Moments of Glory

It's been something to watch the Olympics and hear the stories behind the podium.  The athlete's ups and downs, and dogged perseverance towards a goal, have been inspiring.  Rarely does the media report on all the injuries, missed jumps, and failures when we recognize an athlete- but it's all part of the journey!  No wonder the Apostle Paul uses athletic metaphors to challenge us to keep our focus.


I've seen the same kind of realities for the refugees at Welcome Home.  There are days of depression and discouragement, of taking their frustration out on the others who share the house, of giving up hope, and consuming fear. However, what sticks in my memory and inspires me, is that despite seemingly insurmountable odds, there are moments of glory!

Hearing a joyful, resonant voice ring out the French version of  "Great is Thy Faithfulness"  from the men's shower room, while his brother is imprisoned in Rwanda and may never be released...
Watching the quiet, timid one stand courageous and tall as she decides to show sacrificial love to the one who aggressively bossed her around... and how God used meekness to win a friend!

I'm inspired and would love to go around giving out medals.  I can just imagine how heaven's medal ceremony will top the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, moving as they are!

Speed Dating?

As a newly single again person, I have no lack of well-meaning suggestions coming my way.  Among the options, I've been told to check out online dating and ... speed dating!  
Personal "earthquakes" aside, I can see that moving into Welcome Home is a lot like speed dating.  Sure, when a newly arrived refugee inquires about moving in, we try to tell them as clearly as we can about what this community living will be like.

But, imagine with me what their first days might feel like:

• The first person I encounter comes from a culture that my entire family, for generations, has openly hated...
  
• No one I meet speaks a word of my language- my head hurts just listening to them...
• What kind of food is THAT??
  
• I escape to the bathroom and wonder how to use that kind of toilet...
• Back in my room, dazed, with my door locked, I'm left wondering if anyone here is like me at all.

Just before Christmas we had two new refugees move into Welcome Home, freshly arrived in Canada and struggling to take it all in.  Crammed into the kitchen, in the midst of the lovely chaos of a community meal and farewell party for our house supervisors , one of them exclaimed,

"I am SO happy to be part of Welcome Home!  In my country, we are like this all the time, but I thought that in Canada, everyone was just alone.  Thank you for letting me live here."

Now THAT's a God-thing:)

What the pictures don't tell you...

An image of gaunt children wearing rags always tugs at my heart strings to the extent that I simply cannot watch those TV specials.  The need is so obvious, the cry of outrage against such injustice bubbles up, ready to explode!

In contrast, the pictures we have of Welcome Home residents look like any other multicultural Canadian - drinking coke in the park, camping in the wilderness, eating meals around a crowded table. I struggle with this, because I wish a picture could portray what I see at Welcome Home.

• I see refugees doing laundry every day because the clothes they’re wearing are all they have. (Did you know our African marathoner has proudly worn his Ride 4 Refugees shirt daily since he got it?)

• I see the “deer in the headlights” look on their faces when they first arrive, and how a safe place to sleep and a community to share life with changes that so quickly.

• I see the depression and anxiety that many struggle with- the weather, the separation from family and culture and home, financial woes, wrestling with the English language and waiting for resident status, work permits…

• I see the long journey to emotional and physical wholeness, often with 2 steps forward and 1 step back, which many have to take. Lack of medical and dental care, prison, extortion, rape, kidnapping, torture, fleeing for their lives, betrayals, watching their family be killed, bombings- all these traumas are hidden behind the "smile for the camera!" faces of the courageous refugees who live at Welcome Home.

Last week we celebrated one woman’s birthday and the next morning she looked so glum. Trying to cheer her up, I asked her about her party and she sadly said, “No uncles to come and wish me happy birthday.” We may try, but we can never replace what each one has lost along the refugee highway. She often practices her English with some hilarious memorized “Fortunately/Unfortunately” dialogues.

Let me try one:

Unfortunately, no one can restore what a refugee has lost personally, culturally and relationally as they begin their new life in Canada. 
Fortunately, we can invite 15 refugees at a time to live in safety and community, sharing the love of Jesus who Himself promises to make all things new!

Only a God like You!!

I'm still flush with post-Ride 4 Refugees exhilaration and just HAVE to share some of my thoughts! The Ride intersects with my life in several wonderful ways:

1. Physically- this year I wasn't actually able to ride my bike until late August. To be able to complete 25 km today and smoke my son and nephew in the last km is a real gift. Wonder if we'll do 50 km again next year??
2. Family- my youngest son joined me for the first time this year and was able to experience the challenge and elation of finding sponsors who have sacrificial generousity imbedded in their spirit. My sister and all 3 of her boys were right there, too, as always riding shoulder to shoulder while the rest of our family prayed and sponsored and...
3. Welcome Home- it's always my dream to have refugees ride with us, because they're free and safe and they can! They ride in solidarity with their family and friends who are still making their torturous way to freedom. Today we had 6 Welcome Home refugees join us and I was most impressed with our Ethiopian marathon runner who's rarely ridden a bike. He hopped on a bike that was much too small for him and proceeded to leave us in his dust- Like a walk in the park:)
   
4. Funds- we were awestruck to have 13 teams register as Ride Partners for Welcome Home, which means that all or part of what they raised will be forwarded to us. As of last count, we have more than $30,000 for which these valiant heroes asked, cajoled and prodded. I can't say how much this means as we affirm that GOD is our Provider, all the time!
5. Weather- yesterday's frigid winds and drenching deluge did much to fill me with anxiety and dread. However, we began the day with the sun peeking through the clouds. I peeled off extra layers for the first 5 km, put on my sunglasses and skimmed the hills singing, "Only a God like You, only a God like You!" True, some of the riders who ventured 50 and 100 km experienced rainshowers, hail and even lightening, but the vast majority of the riders made it off the course before the weather turned and all were in high spirits, even if they returned somewhat soaked.
6. So, together with the 1000+ riders who ate up the pavement in North Waterloo with me today, let's give God the recognition He deserves!
   

Winds of change?

It's 2 years since I began to share my life and God's love with refugees right here in KW. As I've seen so clearly, "the ends of the earth" are right next door- what will we do about this Great Commission? I digress...

I'm experiencing some firsts:

• Never before have I seen such a large turn-over of residents in such a compressed time. No, we haven't made everyone mad; they realized that sharing an apartment was necesssary financially and it was better with someone they already knew, even if they were annoying:).

• Never before have I seen such an intriguing and challenging mix of refugees all move in within one week - Vietnam, Guatemala, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Columbia, Japan. I'm pretty sure I'll be breaking cultural rules ALL the time!

• Never before have we had such a glorious mix of religious backgrounds. Muslim, Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Buddhist... Go God!

• Never before have we had so many new, newly arrived refugees literally moving in off the streets with nothing but the clothing on their backs. They're so eager to come that they don't care that we don't even have a bed (YET) for them to sleep on. We need beds, linens, towels, food NOW! Please help.

• Never before have we been so in need of prayer and so optimistic that God is doing something wonderful among us.

"Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you"

out of the mouths of...

It's her first month in this country and she's the only one fasting from sun-up to sundown for Ramadan. As we talked about her day, she asked why I looked so sad. Surprised by her perceptiveness, I told her a bit of my journey this past year. She murmured her sympathies and asked if I had any children living with me. When I told her of my first grandchild and a daughter's wedding and my youngest son now living on his own, she expressed even deeper sympathy- she is no stranger to loneliness- unmarried, with all her siblings killed in the Iraqi war. Her final response- "Allah... is ...errr...how do you say it?"
"God?"
"Yes! God is with you"

Thank you, God, for reminding me of your unfailing love and presence in this most surprising way. I hear you.

That's reminds me of...

27 years ago I was pregnant with my first child and shopping in a corner grocery store that carried many Mexican foods. Makes sense, since I was living in California. The smell of corn tortillas still makes me nauseous... Funny how smells evoke such strong memories!

I was chatting with a man who looks my age, but is over 10 years younger than me. It was his birthday and I asked if he was going to celebrate it in any way (with the inherent desire to help celebrate, if it seemed suitable). He said no, he never celebrates his birthday anymore, because the day his mother died was just before his birthday. Then he proceeded to tell me his story of 10+ years of imprisonment, beatings, torture, being moved around from one prison to another to keep him hidden, and most traumatic of all, not being able to be there when his mother died. I humbly thanked him for entrusting me with his story and acknowledged that he had good reasons for not wanting to remember his birthday.

Another friend shared the coping strategy he has to get through our frequent thunder storms. He cranks his music up as loud as he can to try to drown out the disturbing, unpredictable crashes and booms. What an easy life I've lived.

I want to do something to eradicate their past, but quickly realize that I have only been given the opportunity to impact their now and their future. By the grace of God, I commit myself to prayerfully do just that and let Him bring the healing for their past!