I was reluctant at first. Nancy and I were glad to have become involved with a local agency that assists refugees. But when the agency asked Nancy and me to take a Syrian refugee girl to her piano lessons, it sounded boring—driving to the family’s home and then the many miles to the university where they provided free lessons to refugees, wait during the lesson, and take her back home. I had to remind myself that I wanted to be helpful to this family even if it was boring. Reluctantly I joined Nancy.
It wasn’t boring. That girl in her hijab is one of the most radiant people on the planet. Every time we took her to piano, she wanted to learn new English words. She plans to be a nurse and a judge. She smiles and laughs. In the spring elections, she ran for and was elected to a student body office at her high school.
As the weeks of piano lessons passed, we got to know the family. They invited us over for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. The food was delicious and we learned more about Najah’s three brothers in the family: Omar (who took this picture), Omran, and Saleh. They all love soccer—it’s the way they spent their time when they were refugees in Jordan. They surprise all opponents with their skill.
We became close with the family. Each time we arrive at their small home, I would hug Mohamad and call him “Brother!” And Fadia would hug Nancy and beam like she was in heaven. Sometimes we took chocolate to the family. Often, they would bring out a treat for us. We used a combination of Google translate and Najah-translate to communicate with Mohamad and Fadia. We laughed a lot.
We had the family over to our house for breakfast. It was the first time we have seen people put scrambled eggs on French toast and cover them with catsup.
The family barely escaped the bombing in Syria. They left everything behind. They found refuge in Jordan—but they weren’t really welcome there. Jordan was overrun with Syrian refugees and they were treated badly.
Mohamad, the dad, worked in a tahini factory. When Fadia, the mom, had trouble with her teeth, the local dentist just started pulling them. The kids were scorned. Life was hard.
After twelve years in Jordan, they were admitted to the United States. They wanted to settle in a community that was good for families—and Cache County is a refugee resettlement community. Our amazing refugee agency helped them settle in a small house in a small town and equipped them with the basics. Mohamad got a job in a meat packing plant—torturous work but about the only place in the community that a man who knows almost no English could make enough money to support his family.
Last Christmas, Mohamad was knocked down by COVID. Most of us might have settled into a week of convalescing. But he was desperate to go back to work because the meat packing plant does not offer sick leave; if he didn’t work, he couldn’t pay his rent. When we made a social media appeal to help the desperate family, beautiful people donated about $11,000. We were amazed. The family wept. We covered their lost pay and put the balance in the bank to help the family provide for their needs.
The work at the plant was aggravating Mohamad’s herniated disks. His shoulder and back ached. Pain shot down his leg. It is hard for him to navigate the medical system to get the help he needs.
Fadia is an excellent cook. We had Fadia cook for an open house at our home and invited neighbors over to try her food. We want to help her build a food business. We invited people to order food from her—but it is not easy for them to place an order with someone who speaks little English and does not have a computer.
So, in order to enable Fadia to sell her food, we glibly signed her up to sell at the gardeners’ market this summer. Then came our education. Permits. Equipment. Fire extinguishers. Finding a commercial kitchen. Getting supplies. An unexpected problem was that as a practicing Muslim, Fadia will only cook with halal meat which is expensive and not easy to find.
They began selling at the market. They cook food much of Friday night and sell it on Saturday. They often make a few hundred dollars for their hard labor.
Then Fadia’s mother died back in Syria. Fadia was heartbroken to lose her beloved mother. We had never seen her so sad. It was painful for her to be so far away from the family still in Syria.
With the death of her grandmother, Najah added another ambition to her list. In addition to being a judge and a nurse, she wants to open an orphanage in honor of her grandparents. Her grandfather was himself an orphan.
Little by little we are getting Fadia’s dental work done. She is delighted as she is able to start eating without pain. We still have thousands of dollars of dental work and oral surgery to complete.
The family works hard at the market! One day after cooking on Friday and selling on Saturday, Mohamad collapsed. The pain in his back and shoulder was sending shooting pains down his leg. He could hardly move. He had to quit work at the meat packing plant. He has an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon in a few days.
So, the involvement with refugees that began reluctantly has become a joyous obsession.
When the family approached their one-year anniversary of arriving in Cache Valley, we planned a celebration. Dozens of people showed up at a pizza place to express love to them. (The family ate only cheese pizza since the meat was not halal.) Najah read a letter of gratitude to the group. “After greetings we offer you the most beautiful expressions of thanks and gratitude from a heart overflowing with love, affection, respect and appreciation.” Google translate did a pretty good Job of translating their sincere appreciation!
We are immensely grateful to know these good people who work so hard and struggle so much. We have come to love them and want them to have a chance to work, grow, and reach their dreams.
I write this article for two reasons. First, I want you to know what a joy it can be to serve some of God’s most earnest children. I hope you will find a way you can also serve refugees and others in need. (Someday I hope that every ward in developed countries will sponsor a refugee family.)
Second, I write to see if you as a Meridian reader feel moved to help our Syrian friends. Maybe you would like to donate to Fadia’s dental work, their effort to create a food business (a food trailer or truck? a small restaurant?), or to help Mohamad get medical care. The money that was donated last fall is almost gone.
If the Spirit moves you to help, you can Venmo @HWallace-Goddard. If there is some other way you would like to help, you can contact me at thewaypeoplework@gmail.com
Thanks to Barbara Keil for her editorial suggestions.
Leave A Reply