We held our first official "Conversation Club" with the refugee women today... and, well.... I'm grinning. Ya know the kind that's rooted so deeply in your heart that it can't help but inch all the way up and glisten from your face? Yeah that kind.
Of all the things that I was praying on my drive over to the complex I can't think of one thing that didn't get answered! God was good to us and His heart is blessed today I'm sure. There is something so beautiful about a small group of women from different walks of life, ranging from 25 years old to 67, some alone and others not, but all definitely in need of feeling loved, heard, and important coming together to talk about life, gain insight into others' trials and triumphs, to feel broken with the downcast and then walk away feeling changed and maybe with a sliver more of wholeness.
Here were some of the highlights...
* OPENNESS!! When the ladies got to share their general stories we were surprised at the willingness to go a little deeper than we were asking. Slowly but surely some of the women began telling of their tragedies in escaping their war-torn countries. I prayed beforehand that God would allow us to see His heart for their hurts and wounds, that we might see the hidden parts of their journeys so we can know how to love them well. I remember sitting there in awe and remembering my prayer... and I just smiled.
These women want to be known.
They are already much more vulnerable than I expected and it was just the first day of introductions.
* DETERMINATION!! We visited with a 67-year old Burmese woman who escaped her country when she was 61!! And she did it ALONE. She escaped Burma and spent 3 years in Malaysia which would be the equivalent of a single Mexican grandma crossing illegally to America and working crap jobs under the table for any cash she could get. There are no camps in Malaysia like there are in Thailand so the refugees who flee south to Malaysia have no government refuge and must fend for themselves. 3 years later she was accepted into the Resettlement program and arrived at Serrano Village in Phoenix. Of the 6 ladies that came her English was by far the best. As a general observation, if the refugees arrive past the age of 40 (or so) it is quite rare that they (a) learn the language at all, let alone (b) become proficient in it. She was simply amazing, yet my heart breaks because I am sure due to her age she is full of horrific memories from the genocide in her country.
Another woman was also an older single refugee woman but she was from Baghdad, Iraq. She knew no English upon arriving. She took the bus for 6 months all across town and would map the routes out herself to learn the city. She enrolled in college where she continues to learn English. She lives alone in a very modest studio apartment where she remembers the large house and new car she left behind after Muslim extremists left a message that read: If you are not gone in 3 days time we will come back and kill you.
These are just a few stories from today, but I am blown away at the drive and determination of these incredibly inspiring women.
* HUMILITY/THANKFULNESS!! The last question that we wanted them to answer as they introduced themselves was "What about America shocked you when you arrived?". Their answers were windows into their souls. One woman said, "Freedom". Simple freedom. Another elaborated and said, "You can do what you want" after explaining that her people were forced into imprisonment if they refused to adhere to the King of Bhutan's tyranny. Another woman as she watched her one-year old son play at her feet said, "That I could have my baby and the government paid for it". This will immediately aggravate some people, but for me, I just smiled for her. I smiled because she didn't feel entitled at all. She didn't feel like she got away with something. She felt helped. And she felt shocked by the help. She was humbled by the help. She was nothing but thankful and moved that she wasn't turned away because she had nothing to offer. Another woman was shocked that it's safe here and there's justice. She felt protected by the law. She commented that even the dogs are protected. That made us all laugh... but then she returned to sharing what a contrast it was in her country where you can't trust anyone that's meant to "help" and how power is abused at every level. Another woman shared that her surprise came when she realized just how hard learning English was. She was dropped into the city and could only say, "Yes" "No" and "Thank You". We all laughed as she mimicked herself in those early months as she held her hands together, bowing her head down and saying, "Yes, no, thank you" all in one sentence... because that's all she knew! How far she has come in 3 years. She came as a single mother and now she's married and expected a spring baby while sitting in a conversation club without a translator. What a beautiful thing.
ANYWAY... those are some of the stories. As in all of my interactions with folks from other cultures and backgrounds, I walked away moved and humbled that I can learn about life from such precious souls. I believe God is going to do great things in all of us, and He was already so faithful today in giving us His eyes to see into their hearts. And what tender, thankful, perseverant hearts they are.
