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A Warm Welcome in Frozen April

May 3, 2023
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. 
 
The following day we woke up to a LOT of snow. Ugh. We weren’t expecting it, and we were SO DONE with snow; however, we were actually a little excited because Alcides and María had mentioned how they wished their kids could see snow fall. So, I fought my thoughts- What if they’re tired from their travels?… What if they just want to be left alone?… and I texted Alcides, “We have to go sledding! Do you want to go?” 
 
Alcides responded “¡Genial!”, meaning, “Great! Fantastic!” 

And so, we went sledding in mid-April. We took them to a little hill in a park along the Mississippi River. Everyone LOVED it. It was SO fun to see their six and ten-year-old kids climb into sleds with my teens.
There’s no language barrier when it comes to having fun.
Then it was time for the adults- Maria and Alcides went down, and while they were sledding, I couldn’t help but notice how María screamed the whole way down just like I do! In spite of being from completely different backgrounds and cultures, there are still many ways we are similar.
 
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. 
 
And this is just the beginning. We can’t believe we have only known this family for a couple weeks! We look forward to each new adventure, outing, or even just a visit with this sweet family!
 

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Arrive Ministries is a refugee resettlement agency providing essential services and practical assistance to refugees and immigrants to advance self-sufficiency. We mobilize volunteers, in partnership with local churches, to extend love and friendship to our new neighbors to promote thriving in a new homeland.

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