In 1997, Luma notified her parents that she was staying in the United States. He came here at the age of 21. His father was not happy with his decision. After graduating from college, she was determined to succeed on her own.
In 2002, she got a job as a women’s soccer coach at the local YMCA in Clarkston, Georgia. He came across children playing a street soccer game and felt he could make a bigger impact on them. He quit his job and vowed to team up with these guys. They called themselves the “Fugees”.
Clarkston initially resisted the newly arrived refugees. The whites left and those who stayed weren’t welcome. The police and the mayor did their best to keep them in place.
Over time, some people began to embrace diversity. A local grocer received the advice of a Vietnamese girl who suggested that he start stocking the shop with ethnic foods. One church renamed itself and welcomed all groups. A new police chief corrected the mistakes. In 2009 the term of mayor ended.
Luma got an assistant named Tracy. Writer Warren St. John shared his story. They obtained donations and hired two teachers to work with the tutoring team.
This book took a while to read because it entered the history of situations from which each of the players came. It reminds us of the difficulties that refugees face. If we were in the same position, we would expect goodness from someone.
I was fortunate to have made a friend in 1999 with one of Sudan’s “Lost Boys” in Phoenix, Arizona. My daughter-in-law is from Sudan. God knew in 1999, when we met our friend, that my son would marry a girl from that same country when he grew up.
In times of uncertainty, fear keeps us from the unknown. Sometimes events are out of our control, but we can miss opportunities by not meeting the refugees in our communities.
I love reading stories of people who made a difference in the lives of others. That goodness can have a ripple effect and multiply. Sometimes it can take years before we figure out how. I have witnessed it in my life. I hope to see more.
I thank God for those I have met and for those I have not yet met. Best wishes to everyone in this story.
