surprised look on her face. Duh, a bit of alarm for sure. Who is this little white man, in a very bright blue shirt knocking on my door. "Salam." About the only word I can offer off the top of my mind. And a smile. "Do you speak English?" "No Arabic." I'm thinking, need to be able to download Arabic into brain now. "I'm sorry I don't know Arabic." Very helpful thing to say. I mentioned the group I was representing and that seemed to resonate with her. No one else was home.
I handed her the basket and gestured somehow to indicate I would like to introduce myself and described what I've brought. I stepped inside and we kept the door open. I pulled out my phone and accessed Google translate. We went through all of the items with that techno interpreter's pronunciations guiding our conversation. There was agreement. The Mrs. completely understood and had confidence as to what the items were. I used the universal drink this and you will die expression when showing her the bleach. I think she realized in that moment that I can be kind of a goofball, how to translate that Google?
Conversation got really confusing when I was trying to translate about my next visits. Ultimately you can't translate "I want to be your friend and will visit pretty regularly and help everyone however I can." I just have to do it. I gave up trying and just pointed to a number they could call if they needed immediate help. As I drove home, I realized my soul was glad. I now have a face I can think of in my prayers.
"Shukraan", thanks.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Cross Cultural Conversation
Do you ever feel misunderstood? Maybe you're a husband or a wife, or you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. These type of relationships, despite their many joys, can really serve as a good example of communication breakdowns. We need a lot of patience and communication skills with one another in these times.
Just imagine what conversations are like for refugees. Talk about complicated! Watch this video for some helpful insight into cross cultural understanding and how understanding someone's culture may help you better communicate with them.
Just imagine what conversations are like for refugees. Talk about complicated! Watch this video for some helpful insight into cross cultural understanding and how understanding someone's culture may help you better communicate with them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
What does "refuge" mean to you?
Assimilating Refugees