Atlanta 2017 Day 4

Today we had an unexpected morning, as we thought we were going to be directly working with clients. Instead God had a different plan for us. There were six clients that were expected to show up at the downtown office of LSG, but none showed. We were originally going to help them in setting up their voicemail and teaching them basic job entry skills, through resume building, one-on-one conversations and actives that would help them advance in their English language learning. Due to no-shows, we ended up filing paperwork, documents, etc. This was frustrating in the beginning when we were assigned these tasks for a couple different reasons, one feeling these documents were too important to be put in our hands, and two because we had expected to meet and interact with these individuals. It’s hard when things don’t go as planned, but that’s why it’s so important to be flexible and go into service projects with an open-mind. Many of us felt as though we were doing the staff’s work, although taking a step backing and realizing what we were doing, really did make a huge difference in our work and to LSG. This allowed to think through things and remember what we were doing and why we were doing it. It brought some new and unexpected perspectives to our volunteer projects, and I think that’s what the intentions were. Just because we didn’t work directly with the clients, we did served them through putting their files away, filling out paper work and organizing in order for them to get the proper services they need and are in search for. We were able to see behind the senses and get a feel for what the staff at Lutheran Services of Georgia, does, which I believe was fulfilling. Service is service, regardless of how one is completing projects and I definitely think we needed to experience that, in a new light.
 Our next activity we did in the afternoon was visit the Martin Luther King Jr. national memorial center. We were able to tour the original Baptist church his grandpa built, and where he was baptized in and preached in. We also saw his grave site, along with his wife’s and look through the many different walk-throughs in the museum. This was a self-guided tour, which was beneficial because we were able to go at our own pace and really take in the movement and the life he and others lived. This was overwhelming and impactful because of how much intake we were able to visualize and read about, in regards to the struggles against fighting segregation and oppression, seeking to obtain equal justice. His center captured the incredible movement through social change. It helped by taking a step back, and just taking it all in slowly, embracing his philosophy. -Cecilia

 Today we went to INSPIRE the after school program again, I got to spend time with Ayub during the designated homework time. He is quite and smart. He was trying to make me do his homework, by cracking jokes at me and pretending as if he doesn't know how. I pushed him to do his homework, he completed a writing assignment for teacher appreciation week. Reading his letter to his teacher was heartfelt because his teacher is inspiring him to get good grades so he can go to college. Then we had 20 minutes left to finish his next assignment for social studies, he was getting off track a few times but I continued to keep him focused. When it was crunched time Ayub pulled through and finished both assignments. Ayub is very smart and friendly, today was all in all a great time. -Julia

Atlanta 2017 Day 3

Today was the day that we finally got to experience the Atlanta sun that we have been prepped for.  Because of this, we took advantage of our free time to ride up to and hike down of Stone Mountain (picture from the top is below).  We spent the morning visiting with refugee families from, Somalia, Congo, and Syria. It was eye opening and humbling experience to hear the stories of these families, some of which were our age.  At INSPIRE this afternoon we were able to teach a class, and share with students lessons on homelessness.  It was great to see the students engage in activities that we had prepared.  After dinner, our brave leader Alyssa and newly graduated Pauline, saved us all from the the residential cockroaches that have invaded our room. If you don't hear from us in the next 24 hours call for help!

-Megan and Pauline

Atlanta 2017 Day 2

Still smiles after our first day of working with students at Inspire. Participated in different activities and enjoyed sharing stories. A full day of orientations and learning about the Refugee crisis and resettlement in the world. So pleased that we can do our part to make a difference. Loving the weather. We have sun!! Enjoying our Southern experience. Had dinner at Mary Mac's

Tomorrow we look forward to visiting with refugee families and working with refugee students in the afternoon.

The ABLE Atlanta Team. 

Atlanta 2017

Hello family and friends! We have made it to Atlanta after a long day of travel. Stay tuned for more exciting news as we have our orientation and begin working with the Inspire after school program tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers and support as we share this service experience together! -Alyssa

Day Three: Success!

Today we woke up feeling a little sleepy but excited for what the day would bring! In the morning, we returned to Lutheran Services of Georgia and spent a few hours in an ESL class with several refugee adults (and a couple of adorable kids!) playing games and speaking English with the clients. Some of the clients came from countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, and others. We talked about our similarities and differences, listened to the refugees share where they came from, and played two rounds of Simon Says in which a 9 year old from the DRC proved to be the true champion! It was a great experience for us all to meet such a diverse group of people and converse with them.

We had a nice lunch break before heading back to the after school program, so we took advantage of being in downtown Atlanta. It soon became the hunt for some good chicken for lunch! Some people ventured into Georgia State University and found a Chick Fil-A, while another group found Gus' Famous Fried Chicken. The rest of the time was spent exploring different parts of downtown Atlanta and taking in all the city has to offer.

This afternoon, we returned to Inspire and got to see the refugee students once again. We worked with them on making "boats" out of straws and tape. The objective was to be able to make a boat that could hold 25 pennies and float in a bucket of water for at least 10 seconds. It was fun to see what they came up with! We then spent the rest of the time helping students with homework, and leading small groups of students in "Reader's Theater" in which they practiced lines in a play and performed it for the group. All in all, it was another wonderful day! We are learning a lot about everything that refugees have to do and learn when they come to the United States. Until next time!

Day two: A breakthrough day!

Today the team met with a group of representatives from Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG) at The Rock of Ages Lutheran Church who took our team to meet with refugee families from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Nepal. These families generously welcomed us into their homes with open arms, and warm hospitality. LSG staff served as translators for our team as English language skills varied but were mostly limited for our hosts as they have all very recently found refuge in America. Highlights from the visits included sharing Syrian coffee and open cross-cultural dialogue, learning some french from Congolese refugee Mama Susanne, and drinking tea in the home of Nepalese refugees who were so friendly, it was like we'd already met.

We had a phenomenal buffet lunch of international foods such as lamb stew, samosas and lentils at the Dekalb Farmers Market, an African market not too far from our accommodations. After we refreshed and some of us napped, we spent the afternoon back at the Inspire program where we played ultimate frisbee, elbow and octopus tag and did a fun and interactive geometry lesson with the kids. Today some of the more quiet kids really came out of their shells.

After Waffle House dinner, we shared stories and reflections about the day and took advantage of our private basketball court at the Rehoboth Baptist Church where we are staying. Looking forward to another awesome day of service tomorrow!

Day One: Welcome to Atlanta!

Day One-Morning: Everyone finally settled and got some much needed sleep and got excited for the next day's activities. Some people woke up early, went for a run, other shot some hoops, and it was time for breakfast before we took off. Our first stop of the morning was a training downtown Atlanta at the Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG) offices. Our host for the day, Melanie, trained our group about refugee services offered by LSG, struggles faced by refugees prior to resettling, the process of resettlement, and what life after resettlement looks like. Our group learned about how our volunteer

work directly contributes to the services being provided.

Day One-Afternoon: After our visit to LSG, we had resting time in between. We visited a park closer to our next service area, where we had our lunch and enjoyed exploring nature and playing on the playground. Then we were off to our next activity area with the INSPIRE program, led by Natalie, which serves middle school refugee students. We  helped run after school activities including homework help, soccer, frisbee, enrichment activities and art activities. The day started well, and ended great! We met and learned from refugee kids from Pakistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Burma. They met and learned from us representing Burundi/Oregonian, California, Congo DR/Oregonian, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and North Dakota. We also talked about college and the Concordia experience. Now time to head back, eat some dinner, play some basketball, and relax!