Jesusluvsall's Blog

I love reading books, all kinds of books. Some books I have read for entertainment or escape into a different world such as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Some books I read to grow in my faith. But biographies or autobiographies about people who have been through difficult ordeals and made it through with God’s help are special for me to read. One such autobiography that impacted me is Left to Tell by Immaculee Iligabiza.

I found Left to Tell, or perhaps I should say Left to Tell found me, at a time when I was wrestling with staying in Lincoln to help refugees and immigrants. I was pulled in two directions, go teach English in another country or stay in Lincoln. I love being in other countries and have had several trips of a month or longer in other countries, so the thought of living in another country teaching English has always been appealing to me. But at the time I read the book in 2008, there were already thousands of refugees living in my home city of Lincoln.

In her book Left to Tell, Immaculee shares about her experience of hiding in a bathroom for months during the genocide in Rwanda in the early 1990s. She shares about how she grew close to God through prayer while hiding in the bathroom. She also shares about the horrors of the genocide, and what happened after the genocide as she sought to start life over again.

The book impacted me because it helped me think more vividly about the experiences that many of my refugee friends have been through. Many of them have escaped genocides in places like Burma, Iraq, and Sudan or have been subjected to oppression in places like Vietnam, Ukraine, and Iran. It was because of reading Left to Tell that I had peace in the decision to stay in Lincoln and help refugees here.

I had the chance to meet Immaculee in November 2011 when she came to do a retreat at a Catholic High School here, Pius X High School. I went to the Friday evening segment where she shared her story. I was able to thank her for her book and share with her what it meant to me.

What books have impacted you?