Two years ago this morning I set foot at For the Nations Refugee Outreach for the first time. I posted on Facebook that I was excited to be a weekly volunteer and see what my "new normal" was going to look like since Sam was in school all day. I had no idea how NEW my normal was going to be.
I left FTNRO that morning, and I met my mom for lunch. I chattered away about the people I had just met for about an hour. Mom looked me straight in the eye and said, "You know you've just given away a huge chunk of your heart, right?". I looked right back at her and said, "Yes I do".
Two years later I've gone from a once-a-week volunteer to an almost full-time staff member. I'm also 3/4 of the way finished with a graduate degree in Intercultural Studies. I have completed seven different training courses in immigration law, and our application for recognition and accreditation with the BIA and Department of Justice is pending approval. My husband volunteers. My son participates in the activities. It's a family affair.
This summer I met a woman who is seeking asylum. She fled her country after her daughter was kidnapped in an attempt to scare her into silence against injustice. I spent this summer with that little girl, a second grader, and I've gotten to know her mother. The legal case is pending and there's not much I can do for her right now, but I CAN be her friend. Her daughter is thriving. They both know that we do what we do because of Jesus. This all happened because a friend of theirs drove by our building, decided to stop and ask for help on their behalf, and I was there and trained to help with immigration issues.
Last summer I met a man from Afghanistan. He had worked with the US Army which had endangered his family, and he had been granted an SIV (special immigration visa). He had only been in the US for about four months when I met him. He is educated and incredibly intelligent, but he needed help putting his skills to use in America. He is also still recovering from multiple surgeries to repair injuries he sustained during combat in Afghanistan. He spent the last year working through FTNRO's GED class and working nights at Walmart. At the beginning of this summer Aaron was able to help him get enrolled at Richland College. Now he is working for a security company and is on his way to a degree in mechanical engineering.
Earlier this week I met a man who was the personal translator for the commander of the Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces in Afghanistan (a now-retired 4-star general). He is also in the US on an SIV. He is too educated for our program - he has a degree in English Literature - but he wants to be a teacher. I was able to connect him with an alternative certification program so he can get his teaching certificate. It's the same program Aaron went through, so the two of them will be able to connect as he goes through the process. We promised him we would help him navigate the systems here in the US. He knows he is not alone.
When I left FTNRO two years ago I knew that I had found something special. My heart belongs to the people I serve and the co-workers I am privileged to work alongside. All of us at FTNRO are self-supported. We raise money to pay for our salaries, benefits, and the costs associated with our job. In my case this means I spend a significant amount of money on training and resources. I need your support! One-time donations are wonderful. Monthly donations help keep the work sustainable. If you've been looking for a way to help refugees and asylees this is it! Would you consider partnering with me in this work?
Contact me for more information, or you can donate here: http://ftnro.org/sarah-turner/.
