Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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w a l k i n g t o g e t h e r 95 HELPING THE FAMILY FEEL AT HOME There are many little ways to help your new friends feel at home and welcomed into their new community. Short, spontaneous phone calls and visits, although not the norm in Canadian culture, will likely be very meaningful to the Colombian refugee family. Celebrating occasions that are special to Colombians, such as New Years and birthdays would be another way to help the family feel at home. Finally, finding ways to learn from the family about their culture will give them opportunities to share who they are and what is dear to them, and can be a complementary process to them learning about Canadian culture. Knowing that the church community values and is interested in their culture will be a special gift to the Colombian family, as it will open up opportunities to talk about their history and assure them that the church community loves them and is delighted to have them in their community. Reviewing the section Understanding our Differences and especially the pages containing Cultural Tips might be helpful as you think about this topic. Here are some questions to think about as you plan how you will help the family feel at home: 1. Perhaps there are people in your congregation that would be willing to offer accompaniment to the family through frequent, short phone calls? Who could they be? 2. Are there any members of your congregation that would be willing to commit to dropping by the home of the refugee for visits? 3. What can you do to ensure that the refugee family isn’t alone, but rather in community, on days that are special to them? While it is almost certain that New Year’s will be a day they yearn to spend with friends and family (they may feel extra homesick on that day), how can you find out what other days during the year are special to them (for example, a daughter’s 15th birthday)? Being alone on these special days would be a painful reminder of their losses, however, sharing those occasions with new Canadian friends in their new home community could help create a sense of being “at home” in a new place. 4. Are there families in your church that would be willing to ensure that the refugee family doesn’t spend those certain special days alone? How can you plan for them to be surrounded by community at those times? 5. How will you get to know their culture? Are there people in your church that would be interested in learning about Colombian cooking, music, art, geography or dance? If so, how can you encourage these people to see out the refugee family and show their genuine interest?
96 w a l k i n g t o g e t h e r Here are some ideas that might help: 1. Good advice for North Americans attempting to befriend and include new Colombians in their community life: Call them often. No specific reason, content or length of call is necessary. Just call and chat for five sentences. Inquire about them and their family and their loved ones. Then, wish them a good day and end the call with a blessing to them. 2. Dropping in “just because we care about you and wonder how you are doing this week” would be almost always a welcomed experience for a Colombian. Whether the visit turns out to be short or long, it will be appreciated. While it is certainly fine to arrive empty handed, bringing a small snack along could be a nice touch, and is something typical in Colombian culture. Receiving visits and calls will help take the edge off the isolation they may feel, and will let them know that they are loved and welcomed by the church community. 3. Although the refugee family may not take the initiative to invite church friends over for a meal (likely for cultural or budget reasons), they would probably love to share their time and their cooking with you. Perhaps church friends could invite the family, or at least the mother, to help cook a Colombian meal in their home? Alternatively, let the family know that you would like to come over, and ask when would be a good time. Just because they may not invite you on their own doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy hosting you once the occasion arrises. 4. You could ask if they have any photos from home and look at them together. If they don’t have pictures try to find picture books on Colombia from the library to look at with the family. This kind of activity could open up great conversations about their region in Colombia and local culture and traditions. 5. Depending on interest from both sides, you could ask the Colombian family to teach you some salsa or other Colombian dances such as cumbia, merengue or vallenato. Music and dance typically brings much joy to Colombians. If they didn’t bring music from home along, help them find music in the library or in stores that speaks to them and lifts their spirits.
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WALKING TOGETHER: Healing and Hope
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Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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