No Husband?!!!!

Teacher, You married?
          No?
Teacher, No Husband? What? Why?
          Just hasn't happened yet.
No Babies?!!
           Nope, none of those either
What? No Boyfriend?
             Nope...
Oh...I know someone....

The women in my class are wonderful.
Even when they think I'm going to be a single old maid. 

Teacher Teacher

"Push me! Push Me! TEACHER!!!" The frantic yells of children fill the air as they beg  for their swinging to continue. "Push yourself"- I cry, Exhausted after pushing them for what feels like a million times. The saddest face follows. As if I have just crushed their dreams. How can I not push them? It makes them so happy. They've already lost so much and they are just children, so I push on. Time and time again. I glance over to the baby swing where a 3 year old little boy from the Congo is swinging. Only when I turn to look I find him fast asleep. My heart just melts. I go to the swing and carefully lift him out. His eyes open just for a few moments, enough to see that I am not his Momma, but that doesnt matter, he snuggles up to me anyways. His head on my chest, his dreams running wild, I fight the urge to cry. He stays cuddled up on me for awhile. I've covered him with my jacket to keep his little body warm and just sit on a swing. Taking in the moment where I am trusted, I am seen safe by this little boy whose life has been lived in a refugee camp. These are the moments I will remember from Jubilee, these are the moments that make me want to stay here forever. The moments where Love is present. 

Burma

The Country of Burma or officially the Union of Myanmar is a country smaller than Texas.

It is from this country that many of the refugees are from. 

My entire class is from Burma. 

The most wonderful people I have ever met.

Their struggles are like none other. 

Their faith so strong.

This is their story. 

The ruling military regime in Burma is one of the world’s most oppressive and abusive. Currently, the Burmese government is involved in a military campaign against the largest indigenous ethnic group in Eastern Burma, the Karen. The Karen practice Christianity, whereas Burma is a mostly Buddhist nation. The militarized government has developed plans to eliminate those who do not fit in to what is thought of as being “Burmese.” Many Karen accuse the Burmese government of “ethnic cleansing” due to major counter-insurgency campaigns that have led to widespread mass atrocities against the Karen people. Such atrocities include summary execution, severe torture and rape, as well as forced labor, extortion and displacement. Aid agencies estimate that more than 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during the decades of conflict.http://worldwithoutgenocide.org

Imagine having to flee your home. 

Imagine having to run for your life. 

You finally cross the boarder into a new country. 

You find a refugee camp.

You register. 

You wait for your name to appear on the list.

The List...

Your ticket to a new life. 

Less than 70,000 refugees get that new life a year in America. 

Every year you hope and wait. 

Your children grow up. 

Their childhood is spent in a cramped camp. 

Hundreds of thousands of people. 

In shacks. 

Tents. 

Makeshift towns. 

You wait. 

And Wait. 

Years. 

Your children are Teenagers. 

Its been 17 years. 

Still waiting in a camp.

Till that day....

The day when your name is on the list. 

 After years of waiting. 

You are granted safety.

People don't often stay in refugee camps for a few months. Not even a few years. I've met people from Burma who have spent as long as 23 years living in a camp. Thats longer than my entire lifespan. Think about the life you have...and then being forced into a camp to live like that for 23 year...

Pray for our world. 

Pray for the people in Burma. 

 

Seriously...WWJD

What if a stranger knocked at your door?

What if it was 1Am?

Raining?

It was a rough looking man?

A scene out of a horror movie?

What if he had ragged clothes?

What if his feet were bare?

A dirty face?

Greasy hair?

What if he was crying?

What if he was shaking with cold?

Or fright?

What if he picked your house?

What if...

What if he knocked on the door of Jesus?

Picture that for a moment...

Would Jesus be scared?

Would He turn him away?

Would He slam the door?

Would he hide?

Would he call the police?

Of course not.

What would Jesus do?

He would welcome him in. 

He would Wash his feet. 

He would dry his tears. 

He would fill his stomach.

He would make His home...his. 

What would I do?

I hope I would be like Jesus and welcome anyone in. But it is scary, it is hard, there is a risk. But Jesus told us to help the ones who have little. Who are broken and poor. To feed the Hungry and to make the weak strong. So how could I not help?

 

Update

Sorry to those of you who read this blog in attempt to keep up with my life.

Sorry to those of you who read this blog in attempt to understand Jubilee. 

I have been slacking.

So. News. 

Things here are getting really busy. It seems like every week there is something major occuring. 

This week not only did we have our silent retreat 

Sunday we are going to a protest. 

SOA

School of Americas

Basically where they teach South American Governments how to kill their citizen. 

Crazy stuff. 

Seriouly. 

http://soaw.org/

Click that link.

Read all about it. 

THEN THANKSGIVING!!

Silence

Echoing footsteps
Silent halls
Green grass when there should be none as all
Chilly rooms
Whispered words
Old books
Unknown faces with welcoming looks.
 Silence like a knife
Sharp and cold
Yet so peaceful.
Take me back
Its too loud here
Take me back to a place to dear


Thats my attempt at poetry. 
Trying to sum up my time at a Monastery where I spent most of my time in silence.
Boy was it wonderful.
I really needed that.

God was there. I felt time close by.

Out there...

Jubilee can sometimes be a bubble

You forget that there are other people and opinions out there...

It is a feeling that reminds me of college...

Like you dont remember what 'normal' people think.

I was on Facebook the other day.

And my Uncle who is a very devoted Christian posted a picture saying

"The United States should cut foreign aid to any country that supports Illegal Immigration."

BOOM. That ticking time bomb that was hiding in the shadows of my mind blew.

WHAT? I thought he was a Christian. Hasnt he read the Bible. Did Jesus care about where you were from when he DIED FOR OUR SINS!!!

All these things flooded through my mind.

I was mad.

I was sickened.

I was hurt.

Why is this an issue when Jesus said!!

Woah. Danger...Judgmental Danielle coming through. 

It is going to be hard for me to remember that there are so many people that will disagree with my beliefs. 

And If I am going to be the hands and feet of Jesus...

I have to love them 

Its been awhile.

Sometimes in this place that is so simple...

A place that allows you to slow down. 

I get lost and forget about time. 

Sometimes I forget things...

Like eating

Or blogging. 

Whoops. 

Sometimes I just sleep.

A lot.

Thats a hard habit to kill. 

My pillow and bed, Even when covered in laundry draws me in. 

I get stuck in dreamland. 

And days pass...

My time here, is going to come to a close quickly. 

And now all I want is to slow time down. 

Even when I am longing for home...

I am wishing to stay.

If all the people I loved were here...

I'd have no reason to leave.

I'm struggling...

Struggling with what my next move is...

And as the Clash once asked...

Should I stay or Should I go?

Maggies

Comer, GA is small.
One stoplight small.
Normal to me.
I like small towns.
It reminds me of home.
And like home Comer has one hopping resturant.
Only this place isn't China house...
Or even Corner cup.

It's Maggies.
Nestled in between to closed stores sits the only escape I have within biking distance.
Sometimes I forget there are other people on this world.
My life is all Jubilee.
Except when I'm at Maggies.

The food is overpriced.
But the wifi is free.
The service is kind and they always greet me.
They say y'all and call me sweetie.

It's a nice escape.
They even have wine.
Which makes it a fun escape sometimes.
They also have pie.

It's a sometimes place that I like to go to by myself to remind myself that I have a choice. I can live my life in so many different ways. It's nice to have that reminder. That I have choices. 

Break

Jubilee is not always easy.
Especially for me.
I miss my family.
I miss my friends.
I miss normal.
I miss movies and cuddles.
Country roads
Barking dogs

So I took a break.
I booked a flight and headed north.

Home.

Home is love.
Home is comfort.
Home is the smell of clean laundry and long days.
A place where my mom makes me coco and my sisters encourage me.
Home is a church filled with people who care.
Home is friends who laugh with you.
Home is where I always want to go when I'm down.

I'm heading back to jubilee.
But I will always be wanting to go home.