I will never forget these sweet words.  Happy Small, Small.  Think on these words a minute while you read…

Kroger looks so different when I am there shopping with newcomers.  Today, Annie (our Rhodes College intern), and I took Ruth and her mother Rachel to the grocery store.  As usual, it was a great learning experience for them.  We initially went to grab some bug spray to help out with a little bug problem at their apartment.  I think every American has a can of bug spray around the house.  Ruth wanted to get out of her apartment and so did her mother so they were happy to go to the grocery store. 

An American man in the parking lot told Ruth and Rachel he loved their colorful African Dresses.  They were unsure what the man said and ignored him looking a little unsure if they were safe.  I acknowledged the gentleman and told Ruth and Rachel what the man said.  They could understand if I played a little charades and spoke slowly.  They laughed and told the man thank you.  He smiled and said, “Yes, I like them. Have a good day”.

The grocery store was busy. The produce area was crowded and the fruits and veggies colorful.  Watermelons were stacked up to the cealing it seemed.  Rachel smiled and Ruth pointed at them telling me her mother, Rachel loves them!  Of course we picked one out thumping it and laughing.  I don’t think they were as picky as we Americans.  We passed by the cucumbers because I had already brought plenty of those to share with them from my garden.  God is so good!  We hit the rest of the produce pretty wildly getting a sack of potatoes, bananas, apples, oranges, cabbage, tomatoes… And then Ruth stopped me.  She put her hand on mine and looked me in the eyes.  With broken English and such a sweet caring heart she said, “tell me when finished, money”.  She was expressing that she didnt want to add groceries in her basket if money was an issue.  I told her we were fine, that I would tell her when we needed to be done and thanked her for caring to be careful with how much she spent.  I told her we could thank God for helping to provide food for their family of five adults.  Soon there would be two babies in the family. Ruth is pregnant with twins!

Ruth wanted chicken.  She studied all the chicken for a while.  She went back and forth picking different cuts and packages up and talking to her mom.  She seemed to recognize the whole chicken but not all the cut pieces.  Finally, she brought a package of cut whole thighs/legs and asked me, “Is this chicken?”  I assured her it was chicken.

Ruth continued to shop for a few more items.  She was precious and so was her mother.  We talked about expiration dates, the difference in orange punch and orange juice, coupons, deoderant, zip lock bags for storing food safe from bugs and then checked out.  But, today, I wanted to show Ruth and her mother how to check out at the self-checkout.  

Once I showed them what a UPC code was and how to weigh items and look for produce pictures, Ruth seemed to enjoy the challenge.  Her mother and her were smiling and giggling at themselves.  The grocery clerk was very nice to assist us a couple of times and it was good to point him out so in the future they understood that he was there to help.  

We unloaded the groceries at their apartment.  We talked about the bug spray and being safe with it.  I showed Ruth how to unlock her window so it would slide open.  We talked about the danger of food kept in aluminum in the fridge.  We talked about the cleaning chemicals she had and which one did what.  No, that is detergent for washing clothes not soap for cleaning the floors and counters.  No, that is vinegar spray for windows and mirrors and stove top not bleach for clothes.  It does not have bleach in it.  

The grocery store is always a fun trip to take with newcomers.  

Before we went to the store, Annie and I practiced with Ruth and Rachel and interviewed them with their permission on video.  The video didn’t tape well, but the interview was a success.  We learned that Ruth was born in the Congo and traveled to Rwanda.  She lived in a Rwandan refugee camp for 18 years with no job, some school and little food.  She is only 24. When we asked Ruth if she was happy to be in America she said, “Happy Small Small.”  Can you guess what she was trying to say?  I think she did very well trying hard to communicate and practice her English with us today.  She was saying, “I am happy a little.”  You see, her husband was not able to come with her to America.  I didn’t figure out why yet, but she hopes he will come soon.  He is the father of her children.  She recently found out from her doctor that she was having two babies, one girl and one boy.  She said the doctor said he would have to cut her to get the babies out. Obviously she is trying to understand a Cesarean birth.  I reassured her telling her my best friend had this happen to her and she was scared at first but it was a good thing and she and her baby are doing very good.  I told her it was common and reassured her, but Ruth wants her husband here with her.  And that is why she is happy, small, small.