One of the bittersweet aspects of being back at St. Andrew’s is there are many refugees who are still here for over 20 years.
One example is Angelina and her son, Gatdaet, refugees from Sudan. Gatdaet is a remarkable man. He learned English from magazines and watching TV and for a number of years he has been an integral part of the staff here at StARS. He is the go-to person for all things in the refugee ministry and, until recently, his future appeared wide open. He had accepted a scholarship to attend college in Nebraska this fall and was excited to move on. In December, his traveling papers were suddenly put on review by our embassy here and he was unable to leave the country for school.
I first met Gatdaet’s mother, Angelina in the early 2000’s. She had been accosted on the street, knocked to the ground, and all of her front teeth were broken. We were able to get her to the hospital, stay with her, pay the bill, and get her home. Last week, Gatdaet brought his Mom to church. She wanted to thank us for staying with her and helping her out. When she saw me, she began to cry. So did I.
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