Thinking about Immigrants...

How come we are all so proud of our heritage and love to celebrate different aspects of our cultural background in America? And why are so many Americans so hard on those who are coming to our country now?

We are just back from 2 days in Arusha where we had to purchase a number of things in a town of over 1,000,000 people. There is no map of the city, no phone book, no real advertising, no real way of knowing where to go or what to do. A man in our church gave a contact of his cousin's son. They live in Arusha (he actually grew up there so he speaks fluent Swahili) and we met and he took us around town for two days so we could buy a fridge, stove, washer, foam mattresses, and beds. Very few people in our everyday lives will speak functional English and it would have been nigh impossible to accomplish these things on our own. Thanks to Amy and Chris, we enjoyed an early birthday party for Noah and their son (who share the same birthday), ate pizza, and learned our way around town (a little).

We did not know how to get a PO box, how to pay our upcoming water and electric bills, how to read the Swahili driver's license applications, or how business is done in a mostly cash economy.
Amy and Chris have been in Arusha for about 18 months so we were able to see what life might look like for us in a while.

We also had dinner with a couple from New York who have been in Moshi since August with their 2 little girls who are Ava's age. The girls played dressup and the boys watched "Star Wars". We had real hamburgers and hotdogs with ketchup and mustard!

So--now that we've been here for 10 days, what have we done? Run straight into the arms of "people like us". Those who have come before us, who understand what it's like to be new and feel isolated. Those who have learned to navigate their way around a system that was so simple back home and so overwhelming here. Those who know how to cook food we like. Those who just understand us, even though we've just met.

We'll get better. We'll learn the language and branch out. We'll be blessed with friends from every part of the globe. We'll learn new ways and love new foods and celebrate all the great things we'll get to do. But when you're brand new--there's nothing like something from home.

So if you're looking around and see people who are new to wherever you live, take a moment and try to imagine how our American world looks from their point of view. Is it any wonder every group that has come to this country since it began has settles together? Being an immigrant takes an unbelievable amount of courage. Whatever you might feel about the immigration issue, say a prayer for those who have made the journey.