Our refugee friends have requested for us to continue working with them on their English and grammar skills. Many of them have been going to ESL classes several times a week and have homework that they need to turn in to their teachers but are having trouble understanding their homework. They are also very interested in learning to read books.

I think it is interesting to see how much people who have not had a chance to an education as a child later value it and desperately want it. It seems even those Americans who have no college at all and only a high school education are at such an advantage, educational wise, over many poor and third world countries.

What I am recognizing is that many of my refugee friends lack the skills necessary to reason well and this can make life in America hard. For example, we have been waiting for immigration papers to come in the mail for the permanent resident approval of a family. The family received important US papers in the mail regarding their permanent resident status and never opened the envelope. In fact they just threw it in a junk drawer. When I asked them if they had received any mail from the US Department of Homeland Security they seemed to suddenly remember some papers and started digging them out of their drawers. The mail had not even been opened. We opened it together and found out that this family missed their appointment with the US Immigration Office to obtain their permanent residence! We now have to go through the hassle of explaining our missed appointment and trying to get it rescheduled.

Maybe this isn’t the best example but it seems when working with my refugee friends I have to always think ahead and outside the box. I have to be careful not to assume they understand or will do the obvious (like, since I spent weeks working on your permanent resident papers, open the approval documents and let me know you received them).

Our opportunities for a good basic education in America is so often taken for granted. Our teachers are slighted. The blessings of reading, having homework and study time is not recognized. Having a pathway into college is even more of a bonus for us.

I am prayerful that Asha’s Refuge will be able to always continue to encourage and help disadvantaged refugees to get educated. It is exciting to see them grow and learn. I look forward to opportunities to help other organizations who offer ESL and basic education to my refugee friends. Perhaps in the future Asha’s Refuge will be able to send volunteers to help Refugee Empowerment and The Messick Adult School Program. I believe it will take our community coming together in order to really provide the best opportunities to refugee adults who need their basic education and English speaking skills.