Immersion

A Student’s Reflections on a Refugee Ministry Immersion Experience:

“Like most in the youth group, I have spent much of my summers during the past few years in the City of Clarkston – an extremely diverse community made up of refugees from all corners of the earth – doing Sidewalk Sunday School and Tutoring. Through these experiences I have been opened up to the a world of joy and meaningful service, but the experience that I had in the past week has changed my perception of Clarkston and ultimately led me to a greater love for the city and the people who live there. Last week, a community of friends known as Ubuntu Village (Paul Reeser, Holly McKnight and Erin Davenport) welcomed us into their homes and showed us what they do during their everyday lives in Clarkston. We worked in the church garden alongside our Bhutanese friends, played with the children that neighbor them, and learned about the long and difficult process refugees go through to come to America. All in all, this experienced helped us see Clarkston in a different and beautiful way. The community there is stronger than any I have ever seen, and just like the gardens growing throughout the area, God’s kingdom is growing and flourishing as well! When asked why they decided to spend their lives serving and living in the Clarkston community, the friends of Ubuntu Village replied with something that I now find to be true, ‘because there is so much to be doing.’”

Cathy Rice, rising high school senior