If you are interested to learn more information or would like to help in one of the areas listed below, please contact Patty Dekker at pdekker@thornapple.org.
Bhutanese/Nepalese/Refugee Community Update
Bhutanese/Nepalese/Refugee Community General Information:
The Bhutanese community at Thornapple continues to grow. New families continue to move to Grand Rapids under the auspices of PARA (Programs Assisting Refugee Acculturation). Here at Thornapple we are continuing to help families where we can with basic needs (clothing, medical care, schooling, learning to drive, furniture, etc.), as well as helping our friends 'find and follow Jesus Christ.'
History of the Bhutanese Refugee Crisis: If you would like to understand the history of the Bhutanese refugees, click here.
The staff person overseeing the ministry to our Bhutanese/Nepalese community is Patty Dekker. Her e-mail is pdekker@thornapple.org.
See below for ongoing opportunities to help our Bhutanese friends:
1) Drivers: We are continually in need of people to help drive our Bhutanese friends to church on Sundays. We need people who are willing to get a CDL license to drive one of our buses OR people who are willing to drive their own cars when we need extra drivers. If you can help drive once in awhile, either van or bus, contact Greg Longworth at gklongworth@sbcglobal.net.
2) Tutors/educational coaches are needed for adults and children in our Bhutanese community. The commitment would be for a once a week meeting during the school year. For information, please contact Elaine Graves at egg8171@msn.com.
3) Family Liaisons are needed for our Bhutanese friends. Our goal is to have a liaison for each Bhutanese family. This liaison would meet with the family once a week to hear their concerns and direct them to the appropriate resource. If you are interested, please contact Alice Andrews at mwabuka@aol.com.
4) Discipleship: There are a few individuals who are ready and interested in one on one Bible study, and who have enough English that this could happen. We are looking for a few people who might commit to meeting weekly over a 6 week time frame to work through a basic Bible study program. Most of these people are Hindu, but have expressed an interest in learning about the Christian faith.
5) Employment: PARA attempts to help refugees become self supporting through job club and other assistance, but that assistance ends after 6 months. With our current economy, finding entry level jobs has been a challenge. If you know of work opportunities, or if you have the ability to help individuals in their search for employment, we could use your help.
6) Housing: As with employment, assistance is provided for the first 6 months that families are in the US. They are initially placed in low income apartment units; many of the Bhutanese live in the Breton/44th/Kalamazoo area. As extended families arrive, there is a desire for them to be together, and for families to be in more stable housing. If you have an interest or experience in housing issues (rental, maintenance, real estate) and could assist families in finding good housing situations, there is a need to coordinate this effort and develop a network of resources.
7) Government Paperwork: Many of the Bhutanese need help completing forms and working through the process to secure their green cards (permanent resident status). For more information contact Tim Friesen.
8) Our Bhutanese community uses our food pantry every week. Supplies are needed and can be donated to the Food Pantry:
- We are always in need of toilet paper, size 3 & 4 diapers and feminine hygiene products.
- Please contact Kim Mulder at 957-0580 if you can help with any of these items or have questions about the food pantry.
If you are interested to learn more information or would like to serve in one of the above areas, please contact Patty Dekker at pdekker@thornapple.org.
Facts of the Week:
5-1-12 Nepali head-shake? Did you know that in Nepali culture a shake of the head back and forth (more of a tilting from side to side ) usually means “yes”; while nodding your head up and down means “no”. So on Sunday during baptism you may have thought that it appeared that the Nepali believers were unsure of their answers to Rob's questions, but be assured that these folks understood the questions and their answers were 'yes', just not in the American Way! This is one example of developing "cultural intelligence; reaching across the chasm of cultural difference in ways that are loving and respectful" (David Livermore). How would you rate yours? Try googling Nepali or Bhutanese culture or customs and expand your mind and heart!
4-17-12 Did you know that each week a dozen or so Bhutanese/Nepali Teenagers attend Sunday School? This Spring they are working in small groups through some of the Gospel stories. Please pray for God to meet both the few Christian teens as well as the majority of the teens that are Hindu. Fiona and the other helpers welcome your prayers as they lead. Come visit anytime!
4-10-12 Did you know that each week 25 or more Bhutanese/Nepali elementary age children attend Sunday School? While driving the bus this past week I heard a 9 year old boy eagerly join into a conversation about Easter...he boldly chimed in from the back seat, “I know about Easter, that is the day that Jesus came back to life!” Please pray for God’s truth to continue take hold in all of our children’s hearts!
4-3-12 Did you know that some cultural differences are more difficult to navigate? We don’t always realize that our everyday expectations are heavily influenced by our cultural training that starts at birth. Bethany Christian Services N.N. Handbook gives us more insight on cultural distinctions.
Competition Versus Cooperation:
Competition(US)
- Focus is on accomplishing goals.
- Relationships are something that can help accomplish goals.
- Success is an objective standard that people strive to achieve.
Cooperation(Bhutanese/Nepali)
- Focus is on relationships and interactions with others.
- Relationships are an end in themselves.
- Success is a subjective standard and is therefore not as important.
3-27-12 Did you know that people from every culture think that their way of doing things is right! We all come with preconceived expectations. These differences can make things exciting or sometimes frustrating. Bethany Christian Services New Neighbor Handbook gives us this insight on
Time Versus Event Orientation:
TIme Oriented: US
- Time is a resource, used to accomplish goals.
- It is important to have control of time.
- The focus is on quantity of time.
Event Oriented: Nepali/Bhutanese
- Time is used to establish a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
- It is important to have close human interaction.
- The focus is on quality of time.
How might this apply to your next visit or appointment with your refugee friend?
2-14-12: The Bhutanese/Nepalese need cars. A car gives them independence to enable them to get to jobs, buy groceries, etc. If anyone enjoys searching and finding good used cars, please let Patty Dekker know.
2-7-12: Did you know that most adults are working, primarily in factories through Temp agencies. Work can be sporadic and it can sometimes take a couple of years before finding permanent work. Pray for permanent living wage jobs and if you know of anyone who might be able to help our friends find permanent work please contact Patty, pdekker@thornapple.org.
1-31-12: Conversation Tips: The greeting used by Hindus and Buddhists is “Namaste” (nah-mah-stay), and the greeting used by Christians is “Jaimasi” (jeye-mah-see). So use an American greeting if you don’t know which religion a person is, or else fold your hands in greeting (as in prayer) and listen to hear which greeting he or she uses. From here you might get the conversation going in the following way as these are phrases that most Bhutanese friends will understand :“My name is _______. What is your name? How long have you been in Grand Rapids?..., I have lived here for ____ years. Are you living with family here?, I live with my husband...etc. Do you still have family in Nepal? or in Bhutan? or in India? or in another state in the USA?, The rest of my family lives....” Pray for God to guide you and have fun making new friends!
1-24-12: Survey says! The most popular answer I have heard as to why our refugee friends come to Thornapple is....”To make friends with Americans!” One way that you can get to know an individual or family is to lead a home Bible Study; materials and training provided.One family is already interested and waiting! If you would like to help or inquire, please contact Patty at pdekker@thornapple.org.
1-17-12: Did you know that prayer is needed for family members of our refugee friends who are having a difficult time getting paperwork approved to leave the camps in Nepal and move here? 2012 will most likely be the last year that Bhutanese-Nepali refugees will be able to come to Grand Rapids. The goal is to have all refugees resettled and out of the camps by year end.
1-10-12: Did you know? Providing liaisons for a refugee family is one of the best ways to enable a smooth transition to life in the US. Most of the Bhutanese-Nepalese families lived in a bamboo hut in a refugee camp in Nepal for more than 15 years prior to arriving in MI. You can imagine why your help could be life changing! Liaisons generally meet with the family once a week to hear their concerns and direct them to the appropriate resource. If you are interested, please contact Alice Andrews at mwabuka@aol.com.
1-3-12: Did you know? At least 100 friends from the Bhutanese refugee community join us for worship and Bible study each Sunday morning. The majority of these folks are Hindu, however there are Christians in at least 7 of these families. Please pray for these friends, and if you would like to see baptism videos from this summer (June 19) and other news, please visit the TECC Bhutanese/Nepali Facebook page.
