My Work With Refugees

As some of you may know I have had a huge change in career this last year when I began working with refugees.  This year (2010) the United States plans to accept 80,000 refugees from several countries around the world.  As I work with these people that come in from several different countries I often begin to wonder what it must have been like for our ancestors who came from other countries many generations ago.  I try to see through their eyes as they come to this great country.  

What is a refugee?

Basically a refugee is a person who is forces to leave their country and seeks safety in another country.  They are usually granted temporary protection in their country of first asylum.  Many of them have no rights in these countries and are not permitted to work, but they simply live in refugee camps until they can live somewhere else.  At that point they might come to the United States, Australia, Canada, or Western Europe where they can finally begin to live their lives.  

Why should we take them here?

The Statue of Liberty, which traditionally greeted arriving immigrants to the United States stands as a symbol of freedom to the world.  At the base of the statue these words can be found

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!  

Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I would like to believe that the United States still operates on principles of freedom, and that the United States can be a beacon of freedom to the world, and an example of the great things that free people can accomplish.  

Remember that 120 years ago there were people questioning whether our own ancestors should be allowed to come into the United States.  

Where do the refugees come from?

Within the last 3 years the Phoenix area has been receiving refugees from the following places

Sudan

Burundi

Burma

Somalia

Eritrea

Burundi

Rwanda

Congo

Cuba

Ivory Coast

Liberia

Uzbekistan

Afghanistan

Bhutan

Iran

Iraq

I think that it is fascinating the journey that people take to come to the United States, and I think that it is important for us to recognize that they are part of our cities and communities.  It is also important to know where they come from and why they are here.  It certainly has made me grateful to live in a country where I have the freedoms that I do have.

I suggest that you watch these movies to find out some more.  I hope you take the time to watch them.  They are excellent movies.

Hotel Rwanda - This is a movie based on true events.  It centers around Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand people during the massacre that occured in Rwanda in 1994.

God Grew Tired of Us - This documentary follows several Sudanese as they leave refugee camps in Kenya, and come to America.  Many of them, for the first time, have to learn how to live with running water, indoor plumbing and electricity.

The Lost Boys of Sudan - This is another documentary that follows two Sudanese from Africa to the United States.

New Year Resolution

I was going to be a better blogger than I have turned out to be. It’s supposed to be easy. I get on the internet and get too easily distracted reading what everyone else has to say! But I love knowing what’s going on in your lives, in your homes, and in your heads.

According to my blog archives, there were 11 posts in 2009 and 60 in 2008! I can do better; I resolve to do better! (Does that mean 'have a more interesting life' to blog about, or just blather on about nothing? http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blather) By some clever manipulation and lots of catching up, I have now raised my 2009 posts to 14 so be sure to check them out!

2009 - That's a Wrap!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . . "

2009 will go down in history as a terrible year economically, but I'm going to be positive and list all the things that were great about 2009 for our family.

Everyone has a job (and a bed)! Dale is a supervisor at Express Scripts - this is him as a "Rock Star" performer at work.

Ryan works settling refugees with International Rescue Committee (www.theirc.org). Corey works IT at Grand Canyon University. Mark still has the same job at Verizon Wireless. Scott still works part-time at SitesUSA and goes to school at MCC. Brent lived with us most of the year, but he now has a job back in Utah and is living with his family again. We're happy for them, but we miss having him around here - especially his cooking (really, he is a good cook)!

Shelly doesn't work (ha, ha) - but I am a switchboard operator at the temple every other Tuesday, and every Thursday I volunteer at Crockett Elementary reading with 6 second graders and working in the library the rest of the day. Our stake has adopted a Phoenix inner-city school for service. About 60% of the students are hispanic and the rest are African refugees. The other day we were reading about chores. Abdullahi didn't know what chores were. "It's jobs that you do at home. Like, do you have to make your bed?" I asked. He looked up at me with his big black eyes, "I don't have a bed." "Where do you sleep?" "On the floor; but I think I'll get a bed soon." I hope he does.

Everyone is healthy! Both Dale's cancers were completely removed and the chest x-rays and other test turned out negative. And he got the side benefit of having "plastic surgery" on his cheek and a "face lift" (right on the top of his head).

He looks better than ever to me - he's so handsome! We're so grateful that he also survived a head-on collision right before Thanksgiving. He was the passenger with a co-worker and she turned left in front of another car. A split second later and Dale would have been T-boned. He did have chest and shoulder pain from the seat belt and airbag, but was sure thankful for them! He's also thankful that he wasn't driving his Corvette, because both cars in the accident were totaled! As for me, I feel great after losing 30 pounds with Weight Watchers - and I still love my walk! I'll be interested to see in a couple months if I was able to lower my cholesterol below 200. Scott stays in shape with Rugby. He was player of the game last week!

We love our family and fun times together! An Easter reunion with the Heward family, the Beach reunion with the Nichols family, a Caribbean Cruise, an Alaska Cruise, our kids and grandkids.

Everyone loves Christmas and Pizza! It was another outstanding year for Christmas Pizzas! Dale wasn't up to moving boxes and as much decorating because of his car accident, and I was busy with the ward Christmas party (as usual), so there were some things I just crossed off the list this year. And it felt good to be a little less busy and just focus on celebrating the wondrous gift of the Christ child, and spending time with loved ones. Less IS better! I'm looking forward to more of the same - or less - next year.

I'm post dating this post so it counts for 2009 – after all, it's all about 2009!

Christmas Pizzas

Christmas tree (from yummy homemade pesto sauce) and fireplace with wreath.
Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman... (Analia is missing from the picture - she's already in the highchair eating.)

Can't remember what it was supposed to be, other than delicious (edit if you want, boys).
The shepherds on the hill with their sheep. They were all delicious!

Around My World

and it doesn't matter how many days!

Our 2009 Travels

San Xavier del Bac Mission, Tucson, Arizona

Caribbean Cruise

Santa Monica Pier

Knott's Berry Farm

Alaska Cruise

A Walk in the Park

Keep Breathing

I don’t really like getting up early, but I DO like my walk and early is the only time to do it when it’s hot in Arizona. It’s best to get up and get going before I’m fully awake. I walk through a park and then along canal in a shady greenbelt past a couple lakes; there are lots of water birds and friendly folks exercising or walking their dogs. It’s calming, the scenery is beautiful and I have lots of great ideas for blogging and little chats in my head with all of you, that, until now, I have not followed through to fruition. So here goes!

Last January I had my annual physical and told the doctor that I had been walking and eating right and wanted to lose weight, but nothing was happening. She wasn’t concerned about my weight, but said that if I kept walking and eating right it would come off. My blood tests showed everything was normal for thyroid, so it was all up to me. I decided to use the “Think System” as made famous in The Music Man. We had a cruise planned for April so I set a goal to lose 15 pounds and put a weight tracker widget on my blog. I GAINED 5 pounds – fie on you, Professor Harry Hill!

A friend told me that she and her husband were going to Weight Watchers, so on May 6^th I went along for my first meeting. I have to say it’s been great! The first week I had a big loss, but after that it’s been slow and mostly steady – 1 to 2 pounds a week just like we’ve always been told is best (and even a couple weeks UP a pound, but I recovered…). Since Scott is studying exercise science and nutrition for his degree he said I didn’t need to join; he could tell me all I needed to do. I told him that I needed the personal commitment, the accountability of weekly weigh-ins and the support of others in the same boat. So he and I talk exercise and nutrition, and Dale walks with me whenever he can – they both give me great encouragement. I will NEVER fad diet or yo-yo with weight again. No more pills, powders or potions. I can eat whatever I want, but I know what foods are best. I just measure portions, track points for everything I eat, and walk, walk, walk. Recently I’ve even been running a little, too.

Scott pointed out the calorie differences of walking and running the same distance, and I was convinced that I needed to add some running to my exercise. Because, as unfair as it is, the simple physics are that as you loose weight it takes less energy to move your body and you don’t burn as many calories as you previously did for the same exercise. Bummer! I never really did like running. One day I was walking with Connie and she said, “I like to run up this little hill,” so we started running. Halfway up she said, “Shelly, keep breathing.” Well, no wonder I didn’t like running – I wasn’t breathing! So now I concentrate on form: breathe in a rhythm with my feet, try to make my navel touch my spine as I exhale, pump my arms in a straight line from hip to shoulder (no side to side motion), keep my shoulders back, chin up, and eyes to the skies. And keep breathing!

On October 7^th I made my weight goal – I lost 25 pounds! Today during my walk I even ran for two miles without stopping! FYI – that’s a huge accomplishment for a woman of my level of maturity. Run, Forrest, run! Now my goal becomes maintain. Keep measuring, keep tracking, keep exercising, chin up, eyes on the prize, and keep breathing!

I’ve decided that “Keep Breathing” is a good motto for a variety of situations. About a month ago I had a mammogram. I’ve been getting them annually since 1991 when I had a lump removed, so they’re really no big deal for me. They position you, lower the vice, squeeeeze and say, “Hold your breath” three or four times on each side. On the last x-ray I started feeling a little light headed, but the x-ray machine was already buzzing and I was almost done. The next thing I knew I felt like I was waking up from a long nap. They were giving me smelling salts and three technicians and a doctor were in the room. I’d passed out! I had a goose egg on my head and ended up spending the day with Caroline so I wouldn’t be home alone if I had signs of concussion. So, no matter what the technician says, Keep Breathing!

Sometimes other things happen that take your breath away. Because he’s had skin cancer (both basal cell and squamous cell removed), Dale goes to the dermatologist every six months for a check-up. At last week’s appointment they did another biopsy. The doctor called Thursday – he has a melanoma. He has to go in for more surgery, further testing and perhaps a chest x-ray. He had a blessing last night and we’re praying that it’s just “skin deep”. Meanwhile, chin up, eyes to the skies, and Keep Breathing.

Food Philosophy Fun

Well, I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I have decided to make a blog about something I really love. I am going to blog about food. I am going to try to keep it always positive (like I will only write about restaurants that I really liked, and leave out the ones that I don't). It should be fun to read too, it is all about food. I might add recipeits from time to time or talk about something existencial, but always as it relates to food. I hope that you all add it to your list of blogs to follow and enjoy.

http://foodphilosophyfun.blogspot.com/

Rugby

So my Mom's been bugging me to post something about by newest passion. So at the end of December I joined a Rugby team here in Arizona. I'm playing for the Tempe Old Devils. Actually as I'm writing this I am looking only through one and a half eyes, as I took a solid shot to the eye last night at practice. It has turned a beautiful purple hue (some of the girls in the singles ward have expressed their jealousy of it's gorgeous deep shade) as you can see in the attached picture. We have has a solid season going 12-1 in the regular season and clinching the Arizona State Championship.  

As it was my first season I spent the beginning of the season as a substitute for the B-team, moved my way up to a starter and soon began playing three different positions during the course of the game.  So while most people were getting substitutes I just got shuffled to different positions.  This proved especially exhausting during our last tournament when I played 3 entire games with the B-side and played in the last half in a scrimmage against Arizona State's Rugby team with the A-side.  One game is bad enough but I had never been so exhausted in my life at the end of that day.

(Update)

Ok so I never ended up posting this when I started writing it a long time ago, but now I'm determined to finish it.  The regular rugby season is over for our team we advanced through the regional playoffs and qualified for the sweet 16 in Austin, Texas, and won the first game their and lost the second.  So in the end we made it to the Elite 8 in the nation for our division.  The semi-finals and final matches will be in Gledale, Colorado May 30th and the 31st.  Our team is always getting better and unfortunately we were missing alot of our best players for the playoffs for various reasons.  One of them got called up to play on the U.S. Men's National Team (if you hit the link there is a picture of him his name is Tai Enosa) so he was unavailable to play with us.  It was a pretty good season though and I feel really good about how our team did and how I did as well.  I made the playoff roster, which I feel like is a good accomplishment for my first season on such a good team.

Now I'll be playing Rugby 7's (sevens is played with seven players instead of 15 and is faster paced) in the off season to stay on top of my game and continue improving in a sport.  I look forward to next season, I love the sport and the guys on my team.  I'm looking forward to no longer being the noob or rookie.

When Life Gives You Lemons . . .

The neighbor at Mom and Dad's house has a lot of lemons and they are very good and juicy.  Aunt Susan came to visit, and as you all know, when Aunt Susan comes to visit you have to do something productive.  (I am just glad she didn't think to clean the garage this time!)  So what do you do when there are so many lemons on the ground from the neighbor's tree?  Well you make lemonade.  We juiced those lemons and made about 2 gallons of lemon juice concentrate.  I am not in any of the pictures, but I assure you I did my fair share of the work.  

What About the Economy?

I love what Daniel Hannan says. He is the member of British Parliament, and he speaks with a whole lot of sense. (Note: you can replace the word "Britain" with the "United States," "Prime Minister" with "President" and "Gordon Brown" for "Barack Obama")

Democracy vs. Republic

What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?  Which one are we here in the United States?  I love this video because it explains it so simple and easy.  Check it out!

http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment