The joy of the lord is Valerie’s strength. I have never met anyone in my life who so clearly exhibits the joy of the Lord. Valerie is an East African refugee in her mid-thirties. She was one of the first students at the Center of Hope. She has been attending English classes for almost two years. Last fall, Valerie enrolled in my writing class. We quickly bonded and became friends. Over time, Valerie adopted me as her own daughter. I stopped referring to her by name and started referring to her as “Momma.” Valerie is actually one of the many mothers who God has brought into my life. My own biological mother abandoned my father and I when I was one years old. Although I grew up without my own biological mother, God has brought several women into my life who have been mothers to me. Valerie is one of these very special women. Fortunately, I am not Valerie’s only adopted daughter. Valerie has many many “children” who she has embraced and adopted as her own children, all of who affectionately refer to her as “momma.”
As you can tell, Valerie has a big heart for those who are hurting and in need of love in our world. This compassion comes from her own experience of being forced to flee her country, everything she has ever known to live in a different country as a refugee. Through these difficulties, Valerie has maintained her dream of helping people through opening up a school in her home country.
Today, she is one step closer to that dream. After taking English classes for two years, Valerie is now one of the teachers of the sewing program at the Center of Hope. Through English and an opportunity to take an intensive sewing course, Valerie is now empowered to teach other refugee women how to sew and make clothes, bags, etc to support their family. Valerie is now a leader of change within her community. This program allows her to minister and share God’s love, strength and hope to other refugees.
No comments:
Post a Comment