1 Year of Ministry- Spring of Life Christian Deaf Church
This afternoon I went to Ministerio Manantial de Vida to worship with my Spanish Speaking Friends. I have been joining them on Sunday afternoons the past three months. One of the things that has impressed me is how the family of Pastors Rogelio and Chayo has reached out to the Hearing Impaired Community in Lincoln. Their sons Jonathan and David Arteaga are the Pastors for Spring of Life Christian Deaf Church which meets in the basement of the church where Ministerio Manantial de Vida meets for Sunday worship. The two services are at the same time on Sundays 11:30 to 2. The two churches meet in Faith Methodist Church at 33rd and Starr Streets.
Pastor Jonathan and his family
Pastor David
Today was the 1 year anniversary for Spring of Life Christian Deaf Church. There was a special lunch for both churches to celebrate the anniversary. It was awesome to watch as Hispanic and American hearing impaired people communicated with each other using sign language. The funny thing is they do not need translators to communicate with each other since they sign. It is only hearing people who need translators if we don’t speak the other language. I learned how to sign happy, congratulations, and Praise Jesus. Pastor Rogelio taught me. I was able to sign congratulations to the members of Spring of Life who were sitting together.
Members of Spring of Life at lunch
One thought hit me rather strongly today. Hispanics are often criticized in America and there are stereotypes that can be barriers. Too often Hispanics are viewed as taking something away from us. The thought that hit me was the Arteaga family has come to Lincoln and are reaching out to and ministering to people in Lincoln who have limited choices for a place to worship. Jonathan and David are serving the Deaf community in Lincoln. Their father, Pastor Rogelio, and mother, Pastor Chayo, are not only supportive of Spring of Life Church, they also serve. Pastor Rogelio joins them about once a month to assist in their worship service while Pastor Chayo teaches in Ministerio Manatial de Vida. Brothers Jonathan and David are giving to the Lincoln community in ways that most American churches fail to try. Pastors Rogelio and Chayo are behind them one hundred per cent. Jezharela is Jonathan and David’s sister. She is the worship leader for Ministerio Manantial de Vida. The whole family can sign and are giving to our community in this wonderfully unique way.
Congratulations Spring of Life Christian Deaf Church on your first year of ministry. I am excited about your wonderful ministry. I look forward to getting to know more of the members of Spring of Life and about your ministry.
Hispanics Making Positive Contributions- Oscar
Oscar is one busy man. He works for the schools in Lincoln overseeing the Liaisons and helping with cultural issues. He also does translating work and is active in the community. He is gifted at building bridges between cultures. On top of all of that he has a music group Kusi Taki which will be playing at the Antelope Park Bandshell this Saturday from 5 to 6 pm.
my friend Oscar
Oscar was at the Conference on Family Literacy that I went to in San Antonio. He was fun to spend time with as he is full of life. Toyota gave us water bottles with the Toyota name on it. Toyota has been supporting Family Literacy projects in America for 20 years. After one of the dinners, I caught up with Oscar in the hallway. There were some extra water bottles that people had not taken. I had taken one more and Oscar had 2 more. He told me they were for his children. He is a busy man, but also a family man. Family is an important value for Hispanics. I gave him my extra water bottle so he could give one to his wife as well.
During my trip to San Antonio I realized I wanted to write about Hispanics who make positive contributions because there are so many news stories about illegal immigrants and so much negative press. That is why this week I have been writing about some of my Hispanic Friends. I have met many Hispanics that are strong family people and care about our community like Oscar. I hope to make more friends within the Hispanic community in Lincoln.
Hispanics Making Positive Contributions- Marien from Puerto Rico
Marien is a new friend of mine that I met when I was in San Antonio for the Family Literacy Conference. She is from Puerto Rico which means she was born a U.S. citizen. I mention that because there is a tendency to think all Hispanics are here illegally from Mexico. There is great diversity among the Hispanics living in Lincoln and throughout the U.S. They come from several different countries for a variety of reasons. Some come from El Salvador under Temporary Protected Status. Some come from Puerto Rico and are citizens. Some come from Mexico. Some come from South America. They have diversity of culture as well.
Marien at work
I have enjoyed spending time in the homes of people from Peru, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. The foods vary from country to country and I have to say I like food from all of those countries. The customs vary from country to country as well. That is why Marien’s work impresses me. She is the Director of El Centro Las Americas which used to be called the Hispanic Center in Lincoln. In her work she needs to be able to relate with the diverse Hispanic population in Lincoln and also with the caucasian population. As I talked with her, I could see that she cares a great deal about the people she is serving.
Marien not only works, she is also married and has a cute baby. She is starting her family. Family is one thing that I have noticed is a strong common aspect among the diverse Hispanic cultures. She has her baby’s picture as her screen saver on her desk top in her office. Marien is definitely making a positive contribution to Lincoln in her work and with her young family.
Hispanic Friends Making Positive Contributions- Pablo
One of the first things I noticed when I first met Pablo was his high energy and his motivation. That is opposite of one of the stereotypes of Hispanics which is that they are lazy. I have never found that to be true. I have met numerous hardworking Hispanics. Pablo is a great example of that. He works as a Hispanic Liaison for Lincoln Public Schools which would be enough to show how hard he works. Cultural/Language Liaisons have weeks that they work extra hours to translate at Parent/Teacher Conferences. They cover more than one shcool and are always on the go.
Pablo at a recent conference we attended
I took this picture of Pablo at a conference we attended. We were seated at a work/laptop station in the lobby of the motel. He was on the phone probably talking with one of his small businesses. He not only works full time as a Liaison, he is also an entreprenuer and has a few small businesses. On top of all of that he is also in a music band that plays Hispanic/Latino music. I sat in on one of their performances in Stransky Park in Lincoln last summer.
Why would an entreprenuer want to work as a Hispanic Liaison for the schools? He could probably make more money if devoted all of his time and effort in his business. That was a question I had but did not ask. I believe the answer is in a conversation we had while driving back to Lincoln from the Omaha airport. We were talking about the books that were offered at the conference. Pablo made a comment about books that got my attention. He said ” Why should I keep books on a shelf where they do not do any good. Books need to do their job, so after I read a book I give it to someone else, so they can read it”. It was obvious to me that he values education.
I look forward to going to another concert this summer. It might be the only time I see Pablo. He is one busy man.
Thanksgiving week fun- lunch with Sudanese friends
Sally, Mohanad's father, Mohanad and one of their boys
On Saturday I had the fun experience of visiting some friends from Sudan to eat lunch with them. We had a lot of fun and a lot of good food. It has been my experience that when I visit a friend’s house from another culture that the food is delicious and plentiful. My time on Saturday with Mohanad and Sally certainly fit that description.
When I arrived, one of the first things I noticed was all of the food on the table. I met Mohanad’s father who is here visiting. I also met two young energetic boys who were a lot of fun to be around. We had a great meal and a good time together.
Sally, Mohanad's father, and me with their two boys
After lunch we sat down to talk, drink tea, and eat desserts. Sally is a wonderful cook and Mohanad is a good host. Every time my plate started to get empty Mohanad put more food on my plate. I was so full that I could only eat a little dessert.
me wearing some of their traditional clothing
Sharing a meal is one of the best ways to get to know friends from other cultures. We all had a good laugh when I tried on some of their traditional clothing. Mohanad’s father helped me with the head wear. My time with them made me think about how we need to take time to get to know people for who they are and not stereotype. Mohanad and Sally love their sons, and want to learn English so they can provide a good future for their sons. They may wear different clothes and have a different religion than me, but they want a good life for their family just like most of us do.
me with Mohanad's father
Right before I left, I asked why Mohanad did not have a big stomach like me with all the delicious food Sally cooks. We also got online so we could become facebook friends and so I could show them some pictures. It was a wonderful afternoon with my new friends.
My African friends have wonderful diversity of culture
It has been my pleasure to experience friendships with many people from Africa. I think that a friend of mine Culler Junior High(now called middle School) in the early 1970′s really opened my eyes to a different world. His name was Lorenzo. He was the only African American kid in the school. We were buddies and hung out around school. That was such a positive friendship for me that when I began to meet international students from Africa in the early 1990′s it seemed so natural for me to form friendships. I went to some of their parties and enjoyed eating with them, dancing, and talking with them. I was actually given a compliment once when they told me I was a good dancer. I do not think anyone would say that now:).
Me and my friend Neil from Congo-Brazzaville
One mistake that many Americans make is to think of Africa as being all the same culture. That is not correct. My African friends have a lot of diversity of culture. I have met some who are Christian, some who are Catholic, some who are Muslim, and some who are do not have a religion. There are many different tribal languages in each country. Some countries have English for the common language. Some have French for their common language. Some have Arabic for their common language.
Sudanese friends at church with a few american volunteers
I have had the pleasure of going to Africa night at the University of Nebraska a few times. There has always been a wide variety of foods. It has all tasted good to me. I plan to go again this year.
One commonality I have observed in my African friends is that they know what hardship is. Africa was once the playground of Europe. It was colonized by European countries and when Europe left things became chaotic. Whenever we meet someone from Africa whether it is a refugee from Sudan, a refugee from French speaking Africa, an immigrant who comes because they won a green card lottery, or an international student, we are meeting someone who knows what hardship is. Some have lived under brutal dictators. Some come from places where there has been genocide like Sudan, Rwanda, Congo, and Darfur. All come from countries that are considered to be Third World or Developing Countries.
The result of their experience is that when we meet someone from Africa, we are meeting someone who will usually say something to you like this-”I want to go back and help my country, my people”. International students from Africa commonly say this to me. Refugees from Sudan and French Speaking Africa express this sentiment to me often. They are here living among us. The question is do we see them? Do we take the time to get to know them? Do we listen to them? If we do, we will be pleasantly surprised.
A refugee from Afghanistan shows why we should be careful about assuming
Afghanistan is in the news all the time. It has been war torn for 30 years beginning with the invasion of the Soviet Union(Russia), the infighting after, the take over by the Taliban, and the current war which began after 9-11. A whole generation in Afghanistan has only known war and chaos. I have met many refugees from Afghanistan. Many times they have that empty look of hopelessness in their eyes. I had gotten so used to refugees from Afghanistan being destitute I began to think of Afghanistan as always being hopeless and war torn.
I had a student from Afghanistan. He was a nice old man with a long white beard. He wanted his children to have an education. He wanted his children to live where they would be safe from war. One day his son called me to tell me that he would not be able to come to class because he was having heart surgery. He had a quintuple bypass. When he started to feel up to it, I went to his home to help him with English. I thought of him as a nice old man who had seen a lot of hardship in his life and hoped that by my coming to his house I could bring some joy to his life.
The first time I went to his house his son asked me if I wanted to have lunch. I said yes thinking lunch American style, a sandwich and soup. My student’s wife began to prepare the trays of food, yes trays of food. His son left to go to class. There I was with my student and his wife. She had cooked a big plate of rice Afghanistan style with raisins, carrots and other vegetables in it. She had cooked some chicken, beef and prepared a salad. It was a lot of food. I then realized that my student was on a restrictive diet and could not join me. His wife had already eaten. All that food was for me. My eyes got big and my student laughed with me. That is one moment from the many we had that were full of laughter.
One day after the current war in Afghanistan started, I called his apartment to ask if he was back and wanted to start English classes. He had gone on a trip to visit family. His son told me he was in Washington D.C. I asked why he was in Washington D.C. His son told me that he was in meetings with the U.S. government. I was surprised and wanted to know more. I asked why he was in meetings with the U.S. government. His son told me that my student was one of the top judges in Afghanistan before the Soviet Union invaded and his father had to flee to Pakistan. His father was consulting with the U.S. government. We hung up. I started to laugh to myself. My student the nice little old man with the long white beard that I thought of as destitute was now doing important work. It taught me to be careful about assuming we know things about any one especially refugees. We need to take time to get to know them
Globalization- Hispanic friends who contribute to America Amelia and Carlos
What do you think of when you hear the words Hispanic or Latino? Does the image of illegal immigrants come to mind? People crossing from Mexico illegally? Drug gangs? In America we do have a problem with illegal immigration which could be solved by having a guest worker program and better border security. There is a greater problem involved. The illegal immigrants get most of the publicity and attention by our news media because it sells papers or gets attention on TV news. I have met so many Hispanics that make positive contributions to America.
Two excellent examples of Hispanic friends who make positive contributions are Amelia and Carlos. They are married. Carlos came here from Peru about six years ago. He entered a Green Card lottery which only those with an education can enter. Carlos has a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from a University in Peru. He won the lottery and came here. He has been working hard in construction while he has been studying English. He hopes to enter a Master’s program in Geology. He has been coming to my Sunday morning class for about 3 years. He has always been happy to help give people a ride. He has also helped people with money for food. He became a US citizen last year and then sponsored his wife Amelia to come here.
Amelia came here in March this year. She was a kindergarten teacher in Peru. When she came here, she did not know how she could make a life here. She felt she had left her career behind in Peru. She had studied English in Peru and graduated with a degree in Education in Peru. I was fortunate to be able to introduce her to a friend from Mexico that works at Lincoln Public Schools. She introduced Amelia to a teacher at an elementary school and Amelia began to volunteer with the Excite program helping children. That led to Amelia being hired by the schools to work as a Para-Educator and a translator for one of the elementary schools. She also reads Spanish stories to children at the library once a month.
I am proud of both Amelia and Carlos. They are making a positive contribution to our community in Lincoln and to my Sunday class. They are wonderful examples of why we should not judge people based on stereotypes or media stories. We should take the time to actually get to know people. I do not deny that problems exist with illegal immigration and that many of the illegal immigrants are Hispanic, but we should not let that cloud our thinking and prevent us from getting to know someone for who they are. If we do, then we will miss out on opportunities to meet good people and make good friendships like I have with Amelia and Carlos.
About
I teach English Second Language and have a ministry for internationals at my home church First Evangelical Free church in Lincoln Nebraska. I have had the pleasure of traveling in Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania and Switzerland. My hobby is to learn words and phrases from other languages. I have learned how to greet people in 30 languages.
My blog is about my experiences with international friends, my travels, and people I meet along the way. My international friends’ stories are fascinating to me. Experiencing other cultures makes life rich for me.
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