From Refugee to Resilient: How Newcomers Are Helping Others Find Their Way
By Amy Herman, Initial Resettlement Director
Have you faced a tough time in your life? Did you go through something you thought no one could ever relate to? If so, what did you do on the other side of that trial?
Every week, I am amazed by the resilience of our refugee friends, who are escaping challenges we can’t begin to comprehend. From the moment we receive them at the airport from their emotionally exhausting journey, you can feel the apprehension and anxiety, but also a sense of relief. We always attempt to make our new friends as comfortable as we can with smiles, hugs or handshakes, and even fun welcoming signage letting them know we are so happy to meet them!
As we take the long, daunting walk down the gate corridor towards the baggage claim, you can feel their uneasiness. We gather their luggage and take the family to their temporary accommodations. For the next 90 days, our new friends will go through many things. Lots of paperwork, doctor’s appointments, cultural orientation, school enrollment, job searches, and so much more. The first 90 days, known as the reception and placement period, are very busy. Our refugee friends experience many emotions. Thankfulness, depression, hopefulness and hopelessness, inclusion, and acceptance can be among those.
One of our answers to helping our new friends learn about life in the United States, is called a Good Neighbor Team (GNT). These caring groups of volunteers from businesses, churches, the community and small groups come alongside our families for 6-12 months and forge beautiful friendships.
While our existing Good Neighbor Teams consist of those mentioned above, I recently sat down in a classroom at Mission Adelante, across from three of our refugee friends and a co-worker, who want to take their experience and give back to other refugees who are coming after them! These amazing friends want to form their own GNT!
As we poured over our coffee these three women told us about their experiences the last several months. We shared laughter of things they didn’t know upon their arrival, but now completely understand. They cried over the things they have experienced and the family and friends they had to leave behind. They marveled over the things they are grateful for like clean running water that they can access more than once a month, beds to sleep on, Good Neighbor Teams, even an amazing landlord who has become family and taught them so many things and all of the staff of Mission Adelante. They shared some of their amazing ideas that I have no doubt we will be implementing very soon. When I asked them what they miss most about their home countries, they responded that it is their family. But, each of them reflected that their Good Neighbor Teams, their landlord, other refugee families and Mission Adelante have become their family. I am humbled watching these friends wanting to use what they have gone through and turn their trial into a triumph and give back in such a relational way.
When I took this job in March of this year, I prayed that our newly arriving friends would feel welcomed and cared for and I looked forward to opening my heart to new relationships. I never imagined how quickly these amazing leaders would emerge from within our refugee community. I have seen many things like this over the last 6 months. One man donated a bicycle to Mission Adelante, which he had used for months to commute to work, now that he has a car. 3 other men reached out to let me know when they get off work and if we need them to go welcome people from their countries at the airport or move furniture or set up apartments, they would be there!
At Mission Adelante we have several core values. Four that stand out to me this week are Prayer, Developing Leaders, Love for Neighbor, Interdependent relationships. I am so grateful for these emerging leaders who want to love their newly arriving refugee neighbors the way they were loved and cared for when they arrived in KC.
If you would like to join a Good Neighbor Team, contact randpdirector@missionadelante.org or sign up this week for our training session on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 9:00 to 11:30. https://missionadelante.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/134/responses/new.
A Good Neighbor Team who completed an apartment set up
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