A reflection by Lurae, a Good Neighbor volunteer in St. Cloud
My family returned home from Guatemala in March 2023 after visiting Guatemalan friends I hadn’t seen in 20 years. My husband, teenage kids, and I began to dream of hosting our Guatemalan friends whenever they could come and visit us. At that same time, I got a text from Samantha asking if I would like to be a Good Neighbor to this new Venezuelan family that would soon be arriving. My whole family was immediately on board. If it was our Guatemalan friends coming, we’d absolutely help them, so yes, we’d also step in and walk with this Venezuelan family we had never met.
We felt that coming alongside them from the moment they got here could make a world of difference in how they are received, the opportunities that they find, and the questions we could answer as they navigate a whole new environment.
My kids and I were excited we got to help clean and set up their new apartment before their arrival. The day after they arrived, we met them at their apartment. While I helped with interpretation for an appointment, my daughter helped entertain the kids. My husband popped by to introduce himself. Alcides responded “¡Genial!”, meaning, “Great! Fantastic!”
There’s no language barrier when it comes to having fun.
Even though our house is ripped up due to ice dam damage, we pushed past the apprehension and invited them in to celebrate the little girls’ birthday at our home- complete with a piñata (my husband read it’s a must in Venezuela for birthdays). We’re so glad we did. 
