There are a some good things happening.
Two summers ago, $100.00 was donated for a pair of glasses. It was important because this refugee lady could help with the community. She spoke English and could read, but she couldn't see. Glasses were purchased and she began helping in the community. Fast forward to today: This young lady, a Karen Refugee in America barely two years now has a full time job with benefits working in the school system with refugee school children. The children love her, the school loves her and she loves her job.
Their lives aren't easy and most are barely making minimum wage if at all. They share what they have. If they are able to get out of the refugee camp, they are required to pay their airfare back over a certain period of time. The doctor visits to required by immigration are very expensive and the basics like food, shelter, clothing and transportation leave them with little discretionary income.
But I'm not writing about what thy don't have -
Kelli and Stephen are a young couple working as missionaries here with the refugees in Smyrna a couple of summers ago. Kelly and Stephen worked with the young children and provided a much needed safety net as the first group settled in the area.
I once visited a sick child at the hospital. Neither she or her guardian spoke English. I didn't speak Karen. It was tense and they were nervous. As soon as I handed them pictures of Kelli and Stephen everything was ok.
Word got out in Smyrna's Karen Community that Kelli and Steve were getting married in Arkansas. One of the Karen came to Tom and Sherie with an envelope stuffed full of ones, fives and tens and asked them to give it to Kelli and Steve for their wedding present.
From this small refugee community in Smyrna came a gift from their heart. It was the widows mite. These men and women, boys and girls - lives shattered by a military who wants to eliminate their race - unable to return to their home - a community with an unemployment rate over 40% and the employed making minimum wage and sharing what they have with the rest of the community reached in their pockets and pulled out their crumpled dollars. Little hands shoved their hard earned and much needed money into an envelope.
Tom said the spirit that filled the room when Kelli and Steve opened the envelope after the wedding was beyond word. It's not about the money, I hope you understand - but I think the amount is important when you understand where it came from. $1810.00.
Below is a slide show of photographs Kelli took the summer she was in Smyrna.
