Meet Kendi, a 31-year-old refugee from the Congo. At age 17, with the death of his mother, Kendi was alone. He was unable to walk without crutches, a result of his having contracted polio as a young child. His father had died much earlier, and his remaining family members rejected him harshly because of his physical disabilities.
Physical difference has been a repeated occasion for mistreatment in Kendi’s life. He tells the story of accepting a ride on a motorcycle on a rainy day, only to be taken out into the rural countryside and then beaten by the driver with his own crutches. Luckily, bystanders intervened, stopped the assault, and took Kendi to the hospital. After he was discharged, Kendi went to a pastor to ask for help relocating, as he felt his life was in constant danger.
The pastor bought Kendi a one-way ticket to Kenya, where he lived in a refugee camp for the next nine years before coming to the United States. With support from the Refugee Resettlement Office, he has established himself successfully in our region. And he has, amazingly enough, maintained a positive, healthy outlook on life, a resilient spirit that he attributes in large part to his devoted mother. Nonetheless, Kendi continues to worry about his fiancé and five-month-old son still in Kenya, whom he hopes will one day be able to join him in the US.
This is the kind of person that our Refugee Resettlement Office helps every day. Please join me in giving any amount you can for temporary housing for those the Refugee Resettlement Office serves. Temporary housing is crucial for people new to our area as they learn language skills, seek jobs, and wait for more permanent housing.
To give, go to the Diocese of Olympia website and click on the “Give” button at the top of the homepage. Once on the donation page, you will find the Refugee Resettlement Office on the drop-down menu. Or you can send a check made out to the Diocese of Olympia and note in the memo line that the donation is for the Refugee Resettlement Office Temporary Housing.
Let’s make room at the inn during the season of Advent.
In Christ,
+Melissa
