June 5 Update From Jill

Hello!
Another successful visit with the family!
Maung Say is attending church on Sundays now. It is in the Karen language and he is very happy to be able to go. We practiced saying "church" in English as the end of the word is so important for us to hear in English and in many other languages the ending is softened. Of course, good ol' English, the "ch" in "Christ" does not have the same sound so we went over that too as he asked. He wasn't able to tell me where the church is as he is still learning the roads.
I brought them a barrel of monkeys game which proved to be very popular and May Paw was particularly good at it. Some neighbor children came over and also enjoyed it. Their case manager, Win, has introduced them to other Karen families in the complex and I could tell they were enjoying the company.
I will be slightly altering the time of my visits going forward to allow them enough time to get back from church in case they all attend. I have learned how to say "Sunday" in Karen. The last family said "Sunday" differently but I think I have this one down already. It sounds like "oh bween nee". It means "break day". All the other days mean 1st day, 2nd day, 4th day, etc. It makes sense now that this has been explained to me.

The Maung Say Family Has Arrived

Here are some pictures of the Maung Say family. The first two are from the arrivals. In the first picture are the mother Say La Paw, the father Maung Say, and the 17-year old daughter May Paw. The 14-year old is not pictured. There is also a wheel chair attendant on the left. Several people have asked me who he was so I tell you so you know he just works at the airport.

After the first family assigned to us didn't get to the make the trip at all, and the second family had a mechanical problem with the plane that delayed them leaving Thailand we were starting to wonder if we would get to meet a new family. But on Friday, 5/20/11, the new family completed their trip from Thailand to Japan to LA and then arrived in Phoenix a few minutes early! Yea! Alycia, Cheryl, Kate and I were there to greet them, and Alycia had the great idea to bring them flowers. The mom was temporarily in a wheel chair but hopefully medical assistance here will help her leg heal and she will be able to walk without much difficulty. The family came with two bags and three backpacks. I was filled with awe and sadness that all of one's life could be in such small containers.

After a tour of their home by the case manager, Win, we served the family a meal and then left them to rest up. They got to rest all Saturday and I think they were resting when I arrived Sunday at 1:00 p.m. But they perked up and we were having a nice visit. I took a picture of all of them so we have the 14-year old Than Paw in the picture now. She's on the right in the complete family photo.

The family came from Mae La camp, as have all the families we have helped. They were able to bring some family photos and showed them to me. It's nice they have such memories and that they had family in the camp too. I wasn't able to find out yet if the other members were still in the camp.

The family does speak a little English and knows the alphabet and how to say some words. They may even know a little more than they let on! They asked me how to use the microwave and what the red stuff in the bottle in the refrigerator was (vegetable juice). From that I found out they wanted some chilies so since we couldn't find any I took Maung Say and May Paw to Fry's. Getting them to understand I needed them to come with me took about 5 minutes of repeating myself, using hand gestures and pointing to my shoes and their feet but eventually we got it together and now those two are well aware how to put seat belts on too! The father felt bad telling me he had no money but I told him I knew, he would have some soon and I would buy the peppers this time. Thinking back, it was still easier than the time I was trying to find fish paste a few years ago!

I had a great visit with them and look forward to my next visit. They are delightful. They hope they can come to our church sometime so that is something that will hopefully be done this summer.

Jill

Mying Mying's Family Has Moved

Mying Mying and her family, which we helped to resettle when they arrived from the refugee camp last year, has now moved to Texas to be with other relatives there. Jill says, "I will miss them. I really liked the mother, Mying Mying, as she was close to my age and just seemed a super lady. Hopefully she won't have to work overnight at a job there."
We are so thrilled for them that they will be close to other family members. Richest blessings!

Jill's February Update

I thought since we were embarking on a new adventure that I could briefly update a somewhat open entry from last fall, just in case anyone was reading. In fall 2010, I was going to help a former Burmese refugee whose wife was a refugee in Malaysia get her to come to the U.S.A. I had little idea of where to start and at first I didn't have any luck.
Then I emailed the International Office of Migration which was actually able to give me a date of when she was coming! He had had many false hopes but we felt very confident when the IOM gave us a date. Unfortunately, Lutheran Social Services wasn't the sponsor for her so I wasn't able to be her volunteer helper.
She came just after Thanksgiving. Her husband rented an apartment and the two of them have been starting a new life together after being separated for many years. I finally met her in late January and she speaks some English and is a lovely woman.
We also had a family move away from Grace but before they did they were kind enough to inquire if the refugees we help needed any furniture. They donated a high chair to the family with a baby, and the family put it right to use. So the spirit of Grace has continued to help these people even after they have been in Arizona awhile. We look forward to the next family we are able to meet.

Christmas gifts for Mying Mying's family

Judy, Ron and I delivered Christmas gifts to the Mying Mying family today Lutheran Social Services likes to give each family gifts the first year they are here.

Only Mying Mying and some friends were there. The kids were at a religious service.

Not only did we bring them gifts but we also received some as Mying Mying had purchased a cake and some soda for us. She has always been very giving which seems a good lesson for me that if you want to share, you can find a way.

We inquired about her job and it is going well. She will get a shortened week for Christmas and New Year's. Since she works those long overnight hours, it's nice she will get a break from them but I don't know if she doesn't get paid.

We also saw that the kids were doing well in school and had received honor certificates which were hanging proudly in the livingroom.

I recently learned how to say "thank you very much" in Karen and was able to say that and the friend commented on how I was learning some Karen. They really seem to appreciate when you take the effort.

So for the whole experience I say (phonetically) "da blute pa dough".

Mying Mying has a job!

Update from Jill:
Mying Mying was happy to tell me that she starts work on November 22 at the Royal Paper Company. This is the same location where Ah Mee worked before they moved to Minnesota. It is the same hours too, unfortunately--10 hour days overnight, putting tissue in boxes and paper towels on rolls. It is a start, though.

She seemed to indicate her English classes were over, although she can still go because they're during the day, but at first she will probably be tired. So I won't be going over there every week now as she liked me to review her lessons with her. I would be happy to still go, but think she thinks I'm only supposed to help her with that or other small things. I will miss seeing Mying Mying every week but will figure out something to keep in touch.

Ron, Judy and I will be delivering Christmas presents in December. Lutheran Social Services looks for sponsors to give each new family Christmas gifts the first year they are in America. It's fun to bring them surprises.

November Update from Jill

Mying Mying is feeling confident to go to the bank to make a deposit herself. She told me what she would say in English--"I want to deposit"--and I understood her perfectly and then we practiced it a few more times. I am proud of her.

Most of the refugees are aware of the upcoming November 7, election in Myanmar. It is the first in 20 years. In preparation the leaders changed the country's name to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (from the Union of Myanmar) and created a new flag.

Jill's Latest Endeavor

My latest adventure is trying to help a refugee who came here in 2007 and who I met through the NoSa Lam family. I am trying to help his wife come here from Malaysia. She has been a refugee there for two years. They have been apart for seven years. This weighs on him a lot as they have been apart most of their married life and he feels his chances for having children are dwindling until she gets here.

I learned last night that Malaysia has no refugee camps, so the refugees who are there must pay for their own apartments, etc. They are registered by the UNHCR, and today on their site, I learned that 90% of the refugees there are from Myanmar (Burma). It is interesting to find out all the differences in refugee life.

So far I have not had luck with what this person asked me to do, but I will keep trying. I was able to contact the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia but they said the case number was not in their files, so I am waiting for the UNHCR field office to see if they reply.

The Mying Mying's At School

The Mying Mying family has been here 6 months now. Everyone is going to school. The children are in grades 4-8.
Mying Mying is taking English lessons at the complex and also takes classes at Shepherd of the Valley on Fridays with a Burmese group. They seem to learn a craft and about childcare. It is a set program with graduation in December.
Jill says, "I go over weekly and she reviews her English classes from the prior week. She writes notes in Karen, but that is okay as I write notes in English when I am trying to learn a new language."
Thanks, Jill, for doing such a great job taking care of this family and keeping us part of the process. What a blessing you are!

July Update from Jill

The Mying Mying family is doing pretty well. We had the problem today of them getting a piece of mail and not knowing what to do with it. I am pretty good at solving mail-related problems so I was happy to help. There was a problem with Mu Doh Paw's insurance. The hardest part of the whole thing was getting them to realize I needed to see her insurance card as a copy had to be sent in with a form. That took quite a bit of explaining and showing my own card, but then Mying Mying figured out I needed the card and got it. It was just 1 number wrong. The second hardest part was finding a place to copy the card but eventually that was done, too.

In getting the card they showed me some other paperwork, and I learned they were registered as refugees in 2005. Compared to NoSa Lam, it wasn't that long ago, but how traumatic it must have been to have to leave your country. It turns out there also is another living sibling but I do not know if she is still in camp or in another state. They frequently ask me about Omaha, so I believe someone important is there but our exchanges don't allow me lots of questions still with the language difference. My vocabulary list of Karen is progressing but is only words. They have taken to telling me how to say a lot of the things in Karen that we see in workbooks, etc., that I say in English. It helps me feel a little more connected.

The experience is wonderful and I enjoy the hugs from the younger children and look forward to my visits.

Update on Ah Mee Family

The Ah Mee Family has come a long way since they first arrived almost 2 years ago. They are contemplating moving to Minnesota to be closer to other family members, and with all that they've learned since they arrived, we are confident they will do well. Po Lone came to church with Jill, Ron and Zack last Sunday, and it's amazing to hear how fluently he speaks English now.

Here is a picture of the Ah Mee family. For the picture, they are wearing Karen shirts, which is a design of the Karen people. They also gave Ron and Jill a gift of Karen shirts. Jill and Ron were incredibly blessed by their generosity and so honored to receive a gift that reflected their homeland.

Mying Mying Family going to school

The Mying Mying family has begun going to school. Mying Mying takes classes held right at the apartment complex for refugees, and has been learning time and parts of hotel room. The children started school, and I helped Mu Mu Paw with some exercises in two children's magazines she received at the school. They are still enjoying the television set that was donated to them.

You may have been wondering about the Ah Mee family. We lost contact for a number of months, but they are still in the same apartment. In order to save money, they had the phone turned off for a few months. I went to visit on May 2, and it was so good to see everyone. Ah Mee gave me a big hug. Po Lone and the girls have grown up quite a bit since school started. They will all be going to summer school to help further their English acquisition. Po Lone will then go to a program to receive the GED and to take some workshops at ASU. He has received a scholarship to the workshops. The family is also considering moving to Minnesota to be closer to Ah Mee's brother's family. They have been considering it for almost a year now but have July as a target date if they do move. That will be their two-year anniversary here in America. They have heard many stories about the cold and snow potential there. They want a family photo so asked me to return next week to take it.

Jill's observation

Jill sent this email that seemed like something we should share:
"In case you hadn't seen it at Zuni Hills, on the back wall behind the camera stand, there is a quote by Aung San Suu Kyi that says: 'We will surely get to our destination if we join hands.' How appropriate since Aung San Suu Kyi is from Burma and we are assisting Burmese refugees. It just made me feel that we are on the right path."

Update from Jill - April 12

On April 5, I went over to see the family and we had fun with them telling me how to say some things in Karen and me telling them how to say the English word for items in their apartment. I also took them some clothes and it was good to see I got the size right on a lot of them. We made plans for me to go back on April 10 so one of them could get shoes and I now know the Karen word for shoe: "kaw pee".

On April 7, Ron and Judy and the case worker Win met with the family and made plans for them to deliver some bicycles sometime in the next week. We had been hoping to find a television for the family, so I sent an email this week to some people in the church and awaited a reply.

On April 10, I went back and brought along a book of the alphabet. It turns out the children had learned the alphabet in the camp and they had good pronunciation of some of the basic words by sounding them out. So that was good for them. Using my grasp of the Karen word for "shoe" and the help of the little 10-year old neighbor friend, the oldest daughter (Mu Doh Paw) and I finally got on our way to find some shoes, and she found what she wanted pretty quickly. Later that day I got great email news that someone had a television for the family. She would bring it to church on Sunday.

April 11, we received the tv. The challenge was how to get the tv from the car to the upstairs apartment. My husband has a bad back and so does Ron. I called HaRon (who has been mentioned in earlier blog entries) and asked if he and a friend could help me. In the end, he said he could do it alone so we got to the apartment at the same time as Judy & Ron. They had an antennae for the tv and I had purchased a converter box. HaRon carried the tv on his shoulder up the stairs and then had the added benefit of finding out that even though he doesn't speak Karen, Mying Mying did understand Burmese but didn't speak it! So he was able to explain things a little more quickly than we would have otherwise, and also interacted with a neighbor who speaks Karen and Burmese. He was also able to give encouragement about learning English since he came in January 2008 and couldn't speak English and now can act as translator! (He has done super at learning English and taking classes and practicing.)

What joy there was at receiving the tv. The neighbor children came in and the family hugged Ron, Judy and me. Ron and Judy also brought 3 bikes. It was fun to have us all there at one time. I am happy we have a group helping. Giving felt really good.

I am including a picture of everyone in front of the tv.

Jill met the Mying Mying Family

I finally met the Mying Mying family today. I was glad Judy had supplied the picture so I recognized the mother right away when she answered the door. The family does not speak English or even Burmese, but just Karen. Thankfully, there are some neighbors who can translate.

It's a little challenging when you don't know any of the language, but we already shared some smiles and laughs because of my gesturing to explain things and demonstrating the vacuum cleaner I had brought. They would like a television and some bicycles for the kids. They have learned the word for bicycle already. (Michelle's note: our experience has been that televisions are wonderful ways for them to start learning English).

I am happy that the apartments are within easy walking distance of the Fry's supermarket. None of the other families have easily been able to walk to the store.

They seem like a very nice family and I look forward to getting to know them a little more.

The Mying Mying Family has arrived

It was after 11 PM on Wednesday night, March 25, 2010, when Ron & Judy Gavette met the Mying Mying Family at the airport. Imagine how tired everyone was during this first meet and greet. Details of the family's resettlement to come!

New Refugee Family Arriving

We are looking forward to starting with our next family on March 24, 2010. They are from Burma as well. They are a widow and four children ages 8-13.

We are fortunate to have some donations from Living Water Lutheran Church for the furnishings.

If you would like to be involved with this wonderful opportunity to welcome and assist this new family, please contact Jill at jcrsinaz@juno.com

Would You Like to Join the Refugee Cluster?

The last few months of the year were pretty busy for Jill as she worked with the refugee families. Jill writes about her many trips to the doctor's office with the one of the refugees: "She was pregnant, and in November, we had to start going every week. I can let you know that I found a wonderful resource for refugee women in the Refugee Women Health Clinic in the Maricopa Integrated Health System on Roosevelt Street.

On December 14, I was called early in the morning and drove BraKet to the hospital, where I helped get things sorted out initially. Later in the day, I was there for the birth. Amazing!

Sophia is a sweet baby and the father is very happy to say she was 'made in the U.S.A.' I had a hard time getting him to believe she was a citizen from birth. Not every country grants that privilege.

Also since the last entry, I have been practicing English with a few people and solving other problems for a variety of people, mostly by grasping the situation and being able to make contacts on the phone. It's a great feeling to tell someone you were able to get the answer that was needed.

More and more of this recent group of refugees I spend time with are starting to take adult ed English classes which will boost their confidence in dealing with new situations. It is wonderful to spend time with them."

If you would like to join Jill in this exciting adventure of bringing Grace to these families, email info@faceofgrace.org to get more information about being part of the newly forming Refugee Cluster.

The Ah Mee Family and Lam Family Update from Jill

Ah Mee family--Po Lone had a problem with his bike tire. We went to get it and it was shredded. We took the tire to see if it could be fixed and that night the rest of the bike was stolen from the apartment complex. So we were left with a tire and no bike. His friend's bike was also stolen. I asked J.D. if he could see if any of the youth had a bike they no longer wanted. J.D. was able to find a couple of bikes and today we delivered one to Po Lone so he could use it to get to school. Thanks, youth!

Lam family--Tin Say started kindergarten August 10. She had already learned part of the alphabet as her family had been working on it with her. She wasn't sure she would like school but does now. ThaZin is in 2nd grade this year. Their baby sister is talking up a storm and walking all over the place. There is a lot of activity when she is around.
ZarZar is working at Lee Lee's again so the girls stay with their grandparents when both NoSa and ZarZar are at work. I have been going to the grandparents' apartment on occasion to help one of ZarZar's sisters with her computer so I have gotten to see the girls a bit.
This past Thursday there was a feast at NoSa Lam's apartment before the start of Ramadan and I was invited. I am very appreciative to be included in big events like that.

A Well-Deserved Award

Jill Coughlin was selected for the Wells Fargo Volunteer Service Award for the work that she has been doing in helping to re-settle the Burmese refugee families that Community of Grace has sponsored over the past several years. Jill's compassion and commitment to these families has made a lasting difference in their lives, and we are so blessed by the way she has embraced these families on behalf of Community of Grace. A $1,000 gift was made in her honor by Wells Fargo to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest to help them continue this amazing ministry to refugee families. We are incredibly proud of Jill, and so grateful for her selfless service. Congratulations, Jill!

Jill's Response:
Community of Grace played a large part of this because if it wasn't for Grace, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to serve and learn and have the wonderful experience of meeting and helping these people. I am grateful for the privilege.
Thank you!