It’s wonderful how God keeps on providing for Asha’s Refuge. The classroom, clothing and furniture donations have been constantly flowing. Even more, the rotation of volunteers that come to help out on Wednesdays and Friday’s for ESL/preschool class has been nonstop. And teenagers have been some of the best at helping us serve the refugee (and Spanish) community!

My church’s Hope Experience Youth Camp was still going on today. A large group of the teens were invited to come help us teach ESL and work with the children of the parent’s who were in the ESL class. There seemed to be about 40 teens and about 8-10 adults ready and willing to plug themselves in and assist us. Having more than enough volunteers today to help out was a great problem to have! We were able to provide one on one (or one on two) teaching time for students. Teenage boys and girls were willing to stay outside in the humid heat and sweat profusely as they played hard with the children. We were able to allow teenagers to help teach English to our friends from other countries which gave them a better understanding of refugee educational needs. A couple of teenagers worked with sweet Ayan, the three-year old from Somalia who struggles with hydrocephalus. I think this was very difficult for them as they did not seem to be use to being around children with special needs such as this. Many friendships were made today and a few tears were shed.

I was so excited that my friend, Vivian, was back in town today. She’s been away taking care of her family, graduating her son and then on vacation. I’ve missed her. Vivian has literally been my right arm for the past 10-11 months. She has encouraged me to keep moving forward as God leads me with the refugees. Vivian has been willing to do all kinds of administration work for us as I have had to spend more of my time on the ground directly in front of my refugee friends. She deeply cares for the refugee women, men and children we have met. She understands their desperate situations. She understands me. She prays for me. She pampers me and truly just shower’s me with love. I’m very thankful for her and hope I can return to her a solid, caring friendship in Christ as He sees most fitting. I have needed her and trust her with my life. Vivian and I partnered up and went to the Woodcrest Apartments for a long time together. We learned a lot together as we walked the grounds of the refugee community. Vivian donates a lot of her time, energy and resources and does a lot of paper work for Asha’s Refuge behind the scenes as that is what she’s most comfortable doing. Over the past year, however, I think she has learned to be more comfortable face to face and seems to enjoy it more and more every time she does it. She is wonderful and beautiful to me. And so, if I write about Vivian or talk about her, hopefully this will help people to understand how exactly she is involved with Asha’s Refuge. God is good!

Vivian, Deborah, Tricia, Terry, Rebecca (another sweet new friend of mine who has volunteered several times this summer with our ESL/preschoolers on Wednesdays and Fridays) and I were working with our students along side of a few volunteer teenagers today. The class kept growing and growing as time went by. During and after class, we were approached by about 4-5 new Bhutanese refugees asking if they could attend class next week. As the leader of the ESL/preschool classes, I probably need to have a cut off. But, my heart just cannot bear to turn away new refugees and children from the help they need. If I don’t figure out a better way to handle new students wanting our help, then I feel like the old and the new students will suffer and not get the adequate attention they need.

Please remember that ESL and preschool isn’t the ONLY need that Asha’s Refuge is trying to help fulfill. It’s more to us about the mentoring, encouragement, love and friendships. We want to be available to help our most vulnerable refugee friends successfully resettle in America. Having ESL/preschool classes allows us to have more time with the students to help build those necessary relationships as they also are able to better their English. (See the “About Asha’s Refuge Page” for more details.)

The D2 Apartment at Woodcrest is just too small for us now. Asha’s Refuge (at the Nations United: Hope Center) currently serves 65 refugee men, women or children in our ESL, preschool or computer classes plus 17 Spanish women and children. This number does not count the amount of refugees the Nations United: Hope Center has had an opportunity to mentor or serve outside of Asha’s Refuge over the past three years. On an average Wednesday or Friday morning, the Apartment at D2 (The Hope Center) has 44 refugee or Spanish (about 10-12 represent the Spanish community-kids plus adults) ESL and preschool students attending class. We have three rectangular tables in the main room with chairs all around them. This room is packed with students. The largest of the three bedrooms is now used for preschoolers to sit and play on the carpet with educational toys and for more adults to sit at another rectangular table to work on their English. One of the small bedrooms in the back is used by Terry who leads the ESL class for the Spanish ladies. The last small room is typically used for 3-5 year old children to read, write, color or do learning crafts at the table. Since the children have been able to go outside and use the courtyard to play while we’re having ESL class with the adults, they were not too crowded. If it had of rained today, if it were too cold, or if we had not had so many teenagers to watch our preschoolers and willing to sweat in the heat outside, then we may have had to crowd the kids all inside.

It is my understanding from my previous work in the hotel industry that there are fire safety codes that would probably hinder us from having so many people in the small space. I’m not sure if we would be okay since we are only in the apartment working together for about 2-1/2 hours and not all sleeping there. I am concerned about the crowdedness. My concern isn’t so much for fire safety reasons as we don’t even have a stove in the kitchen right now and no one smokes. My concern is more because it’s so loud and busy that it’s distracting to those trying to learn. It’s affecting our ability to hear one another which is very important in learning a language. We have three different levels of ESL classes (they are separated by the different tables) and all the preschoolers. The apartment is just way too small for this many people. But, I believe that God has provided this for us as a trial run to see for sure if in fact it was a need that people would come to us for and possibly a trial for me to see if I’d hang in there to help!

I am currently praying and looking for a bigger space. Asha’s Refuge has no incoming funds. It is possible there is some space out there that would be available for us to use. It would be ideal if we could have larger separate rooms so that we can spread out a bit and not be interrupted by all of the commotion and noise. I know that what God has started He will complete. I am trusting in Him for His provision. I know my God provides!