Halima telling me about the Kenyan refugee camp
Halima's daughter Isha looking at Ben's ring
Grandma Marion
Today I am so broken over the world and many unanswered questions. I have asked God to help me be someone who heals... someone who cares and doesn't look away from brokenness. This 24 hours has been filled with true stories of African and American people alike needing God's intervention. Ben and I went to 4 meetings today and what I can tell you is that everyone I met is in either a state of trial, ending a trial or waiting for one to come. When those you love are hurting, it is so important to hurt with them. There is just too much loneliness in this world to be alone and suffering.
We surprised some good friends this afternoon! Halima and Marion stayed with us for 3 weeks in 2004. They are Somali refugees that were in a refugee camp in Kenya. Of course, as you see above they took the opportunity to dress me up! Marion is Halima's mother and now she is also grandmother to Halima's 6 kids. They were brought to America by World Relief and have been living modestly as factory workers.
Halima knew more English than when I first met her so I took the opportunitty to ask her questions about her experience in the refugee camp. I asked her what it was like to grow up there and she said with utmost sincerity, "Africa bad... America good". I wanted to go deeper and find out what was so good about America? She first pointed out that she was not happy about the current gas prices and the lack of jobs which I found to be very interesting first point! But mostly we talked about her trips to the watering hole at the camp. She said there were certain places a girl could never go... especially the market or the watering hole. She talked of the violence and being attacked by men. Halima said, "I had to fight so hard to make those men stop". She was young when she started getting water; as young as 8. Halima spoke to me about how she lived in small shelter, only had a few beans for 1 meal a day and never had medicine to cure the incessant malaria problem. But mostly I was blown away by her desire to LIVE and survive. She was 16 when she came to America and had 2 children by that time. She was also so hungry. Halima's first meal was spaghetti and she ate more than 3 lbs. of it all by herself. I will never forget that. Halima remembers Africa with fear of physical violation, starvation, illness and hopelessness. Halima sees America as a place to succeed even as a factory worker.
I want to help more women like Halima. I want girls to have a fighting chance! I know God has put a huge desire in my heart to be his hands and feet to those women and children in such vulnerable situations. If you feel that God wants you to help them too, please give to our organization so that we can go and make it possible for women like Halima to find hope! http://www.pahlow.com/
