Hard to believe that it's been a month since I moved here. A lot can happen in a 4-week span; more than I could have ever imagined. Living in Kristopher Woods Apts. opens up a plethora of opportunities to start relationships with internationals from 20+ countries, ranging from Cuba to Burma. And because of the refugee presence, it's easy to see the tension between them and many of the American citizens here. At the same time, I have never seen such a challenging example of what it means to literally "live in community."
Growing up in suburban America has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, I was never exposed to crime, violence, abuse, and other forms of suffering. For me, it was a safe (and sheltered) lifestyle. Negatively speaking, I was completely ignorant of and desensitized to the needs of the world around me. Little did I know, the world was only an hour and a half from my doorstep.
Ironically, God has brought this sheltered, suburban, middle-class, post-college dude to an environment that is, in most ways, opposite of how I've lived most of my life. I've never been rich, but when I look at the needs of people here and how they live life on a day-to-day basis, I feel like I have more stuff than I need. I look back at moments in my life where I spent loads of money on things I "needed" only to now wonder why I ever wanted them in the first place. Suddenly, I feel uncomfortably aware of my own greed, of my own selfishness. But also, I am growing more aware of how utterly desperate I am for the Lord's mercy and grace to help in time of need.
I'm in awe of the Lord's desire to bring me here and often I wonder, "Why?" Lately, I believe He has revealed to me that part of the reason He has brought me to Clarkston is to humble me. Nobody can be truly humble. Pride is a sin we battle on a daily basis, but by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit living in us we pursue humility, as Christ humbled Himself to the point of dying a humiliating death on a cross for our sins. There's so much need just in this one apartment complex and just thinking about it is draining. I am daily inconvenienced by the needs of people and I praise God for this because He is using it as part of His desire to complete the good work He began in me.
The more I have gotten to know refugees and their families, the more aware I have become of the struggles they face. There is domestic, emotional, and mental instability that manifests itself in disturbing ways. Part of it is cultural, part of it is religion-based, but the heart of it reveals a brokenness and a longing for truth. They are looking for answers to their problems, to shed light on the darkness they face, but aren't we all? In Christ, we won't always know why things happen the way they do or why we experience certain events, feelings, and circumstances, but He provides the only real joy and peace required to satisfy our broken, wandering souls. He is gathering His children from all corners of the earth to build His kingdom and display His glory. I'm so thankful that He has made me a part of His work to make this small, southern town a beacon of light to the nations.
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| A homemade Nepali meal of noodles and momo's! |
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| Nepali kids from the apartments. |
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Some Muslim neighbors from Iraq.
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| The interns. |
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| Choir group that visited Clarkston from NC. They are the Karenni people from Burma (Myanmar). |
When they were few in number,
of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!" - Psalm 105:12-15
