“Over the past 40 years of being married to a pastor, we’ve seen God do
amazing things in our church. Miracles. Provision. Blessings. But it just seems
that God really shows up, or shows off, when we reach out to refugees. We’ve
seen this happen over these past 25 years of working with refugees.”
Words spoken by
the director of our local sponsoring refugee program. She often tells people
that God seems to do his most amazing stuff when refugees need him.
And that includes
when a refugee teen needs to find her bus to school.
Young Latti needed to learn how to catch her 6:00 AM bus to
her new high school. Latti does not know English. Latti has never ridden a
school bus. In fact, she has never ridden any bus. Busses weren’t part of her
refugee camp experience. But she needed to ride the 6:00 AM bus to
school – bus number 450. Add “finding the bus” to the long list of New Things
to Learn as a Refugee.
I arrived at their apartment at 5:30 in the darkness of a
winter morning. As a “good neighbor team” member, I wanted to help her on her
first day of school. So, Latti and her 20 year old brother, Samuel, and I
headed out her door, and down the street in search of bus 450.
After walking along the dark sidewalk of University Boulevard for 15
minutes, we came to where the school website indicated bus 450 should arrive.
Still, I had a sinking feeling. It just felt like we were in the wrong
place. By this time, it was 5:50.
Across the street, we could see a group of teens huddled together, each
with a book bag and ear plugs. Could they be waiting for bus 450? So,
across the street I jogged, and winsomely but tentatively asked, “Hey guys, is
this the place where bus 450 will stop? I’m helping a new student find her way
to school.” They paused, blank stares.
