One of the most time consuming, rewarding activities since we married has been serving as inner- city welfare service missionaries for the Church in a Hispanic unit. Our eyes have been opened to the social injustice that exists here in the land of the free and we have become very sympathetic to the plight of the immigrant.
Recently Ariel's worked extensively with a 16 year-old young woman who is pregnant. She has dropped out of school and is planning to keep the baby. Ariel visits her to teach her English and talk about her options for the baby. We are working to connect her with LDS Family Services.
Andrew has been working with a woman in quite a predicament. Her husband was murdered a year ago, leaving her with three children (she was pregnant at the time with her third), and no place to go. She is now desperate for a place to work and live, but has not advanced in applying to the government for assistance because of her legal status.
These are the types of situations we have seen over the past year. From our perspective, these people, with or without legal status, are some of the best to grace God's green earth. They work hard, they dance their troubles away, they love their families, and they love the gospel.
We're glad they are here. We welcome them. We would rather many people have sufficient than few people have abundance.
King Mosiah welcomed two large immigrant groups to enter his land. He received both of them "with joy" (Mosiah 22:14; 24:25). The people of Anti-Lehi-Nephi were welcomed into the Nephite land, even though they had once been responsible for the death of many Nephite people. While it may have put a stress on their economic situation, and while some of them may have come for the wrong reasons, they were welcomed. Immigrants today are much like those people in the scriptures: people looking for freedom from the bondage of fear, poverty, or a number of other things.
Forgive the political talk. That's not exactly why this blog was created.
Recently Ariel's worked extensively with a 16 year-old young woman who is pregnant. She has dropped out of school and is planning to keep the baby. Ariel visits her to teach her English and talk about her options for the baby. We are working to connect her with LDS Family Services.
Andrew has been working with a woman in quite a predicament. Her husband was murdered a year ago, leaving her with three children (she was pregnant at the time with her third), and no place to go. She is now desperate for a place to work and live, but has not advanced in applying to the government for assistance because of her legal status.
These are the types of situations we have seen over the past year. From our perspective, these people, with or without legal status, are some of the best to grace God's green earth. They work hard, they dance their troubles away, they love their families, and they love the gospel.
We're glad they are here. We welcome them. We would rather many people have sufficient than few people have abundance.
King Mosiah welcomed two large immigrant groups to enter his land. He received both of them "with joy" (Mosiah 22:14; 24:25). The people of Anti-Lehi-Nephi were welcomed into the Nephite land, even though they had once been responsible for the death of many Nephite people. While it may have put a stress on their economic situation, and while some of them may have come for the wrong reasons, they were welcomed. Immigrants today are much like those people in the scriptures: people looking for freedom from the bondage of fear, poverty, or a number of other things.
Forgive the political talk. That's not exactly why this blog was created.
4 comments:
What happened to the "large in stature" picture?
I wanted to be in it too!
(Ariel)
You two really have the most amazing experiences! what a wonderful calling! I am sure you two have had an incredible impact on those women's lives.
You two inspire me
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