Pause: Time with a Liberian Refugee

Working near the Diocesan Office of Immigration, I'm frequently in conversations with clients from many different cultures. There are often moments during our exchanges when a client's hard-to-translate native adage or expression either makes me giggle...or deeply reflect.

Today's lunchtime visit to the Providence office was one such occurrence. I was preparing a mailing in the Immigration department, when I was introduced to a very gentle and humble refugee woman from Liberia. With her head hung low, she shared a tale about her last two weeks - the losses she had suffered and her fear of impending homelessness. With no family in the States, her two years outside of Liberia did not buy comfort or happiness.

When I found out that she did not have a car or bus pass, I asked if she could access transportation to a job far away from her single room rental in Providence, "Could you get a ride?"

"Someone will carry me," she responded.

I paused here. "Someone will carry me." My heart stopped. To her, that was a commonplace statement. To me, her words were packed with meaning. I found myself pausing to unravel the significance.

My contemplation spurred a thought: She was only sitting in this office, seeking help, because someone...or some force carried her. She was carried to our Immigration department's trusting hands by a hope-fueled vehicle, the most reliable transportation she has ever had in this country.