Of course, the week turned out to have all sorts of surprises and unexpected issues! Yet God showered his grace upon our conversations.

My favorite part occurred as our team dealt with the fact that our regular driver would be out of town, and none of our four subs were available either. Each teacher went above and beyond…creating a “relay” of cars back and forth between our students’ apartments complexes and our class site at Mt. Calvary, multiple times. And God definitely rewarded us!!! He sent us the largest number of students we’d seen all year!!! It was a blessing for us all.

-Luanne Bole-Becker

- Jenny & Mary Forsythe, coordinators at Trinity’s tutoring program

Click to below to watch Mack’s work, courtesy of YouTube.

-Luanne Bole-Becker

I needed help finding my way.

As a volunteer coordinator, this had a big impact on me! It is so easy to forget that the smallest act of kindness can make a huge difference in someone’s day! Volunteering is all about an attitude of serving. I am sure that Katherine and I would have found our way to the testing room eventually, but those kind volunteers and staff members, by taking a few seconds out of their busy schedules, made those few minutes of my day so much easier! That kind of leadership spurs me on to look for ways that I can serve someone else in need.

-Amy Mitchell

A craze right from the beginning of tutoring was the card game, Uno. The kids absolutely could not get enough of it! There was always a mad dash to grab the game upon arrival, and the lucky three or four who got there first, would not give it up until tutoring started.

About mid-November one student in particular asked how much it would cost to purchase a game for herself. When I told her, “About $5.00” — well, I might as well have said $500. No way was she going to be able to buy one for herself. Then – a wondrous thing happened.

In December Christmas bags were assembled by some wonderfully generous folks for each child in all of our tutoring programs. (which is a lot!) And – you guessed it: in this particular student’s bag was…… (drum roll) a game of Uno!!

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but more than that, there is a very gracious, loving, caring God who knew a child’s deepest wish, and put it in the heart of some wonderful, wonderful folks to (unbeknownst to them) buy this very special treasure for a young girl who never could have gotten it for herself. (hmmm – sounds just like what Christmas is all about. A loving, gracious, caring God who gives each of us a gift that we could never have gotten for ourselves!) Well, when she was given her Christmas bag, she not only ran around the room, yelling with excitement and jumping up and down, she fell on the floor with exhaustion from receiving such a gift!! Now that is true Joy!!!

-Jeanne Evers

- The four refugee girls who were so eager to help us set up for our first New

American café at St. Colman. Two hours before it started, there they were, happy to unload supplies. They saved us so many trips! – All the new volunteers who showed up to help at the cafe. “What else can we do to help?” was the common refrain. Afterward, one commented, “It was an honor for me to be there.”

- Our van drivers, who literally “go the extra mile”–whether that means serving as a substitute tutor, making a special trip in to provide simple fixes (like hammering our bumper back into shape), or coming in early, working late, or helping out at special events.

- Conversations at this year’s Advent Tea, where the tables were filled with women of diverse cultures and backgrounds. They listened spellbound to Yasmen’s personal testimony. They heard about the great gift of Christmas, and asked questions afterward. When one guest inquired about purchasing the Advent wreath because of its beauty, our volunteer gave it to her as a gift. “If that takes her a step closer to knowing our Father, it was worth it!”

- The unbridled joy of a refugee student receiving the gift of an Uno card game. Would that we all were so thankful receiving simple gifts! So today I am thankful for all these simple, God-filled acts of joy, love, and generosity.

-Luanne Bole-Becker

Nobody was home.

Checked back. Nobody was home. 

Went to the daycare. Nobody brought the daughter by.

Went to school. No”bodies” had attended.

Burmese girl & several teachers answered my question of: “Where is everybody?”

They were at the hospital….oh my!

Confusion was quickly clarified.

They were getting there examinations/shots/check-ups.

My third try.

Knocked loudly over the noises of 7 warm bodies. 

To the door they came. 

I entered. 

We laughed.

We enjoyed.

We reasoned why.

Communication:

Is there confusion or clarity? 

You never can quite tell.

And then there’s those significant & familiar sighs.

Is it important to explain this & that or do you let it slide? 

When it’s 10 minutes to describe-you think a bit first before you try. 

I like this family. They’re reminding me of times past and prepping me for times in my future. 

They show me my land. While I seek to know there’s. 

I like this family. They’re beautiful, fun, and eager. 

They love to learn. I think they’re quite humble.

Have you heard of ‘Jesus School’? 

I have. That’s where they go. She told me so.

I chuckled a bit….’Jesus School’. That is how she has translated church.

I think it’s a great reminder. We are learning from Jesus. 

Not the way of ‘man’…but the way of ‘Jesus’. 

In Him,

Kelly Cook, volunteer refugee mentor

These centuries-old artworks reflect a visceral devotion and an almost unimaginable willingness to sacrifice all. In our literacy, in our progress, we separate ourselves from what is true and good and divine. I wondered: What would we elevate today with such grandeur? I also wondered about how our collective beliefs change over time. The idea of heavenly powers in the flesh and blood of the deceased saints seems, to me, quaint and mysterious. But it wasn’t always that way. Who changed? What changed? God is timeless but our human understanding is fallible and transient.

I thank God today for taking me out of the petty concerns of daily life to focus on deeper, timeless truths. I thank God just for being…and especially His Being. He is the real treasure of heaven.  -Luanne Bole-Becker

Connections, just like that. Students holding hands with kids and assisting with simple homework. We met, we talked, Stacy introduced, a translator came.

It was brilliant. And I don’t mean just in the sense of smart. I mean like shining brilliance. Because we can be light. We can be hope. We can show what freedom is. That doesn’t come through proselytizing, no. And even then. They know of The Way. May we show that He is more then just, “The Way”. But that He is everything.

It’s going to be lovely seeing how connections are made with this family. To just love on ones that are in a new place. We’ve all been in new places and know what it’s like to be the ‘odd one out’. So may the Lord give us grace to show them His favor over their lives. 

It’s a beautiful day. It’s a day to rejoice and to be glad.  

Thank you Jesus!

-  Kelly Cook, volunteer mentor to refugees

[*The Karen (pronounced kuh REN) are a group of ethnic people who reside primarily in southern and southeastern Burma.  Many Burmese refugees have recently resettled in greater Cleveland.  Between 30-40% of the Karen are Christian, and thus, among the Burmese, a religious minority.   (Statistics courtesy of Wikipedia)

(Kelly Cook is one of a team of students from the Insight Bible College who recently became refugee mentors with Building Hope in the City.  The above was taken from her journal entry the day the team first met their family.]

Thankfully, a bunch of Building Hope volunteers—ESL teachers, mentors, and café workers– DID just that.  And we were blessed incredibly!

 Our Bhutanese-Nepalese friends had organized a diverse program of more than 30 song and dance performances—traditional and contemporary.  And they definitely treated us as special guests!  (Check out the badges they bestowed on each of us…)

 I kept thinking about the presentation we give when we visit churches to talk about refugee ministries.  It’s called “Welcoming the Stranger” and one of the Bible verses is Hebrews 13:2—“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers.”  This time WE were the strangers, and we were the recipients of such gracious hospitality.  

 Plus we all loved seeing our students and their families excel!  One of our volunteers—a young single woman– leaned over midway through the program.  “This must be what it feels like when you’re a parent and your children are performing.”  Yep.  That’s what it feels like.   And so much more does our Father love and enjoy us!  “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)  — Luanne Bole-Becker