Another Season of Thankfulness

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll read about thankfulness in many forms.

In a story about her visit to the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori tells refugees in Buffalo that she appreciates the gifts they bring that enrich our nation.

In a piece about an annual dinner in New Haven, church members and staff connected to the Episcopal Migration Ministries local affiliate share their gratitude for the generosity and support their community has shown in welcoming refugees.

And in a profile of Sharmake Muse (pictured at right), the Somalia-born newcomer to Minneapolis expresses thanks for the chance to pursue an education and strive for a meaningful future – as well as for an encouraging new friend – after spending 20 stifling years in refugee camps.

These sentiments are not exclusive to this or any season of the year for those engaged in refugee resettlement. The themes of renewal, security, opportunity and welcome are ever-present in this ministry, in spite of the many challenges it sometimes entails.

Of course, Thanksgiving Day provides the chance to lift up the many blessings that flow regularly into many U.S. communities because of the presence of refugees there, and to renew our commitment to welcoming the stranger in our midst.

And for that, we are most thankful.

 

Episcopal Migration Ministries

November 2010

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A Thanksgiving Welcome

Refugees in Connecticut celebrate their first Thanksgiving with a feast

 

Refugees who have been resettled in New Haven, Connecticut, in the last year will be initiated into a proud American tradition this weekend when Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services (IRIS), an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate, celebrates Thanksgiving with a dinner for its clients.

 

Planners expect between 150 and 200 refugees to attend the event, all IRIS clients.

 

Margaret Zhang is IRIS’s volunteer coordinator and the lead planner for the event. She said volunteers have been coming out of the woodwork, as members from local churches and other community institutions have signed up to serve food and help prepare for the event.

 

“The whole New Haven community is getting involved – people from all sorts of places have volunteered. At this point we’re worried about having too many volunteers and not too few,” Zhang said.

 

“Thanksgiving is such a wonderful opportunity for our community and for IRIS to show that American hospitality that we want so much to represent.”

 

The meal will include traditional Thanksgiving options, along with dishes from the refugees’ homelands, Zhang said.

 

The United Church on the Green in downtown New Haven is generously hosting the dinner in its parish house.

 

Jan Baker has been on IRIS’s Board of Directors since 1986, and has worked with refugees since the 1970s. Her church is one of five in a coalition currently co-sponsoring an Iraqi family.

 

In addition to taking the family to the Thanksgiving event, members of the co-sponsorship team will be volunteering at the dinner.

 

One member even drove to Massachusetts to track down a turkey that meets Halal standards for Muslim attendees.

 

Her connection to the agency aside, Baker said the Thanksgiving dinner is another example of the great efforts IRIS puts forth to make refugees feel welcome in Connecticut.

 

“I’m always amazed at what IRIS can do. They just put out the word and all of these turkeys and trays of potatoes and yams just appear,” Baker said. “It’s a wonderful event, and everybody is happy to have the leftovers.”

Thanksgiving Recipes

EMM sent out a request seeking Thanksgiving-themed recipes from refugee clients and affiliate staff. Below are two submissions that will help you celebrate Thanksgiving with a little international flavor this year. Enjoy!

 

Sita Koirala’s Recipe for Nepali Chai

 

This recipe comes from Sita Koirala, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sita was resettled in Minnesota with the assistance of the Minnesota Council of Churches , EMM’s affiliate in the Twin Cities. She lives with her husband Rup, son Rohit and daughter Nelam. It’s customary for Nepali Bhutanese and members of their extended families who live in the same house to drink tea together in the morning.
 

 

-Boil 4 cups of milk in pot (whole milk will be sweeter)
 

-Mix in 1-2 teaspoon(s) of chai tea leaves
 

-Add 2-3 teaspoons of white sugar
 

-Add small amounts (1/2 – 1 teaspoon) of ginger and cardamom, and a pinch of black pepper to taste
 

-Stir
 

-Let boil 3-4 minutes and remove from heat.

 

 

 

May Al-Khafaji’s Turkey Recipe
 

May Al-Khafaji is a native Iraqi and senior caseworker for the refugee resettlement program of Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, the EMM affiliate in metro Detroit. She submitted this recipe for preparing turkey with a Middle Eastern twist.

 

 

- Wash/clean thawed turkey

 

- Prepare the mixture for marinating the turkey by mixing:

 

4-5 tablespoons of yogurt
5 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of Tandoori spices (will give turkey a red color)
1 tablespoon All Spice
15-20 whole cloves
1 ½ teaspoon curry powder
½ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 clove crushed garlic (optional)

 

- Rub the whole cleaned turkey with the mixture. Try your best to very gently insert your fingers between the skin and the meat around the entire bird, making sure not to crack or split the skin open

 

- Place the turkey in a baking pan breast up


- Cover and leave in the fridge overnight

 

- The following day, remove turkey from the fridge for two hours before roasting

 

- Bake at 350 degrees for 3 ½ – 4 hours for a turkey of 12-15 lbs; keep the turkey covered with foil for the first 2-2 ½ hours, occasionally baste


- Uncover and also baste, try to drain the extra sauce ½ hour before turkey is done, to allow the skin to become crispy

 

- Serve on a platter; consider placing a thin piece of bread on the platter to keep the bird from sliding when carving

 

 

Note from May: I would recommend that you try the mixture with a whole chicken before doing the turkey to make sure your family likes the flavor/color etc. You can omit Tandoori and increase All Spice, curry powder and a pinch of turmeric to give the turkey a golden color.

Refugee Profile

Young refugee focused on education, thankful for new friends in Minnesota

 

On his first day in the United States last March, Sharmake Muse stood in the bathroom of his Minneapolis apartment and listened while a caseworker showed him how to use the shower.

 

The caseworker, who works for the Minnesota Council of Churches , an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate, pulled back the curtain and turned the nozzle, causing water to gush from the spout. At that moment, Sharmake said the difference between life in the U.S. and life in a Kenyan refugee camp became starkly clear.

 

“In the refugee camp you wake up early and go to wait for water. It may happen that you wait in line until night and come back without water for your family. Sometimes it would happen that people will fight and kill and lose their life for the sake of getting water,” he said. “Here water is available and there, there is no water at all. It’s really different.”

 

Sharmake, now 26, spent nearly 20 years living in refugee camps. His father was killed in the violence that broke out in Somalia in 1991 at the outset of the long civil war, and Sharmake was forced to flee the country with his mother and sister.

 

In 2009, he learned that his family was heading to the U.S., and in March this year they arrived in Minneapolis. The eight months since have been challenging, but Sharmake said he feels hopeful about the future, thanks in large part to the assistance of MCC, and to the help of an unexpected friend.

 

Linda O’Malley is a volunteer with MCC and a member of St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul. Over the years, co-sponsorship teams from her parish have participated in the resettlement ministry, but last winter Linda sought to deepen her personal involvement with refugees.

 

The staff at MCC asked her to mentor Sharmake, and in the time since she’s introduced him to many aspects of American life.

 

Linda has taught Sharmake about the postal system, found a donated bike to help him get around, assisted with enrolling his mother and sister in English classes, shown him how to secure a money order to pay bills, and enlisted her husband to teach him how to drive. It’s a partnership that both speak of warmly.

 

“He’s just so independent, and I’ve learned so much from him,” she said. “I always think, what if my son was in this strange country? I just hope someone would help him.”

 

Sharmake said that Linda has shown him ways to continue his education and improve his English skills, two goals to which he is unwaveringly dedicated. Sharmake plans to start adult education classes in January, and to build on his experience as a nursing assistant in the refugee camp. He hopes to attend medical school and become a doctor in the years ahead.

 

And he credits Linda with helping him find the right path in his critical first months in Minnesota.

 

“With Linda O’Malley, it was good, really. When we came here, she helped us. She really showed me the ways of the United States,” Sharmake said. “I am thanking her; I am giving her thanks.”

 

Sharmake recently lost his temporary job, but he’s working to find another one while still trying to pursue his education. He’s faced many barriers to get where he is and will likely face more before reaching his goals.

 

But, like many refugees, he’s grateful for those who have helped him and optimistic about the incremental progress he’s making. He’s even gotten comfortable with using his shower.

 

“I have now adapted,” he said, laughing. “But whenever I take a shower, I remember those people [in the camp] and the lack of water.”

Church Engagement

Presiding Bishop meets with refugees and co-sponsors in Buffalo

 

On October 30, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, had another chance to see the Church’s refugee resettlement program in action.

 

She visited Journey’s End Refugee Services, an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate in Buffalo, New York, where she met with several refugee families and representatives from the local parishes that have assisted them through their first months in the United States.

 

Jefferts Schori spoke for around an hour with refugees from the Congo, Iraq and Burma about their experiences resettling in Buffalo with the help of Journey’s End and EMM.

 

The family members said they were surprised and pleased by the warm reception they’ve received since arriving in the U.S., and Jefferts Schori in turn said she was heartened by the success stories and thankful for the newcomers among us.

 

“I am grateful for your presence here in the United States. You make our country much richer,” Jefferts Schori told the group. “The gifts and skills and culture and history you bring make us a more interesting and important community.”

 

Jefferts Schori was in Buffalo for the annual convention of the Diocese of Western New York, and, as a major ministry in the diocese, Journey’s End was one of the stops on her tour of the city.

 

To read more about the Presiding Bishop's visit, CLICK HERE.

EMM Arrivals Update

In October, the first month of Fiscal Year 2011, EMM resettled 303 refugees with the support of dioceses and many volunteers. Those refugees came from the following regions:

 

Africa -- 24

East Asia -- 69

Latin America/Caribbean -- 12

Near East and South Asia -- 198 




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