Jesusluvsall's Blog

Yesterday afternoon and evening I visited a friend  from Iran to help with language lessons. It would be a natural assumption that I helped her with English.

BUT

Actually I helped her practice Spanish.

We had fun while studying and laughed a lot. I realized I was a little rusty on some of the grammar, but it was fun to help her with Spanish. The thought that an American helped someone who speaks Persian, English and Arabic fluently with Spanish was amusing for me.

We also talked about financial aid and other issues for her school. She is in a specialized program studying to become to do medical sonograms.

After our time studying together, I went with her mother and father to visit the grandparents to express my sympathy because the grandmother’s cousin passed away in Texas.

While we were talking, the grandmother smiled and laughed about a story I shared. She told me that when I came the mood changed and wasn’t so heavy.

My time with the grandmother and granddaughter yesterday illustrate the reality of living in another country and culture. For the granddaughter it was about help with building for her future. For the grandmother it was about mourning the loss of a loved one living far away. Both realities highlight difficulties of life as a refugee.

For both of them I have the same desire to share the love of God with them by trying to help them with their new lives here.

The granddaughter’s story is a great example of why we are blessed in this country to welcome people from other countries. She speaks three languages fluently, works as a pharmacy tech part-time and goes to college full-time. In the future she will be helping to provide medical care for heart patients. I am so proud of her.

God has blessed me with many friends who came here as refugees. Whenever I meet with my refugee friends, I think about Jesus because Jesus began his earthly life as a refugee. Joseph was warned by an angel to take Jesus and Mary and flee from Bethlehem because Herod was sending his soldiers to kill the baby Jesus. Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived as refugees in Egypt until Herod died. It seems obvious to me that Jesus cares about refugees.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.