Refugee
Resettlement
Thomas and Bassma
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Refugee Resettlement
Ministry Update
January 18, 2010
Thomas and Bassma had an enjoyable holiday season and have
started a hopeful new year here in Connecticut. When they
mentioned that they had always had a
Christmas tree in Iraq, confirmand Emily Jacobs and her
mom jumped right in to help them celebrate with a beautiful
tree, Brookfield style. A New Year’s Eve trip to
New York City,
meals with friends and Avatar in 3-D have added lots of fun to
their lives.
Bassma continues to work two jobs, in the mornings as a
preschool teacher at the
Gingerbread School House in Bethel and afternoon and
evenings at Stew Leonard’s serving coffee. She enjoys both
positions, and everyone at Stew’s knows the name of the lovely
young woman from Iraq. A big thank you to all the drivers who
make these jobs possible. Bassma is also still studying for her
driver’s license with lots of teachers, including Sue and
Ashley, helping her along the way.
Because Bassma has been able to cover all the Janabis’ expenses,
Thomas has been able to enroll at the Community Culinary School
in New Milford. This 35 hour a week, 3 month program has a 95%
placement rate in the food service industry. Thomas’s tuition,
$3,500, is covered by grants. The school is also an excellent
English immersion opportunity for Thomas. So far he has gotten
90s on his weekly tests and appreciates the ESL help of Joe,
Carol and Patty. He drives himself to school in the little red
truck donated by the Bonns.
The
next stage in our Refugee Resettlement Ministry is one of the
most challenging. In early February we will begin looking for
new housing for Thomas and Bassma. They will move to their own
apartment this spring, but never out of our hearts and lives.
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Support for our church’s Refugee Resettlement Ministry comes from Yankee Fair
funds and IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services). However, the primary
support for our ministry is the countless volunteer hours put in by dedicated
church members (over 50!), Lions Club members, friends at the Bridgewater
Congregational Church and the Danbury Mosque. What a real community endeavor!
It is also your prayers (and your hugs) that encourage the Janabis and all of us
on this amazing journey.
This page was last updated on
08/04/2011 01:22 AM.
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