Three groups have been farming our lot - people from Nepal, resettled from Bhutan; people from Burundi; and people from Thailand/Burma. Several of them speak relatively good English, which they are learning in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes which are mandated by our government. Their children are also enrolled in public schools.
These people have been horribly oppressed in their homelands and many have experienced intense persecution which has involved extortion, rape, beatings, and torture. Their transition to our country has also not been easy.
The expense to travel to America (or Europe, or South America) costs as much as they may have made in several years and so they must receive loans to cover the cost (often from our government or other programs). The loans are deferred for six months, but most cannot get jobs as they speak very little English. Further, within eight months, all government subsidies cease, leaving them to their own devices. Bills and debts begin to pile up.
Catholic Charities and its farming project allow these people to grow enough food to eat, teach them to can and save their own food for the winter months, and allow them to continue to farm in their traditional methods. These methods, however, and the amount of land that has been allotted, will not be enough to gainfully employ these people. This is a short term, stop-gap measure.
This is a call for we who are Christians to think of creative ways to help these people as they try to become citizens in a new country and speakers of a new language. We have a unique opportunity to demonstrate Christ's love and compassion, while remembering the humble roots we, ourselves, came from.
There is another, even deeper need that these people have; one they do not even realize. Many of these people do not know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not know who he is or the reason he lived, taught, died, and rose again. Do they understand that the reason we help them is because our God first loved us (1 John 4:19) by showing us grace we do not deserve? Others, such as our government and possibly even other charity organizations, may help out of a nebulous concern or a humanistic sense of duty, but we must see that the only deeper reason for this aid must be based in the Gospel of Jesus. We love our neighbor because God loved us, creating us for and redeeming us toward right relationships with him and with our neighbors.
It likely goes without saying that the harvest is great, but the workers are few. We need help! If you would like to join us in our ministry to these refugees and the spiritually hardened area of South Louisville (through prayer, physical labor, evangelistic efforts, teaching and fellowship, or financially), please contact our church by phone at 502-367-1987 or by mail: 7315 Southside Drive, Louisville, KY 40214. We would love partnerships with other local churches and individuals for these efforts.
In the above pictures: (1) Our Clayton Garrow (r.) shaking hands with Steve from Catholic Charities. (2) Our refugee friends enjoying David Wells' famous chicken dinner. (3) Our church eating with the refugees and learning their background stories. (4) Cont'd. (5) Steve from Catholic Charities teaching the refugees (and New Heights members) how to can veggies, salsa, and tomato sauce.
(Pictures by Steven Douglas.)
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