“They are going to kill me!” said a13-year-old Ethiopian refugee after seeing kids shoot 4th of July fireworks all around him. “No, no one is going to kill you because I am here,” responded his 15-year-old Sudanese friend. Both of these kids have gone through hard situations in their home country. They have both experienced the need to look out for themselves or save their own lives, but yet they manage to not fall into selfishness or deep individuality. This sense of caring for others felt by the Sudanese young boy is something every person on earth should have.
Many times we get caught up in individuality and selfishness, even when serving the needy, because we use everything we accomplish as a tool for self-praise. Realizing that nothing we have or do comes from our own strengths can help us have a humble spirit, and at the same time, look up and see God’s many blessings. Hanging out and working with refugees everyday has highlighted this life lesson. Seeing kids from different nationalities care for each other, professionals with university degrees happily accept a housekeeping job, and even a Buddhist monk take off his robe in order to adapt to American society, are examples of situations that have humbled me and made me realize of my own egocentricity. These refugees are my teachers. I am not here just to serve them or look after them; they also turn around and serve me in the process.
--Lissete
