An Overwhelming Experience (Details are omitted to protect the privacy and safety of our new neighbors )

I recently joined something called a Good Neighbor Team with some of my fellow Maryknoll Affiliates. Although I admire and support the people who do such things, I was never brave enough to go “far afield” as a missionary. So when the opportunity recently presented itself to work with a newly arrived immigrant family I was excited to be a part of a team that welcomed them to our country. How difficult could it be to get one little family settled into their new home, and their new city? I went for the first home visit only to feel completely overwhelmed! What was I thinking? How ignorant could one person be? The thought that surfaced rather quickly was the realization that this was certainly not going to be “ a simple walk in the park”. I left feeling completely overwhelmed, a bit depressed, and frankly quite defeated. But at about the same time another powerful feeling overtook me. After just one meeting with this family, l was hopelessly in love. Although they have next to nothing themselves, the family was very hospitable to us, preparing hot tea and food. When I arrived for my first home visit, the youngest little girl ( preschool age ) emerged from a bedroom and stood smiling shyly at the doorway to her bedroom. We made eye contact and I was immediately drawn to her adorable dark eyes. I instinctively gestured for her to come over and we hugged and she stood by me for awhile as I sat in one of the kitchen chairs. It’s difficult to describe why or how this happened. We didn’t speak one word of their language and they didn’t speak one word of ours. This was frustrating to say the least but sometimes hearts speak when words fail. Love is a pretty powerful thing so even though the challenges seemed insurmountable, there was no turning back. I also realized I wasn’t the only one lovestruck. As I was falling asleep that night, images flooded my mind. I found myself wondering what it must feel like to flee my country on a moment’s notice with little more than the clothes on my back. I tried to imagine being young and pregnant, grabbing a few simple belongings for my children and fleeing my country, my culture, many beloved family members and friends to begin a long, and tiring journey to places unknown. I wondered what it feels like to be ushered here and there until you finally arrive to a foreign destination that was chosen for you! How scary must it be to be completely at the mercy of people with a totally different culture who can’t understand a single word you’re saying? I started to pray for strength and guidance, and together with some of the most amazing comrades on God’s good earth, I began to have a bit of faith that we could and would rise to the occasion. We’d learn and grow and work together and however imperfectly, yet creatively, we’d do what we could to help. So, we put one foot in front of the other and we committed to our new neighbors. Information about the USCRI The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) administers domestic programs related to refugee resettlement and placement, foreign-born victims of human trafficking, and unaccompanied immigrant children. Its international programs focus on defending the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. Here is the Facebook Page https://m.facebook.com/USCRI.Albany/