Hidden Immigrant

I walk in the classroom and look at Ty, volunteer YL leader, to know how to address the students.  Then just say, "Hola, Como estan?  Soy Ale y estoy aqui para ayudarles," (Hi, How are you guys?  My name is Alex and I’m here to help you.) and faces light up!! With a simple greeting to a group of students, walls fell down.  These students were so overjoyed that someone could talk to them and understand them.  One girl shouted out "O que bueno!! Puede ayudarme con mi geometria!!" (Oh how great! You can help me with Geometry!!)  I am referring to a beginner lever ESOL class I began helping in a few weeks ago.  

This class in particular is for new immigrants to the United States that barely know any English, so they face a lot of difficulty as they are thrown into classes with the rest of their peers.  They have seven regular classes and then go to ESOL one period every other day.  Needless to say, these students are very confused, behind, and frustrated.  Well some are frustrated, while others have just given up trying, which is a common response when many around you have either shunned you or without words said you’re not worth the effort to try to help.   

Club Fun two weeks ago! 

But not everyone has given up on my new friends! Ty their ESOL teacher is advocating and fighting with and for them everyday.  He’s trying to teach them English while helping them survive their other seven classes that they’re behind in, simply due to not understanding the language. 

My heart goes out to these students and Ty.  You see I can understand how they feel.  I know what it’s like to be the different one: the one who everyone’s looking at and starring at or the one that’s a little confused and holds up the check out line.  I lived this life and get it.

So God in His Sovereignty moved me from San Jose, Costa Rica to Bluffton, SC and He’s already using my experiences and language acquisition to relate to these students and other members of the community.  

I understand their old culture and life and now understand what they are going through.  I have been there, and done it.   And I am re-doing it again now as I re-enter into my home country.  I am not the same as I was three years ago and there’s a huge part of me that connects better with the Latinos and Spanish-speaking people now.  I am what they call a “hidden immigrant.” I want to use this to help and love this community of people that our society often forgets and shuns as unworthy.  I want to help them communicate, to be seen, to be a voice for them, and to help people who look like me understand where they are coming from. 

Please pray for these students and families they represent as they start life over again as a baby learning everything new again… school, language, transportation, everyday life task- grocery store, fun things to do…  Please pray for Ty as he stands up for these students in a tough position and fights to help them learn everyday.  Please pray that I would remain open to what the Lord’s calling me to do with my experiences and language abilities and to have the courage to go beyond myself. 

Pep Rally for the Big Rivalry Game!! 

BLuffton vs. HHI!!!! 

I hope that these stories and words touched you and challenge you to think about how these fellow human beings must feel entering new territory and learning a whole new life all over again.  Could we be the ones to reach out to them and say you’re worthy of love and you matter in this world?  Could we be the ones who stand up to our society and say who are we to judge who’s supposed to live here?  Could we be the ones give these fellow humans a voice in our society? 

“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.  He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt."  Deuteronomy 10:17-19

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'  Matthew 25:40 

Fun at this weeks Club!! 

Cheering on my new friend Chloe!