A Place for Everything and Everything In Its Place!

We had a visit from an amazing youth group from Arkansas last week, and we are so, so grateful for the work they did!  This group gladly sorted and boxed our very UNorganized storage space into a wonderfully-manageable room with a place for everything!  This is a tremendous blessing because we have a better understanding of our needs and we use far less time sorting through boxes to find items needed for families.  But, beyond the tangible help, this group really brought another level of help to the families in the refugee community.  There was an excitement and a hope that came with such a young and energetic group that started a buzz among the complex.  Many families came to visit us during the project and several of the volunteers were invited into homes, given tea and snacks, and made some life-long friends!  

We’re so appreciative of their efforts and wish them the best!!!

5 Languages. One Dream.

Have I mentioned how in love I am with the newly-forming MicroLending Program at Spero:Voice?  I’m sure I have a time or two.  Here’s an example of why.  Monday night was a class mean to help finalize a few ideas for some of the ladies who have been working towards a specific crafting project for a while. But, as always, things were just a little different than I planned!  Two ladies who were new to the MicroLending Program came–two ladies who are also quite new to the English language!

SOOO, we tweaked a bit and the “veterans” helped teach the new ladies about embroidery.  Here’s the kicker:  I was there–I speak English.  Manzura was there–she speaks Russian.  Lah Nu was there–Chin is her language (from Burma).  Fatima was there–speaking Arabic.  And, Anna was there–Swahili is her mode of communication.  You can imagine how easily we were able to teach each other!  

But, it turned into the most fun I’ve had in Spero:Voice in a very long time.  We were laughing with each other, sometimes laughing AT each other, and mostly laughing at the fact that we had no idea what anyone else in the room was saying.  We did get a little language lesson in.  We all learned that I thought Lah Nu and Anna were the “sassy” ones of the bunch and then took turns walking “sassy”-like to demonstrate what I meant.  You would have thought we were a room full of 5-year-old girls they way we were laughing!  

And it just made me remember again that we all just want to live well and love others, whatever language we speak and whatever we’ve been through in life.  What fun to get to be one of their new friends when they arrive so we can work together towards living our dreams!

Home Sweet Home

A wonderful Life Group jumped in to serve in a huge way last week and we are most appreciative!  A new family with a 10 month old son came in on Thursday, and when they came in they were greeted with a fully-furnished apartment!  The Litz Life Group worked together to gather donations, bring items from home, and then came to put everything in its place.  Supplemented by a TON of soaps, detergents, etc. by the Donaldson family, this apartment was ready to go!

After a long stay at a refugee camp, a plane ride with a 10-month-old (whew!), and a car trip to some place in Oklahoma they’ve never heard of (!), can you imagine the relief of walking into a place that has place settings prepared at the table, a closet full of clothes, and a kitchen full of food.  We’re so thankful for groups like this who give of their time and money to make a new life possible for others.  

If you’re interested in helping as a group with Apartment Set-Up, let us know!  kim@thesperoproject.com