A statement like “They need help with 
very basic things, like how to use a can opener” is instructive on the challenges of learning things that are very basic in America, but in actuality are very different from how much of the world lives. Continue reading “Can You Use a Can Opener?”
Facebook Friends!
Tonight I was surprised by a friend request 
on Facebook. Mama Kasongo invited me to connect. I discovered that she and Papa Kasongo are both on Facebook; her as of Saturday and him as of last week. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, they have smartphones, which are essentially handheld computers – a valuable resource in America. Some might be concerned that government dollars are helping pay for smartphones; yet when I think about all that can be done – maps, job searches, emails, shopping, etc. on the internet, a smartphone is a great way to go. If I were forced to land in a new country and choose between getting a smartphone or a laptop first, I’d probably choose the phone. Continue reading “Facebook Friends!”
Formal Introduction Meeting
A train ride, bus ride, and then 5 minute 
walk this evening took me to the Kasongo family’s new home. Walking through the snow, there was a clue something wasn’t quite “typical” – the trash can on the street was overflowing, and the only one out at the curb on the street. I arrived there about 10 minutes early for the formal introduction meeting. A crisp, chilly evening, I appreciated being let inside right away. I was welcomed into their home and invited to sit down, but first asked to step into the bathroom. Another clue that they were coming from a different part of the world was a bathroom tub that appeared to be used for washing clothes and a bathroom window open on a 10 F day. Unlike many refugee families, which are resettled into apartment complexes where many refugee families live, the Kasongo’s are renting a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath home on a quiet cul-d-sac. It’s in a what many would consider a less desirable part of town with a reputation of being a little rough at times. However, one only has to imagine that the family has seen horrible conditions and violence being run out of their homes in what I learned was eastern Congo, which may make this neighborhood seem more like a very pleasant spot. Continue reading “Formal Introduction Meeting”
They Are Here!
As we pulled out of the driveway last night, I asked Marinda if we were crazy for loading our four sleeping kids into the minivan at 11:30 pm to drive to the airport and greet people who we knew very little about: their last name, that they’d had a long day of flights from the other side of the world, and maybe they had some kids. By the time we returned at nearly 2:00 am, the answer was clear – we hadn’t been crazy.
My Refugee Heritage
This video reminds me that the plight of these displaced people is not very different from a number of my great-great-great grandparents in the mid-1800s who were driven out of the United States (from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois) into what was then part of Mexico (now Utah). They were persecuted for their religious beliefs, just as many of the refugees we see in the news today. I wonder what my ancestors felt like and how that is similar or different from the feelings of the Kasango family.
Names Have Been Changed….
In wondering where the Kasongo family is from, I searched the internet to find the origin 
of that surname. It seems to be most prevalent in the Democratic Republic of Congo according to one website. To aid in privacy, people mentioned in this blog will be given a pseudoname unless permission has been granted otherwise. For the family we’ll be helping, their pseudo-surname will be Kasongo, which appears to be a very common name in DRC – like Smith, Johnson, or Williams in the United States. Part of the instructions from Catholic Community Services have been to avoid posting photographs / video of the former refugee, now legal immigrant families involved for their privacy and safety. It’s certainly an understandable request. It’s also a request that makes blogging a bit more challenging as photos and videos can add great depth and interest to posts. I’ll see if we can still find some interesting ways to add media to posts.
They Are Coming!
This week Marinda and I receive an email from Alejandro, the coordinator for Refugee 
mentoring through Catholic Community Services: The Kasongo family is scheduled to arrive at 11:08 PM , Tuesday, December 20th via JetBlue flight 071. It’s exciting to have the name of a family, who were formerly refugees and will now be legal immigrants that we’ll get to meet and help. Continue reading “They Are Coming!”
Applications To Mentor (Former) Refugees Are In!
Today the final steps of our applications to mentor refugees was turned into Catholic Community Services (CCS). Fingerprints and copies of driver’s licenses to help facilitate the background check process. It’s been a bit of a process to get signed up and ready to help. Continue reading “Applications To Mentor (Former) Refugees Are In!”
A Few Years Later…
Today on the train ride home from work I spoke with 3 women that are custodians at a healthcare building. Turns out, they are from Nepal. I’ve noticed them periodically on the train and sometimes we end up sitting near one another. Having wondered if they were once
refugee’s, I struck up a conversation today. Turns out that that 2 of them were, arriving in the US 4 and 7 years ago respectively. They didn’t know any English when the arrived. Now they speak reasonably well – enough that we could communicate, though with some measure of repeating words to understand. It’s exciting to think that we might be able to help people out in a similar way through volunteering with the refugee program. We need to get our applications turned in – my goal is by Thanksgiving. Then, hopefully in the years that follow, the people we help will become settled and become productive members of society. Continue reading “A Few Years Later…”
Where It All Began
Today it begins.
Marinda and I (Mike) have been seeking to help refugees within our community in a more meaningful and deeper than we have before. Last Christmas we delivered gifts and food to a family, returned with some coats and boots, and then walked away without any continued contact. It was enjoyable, hopefully a bit helpful to them, and a good learning experience for our children. But, we found it feeling a bit empty once finished. Like – “what have we really accomplished here?” Sure we’d provided some physical goods for people without the same standard of living as us. But, really – these folks come from situations we can’t even fathom. For all I know, they are living as kings here compared to the past years or decades of living in one room tents, in refugee camps, in the brush, fleeing from violence. I’m confident they appreciated the new bed, laptop computer, toys, and gifts. But, we felt that we could, no we should, do more. That set the stage for what followed in the months that followed leading up to today.