A Good Neighbor Team Love Story
By Carol Hallenbeck
On May 9 at 11:30 pm, a flight with a family of eight Syrian refugees landed at the Rochester airport. Edgewood’s World Relief Good Neighbor Team met them there with smiles, welcome signs, flowers and a stuffed animal to comfort the youngest, an adorable 9-yr-old visually disabled boy.
Our awesome team, Beth Carini, Sandy Hill, Robert Hill, Sally Kamprath, Pastor Daria, Steve Hallenbeck, Jann Avery, Judy Snell, Helen Bunei, and me, have gotten to know and love the Alhajji Ibrahim family over the past six months.
World Relief’s Good Neighbor Teams
are mostly church-formed teams that agree to walk alongside a new refugee family for six months, helping them find community and resources, driving them to appointments, interpreting their important mail, and just generally being good neighbors, friendly faces, and the hands and feet of Jesus in their strange new city.
In late April, World Relief told our newly-formed and trained GNT that they had a possible match for us. A Muslim family of eight from Syria was due to arrive in two weeks. They didn’t speak English and two of the children had serious special needs. World Relief thought our GNT would be an ideal match for them. Our team was like deer in headlights! Judy Snell reassured us with her wisdom: “This family has been taking care of these children their whole lives. We might not know how to care for their special needs, but they do and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, we can love this family and make sure they have what they need.” We took a couple of days to pray and consider what was being asked of us, and when the decision deadline arrived, it was unanimous. We had each decided to join this GNT because we knew it was what God wanted us to do. We now clung to his promise that when we walk in God’s will, he will “equip you with all you need for doing his will.” (Hebrews 13:21)
Every evening until the family arrived, our GNT met virtually to pray—for this new family to arrive safely and in good health, that all the important logistics would fall into place in time for their arrival, for us to know what to say and do to assist them in their acclimation to our city, and especially for the Lord to help this precious family recognize His love and feel valued through our friendship.
The family was so happy to see our welcoming team at the airport on May 9! They had endured a long, sleepless trip from Jordan. We loaded their bags into our cars and drove them to their new home. Their World Relief case manager and I introduced ourselves through an interpreter and got them situated for their first night. I was relieved to discover that the 19-year-old son, Ahmad, spoke English quite well, knowing how much easier this would make our efforts to communicate and develop a relationship. I smiled all the way home that late night. I was already bursting with God’s love for this family and couldn’t wait to see them again.
A couple of days later, after the family had a chance to catch their breath, settle in and rest from their long trip, several of us visited them to begin to acquaint them with our Good Neighbor Team and check on any immediate concerns. The family was grateful and welcomed our friendship without reservation.
Early the next week, Beth and I took the family to the Center for Refugee Health for immunizations, lab tests, and physical exams. We got to know them better during this lengthy appointment. They showed us pictures of the arid Jordanian refugee camp where they had lived for eight years. It was a huge grid of metal, one-room stand-alone barracks, one family in each, with three families sharing a latrine. There was no running water, no electricity, it was unbearably hot in the summer and unbearably cold in the winter.
The Family
Mohamad is the father. He is a kind man of faith who cares deeply for his family. He was a commercial driver in Syria. Because of his out-going, affable nature, he sometimes gets frustrated with his fledgling English skills. He and his family always greet me with a huge smile and a “Hello, Carol!”.
Joza is the mother. She is kind and bright, but quieter and more reserved than her husband. She feels most at ease taking care of their home and their two disabled sons. Her family adores and respects her.
Musa is their severely disabled 21-year-old son. His condition has improved significantly since they have arrived, but his medical team continues to work to determine what medications are needed to stabilize his complex disorders.
Ahmad is a very bright, mature, resourceful 19-year-old. His leadership skills combined with his English language skills have benefited the family as he has served as a valuable liaison for his parents at various medical and social services appointments. From the first week, he expressed his eagerness to get the family enrolled in school. He recognizes the need for all of them to be English-proficient to succeed in their new country.
Abdul Rahman is a sweet 17-year-old soccer player. His English has improved so much that we haven’t had to use Google Translate since early summer. Our team got to know Abdul as we took turns driving him to daily practices and games throughout the soccer season.
Ali turned 15 in July. He is considerate, thoughtful, and fun to hang out with. He has a lot of Arabic-speaking friends in his class, which requires more intentional English language learning.
Shahd turned 13 in September. She is very bright with a 98% average in school. She is quiet, but a great interpreter for me when I’m communicating with her parents. She is very sweet and joyful.
Mahmoud, at 9, is the baby of the family. He is very bright despite being denied schooling in Jordan due to his disability. He doesn’t let his lack of vision limit his curiosity and ambitions. When I visit at their house, Mahmoud is almost always in the room, soaking up conversations and constantly learning. Even though he got a late start at school, he proudly exercises his English language skills to translate for me.
On their fourth day in Rochester, as we were driving a few blocks from their neighborhood, Ahmad said, “We were here yesterday!” I asked him “Why?!” He said, “We got on a bus!” I was amazed. “What?! Why? Where did you go? How did you not get lost?” Our GNT had been trying to figure out how to teach them to use the RTS when none of us had ever used it ourselves, but they taught themselves within their first few days of being here. Ahmad said they went to visit some friends. “What?! How have you made friends already?” Apparently, they had been out walking and heard people speaking in Arabic. Instantly they were connected. They already had begun to find community. It was just as we had learned through our training: refugees are capable and resourceful.
On May 19, we hosted a picnic for the family at Edgewood. Joza stayed home with Musa, since he gets agitated outside their home.
We offered to take them on other outings to get to know their new city. They were enthusiastic about going to the beach, so we took them to Charlotte. They were in awe of “the sea”. They had never been to a beach before. We explained that this was one of the Great Lakes, with Canada across on the opposite shore.
The following week, Beth and I took the family to the zoo. Ahmad stayed home with Musa so Joza could join us on this outing.
In early June, Musa’s condition became extremely volatile. His WR case manager took him to the ED at Strong where he was monitored and evaluated for three days. A few of us took turns providing rides and waiting with the family in this busy, chaotic hospital where the hours passed without answers.
Around this time, the Rochester City School District met with the family, Beth and me. The district enrolled the four middle kids in the Rochester International Academy (RIA). This is a wonderful school for immigrants of all nationalities because English language skills are given special attention. The family hoped they would be able to start attending classes before the end of the semester, but they arrived too late in the school year. Sandy was a rock star, advocating tenaciously with the principal and district to get them started in summer school at RIA. The kids were ecstatic, quickly making new friends and greatly improving their English skills.
Throughout the month of June, Abdul Rahman had been persistently asking me if he would be able to play soccer. He was concerned that RIA didn’t have a soccer team, so I started looking for summer soccer playing opportunities. Online research eventually connected me to a soccer coach and teacher who offered to train Abdul Rahman for free, twice a week at Buckland Park. He gave Abdul a soccer ball and shin guards to keep and practice with at home, and trained him until school soccer practice started up.
Early in July, Mohamad and Ahmad went to the DMV and applied for learner’s permits, passing their tests on their first try. Later in the summer, they passed their road tests on their first try as well. By late September, they were driving a car financed by an Arabic friend, greatly increasing their independence.
Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, and Ali were excited to go with us to the last home Flower City Union (pre-professional) soccer match of the season. They were amazed at the “beautiful” stadium, but we had to explain to them why the stands were empty: all the Rochester sports fans were down the road watching the Red Wings!
Later in July, we hosted a picnic at Genesee Valley Park to celebrate Ali’s and Mohamad’s birthdays. Celebrating birthdays was a new experience for them. They were accustomed to only celebrating the Muslim Eid holidays. We transported the family and their bikes to the park so we could ride bikes together and swim in the pool. It was a beautiful, hot day, and we all had a wonderful time.
Beth and Helen got assistance for Mahmoud through the Commission for the Blind. Helen introduced Mahmoud to a summer camp for the visually impaired. They also took Mahmoud to be evaluated by an ophthalmologist and surgeon, who sadly did not find Mahmoud to be a candidate for retina transplant surgery. Helen arranged for the Commission for the Blind to visit Mahmoud at home and fit him for a walking cane. Edgewood’s Moira Rennoldson is a RCSD teacher for the visually impaired and also a case worker for the Commission for the Blind, teaching Mahmoud at school and training him at home once per week.
In early August, the World Relief case manager completed her three-month assignment with the family. She stressed that they would remain friends, but that her responsibility to enroll them with DHS, health insurance, healthcare, and education had been fulfilled. The family had been anticipating this day with apprehension. Despite our reassurances that our GNT was committed to them for six months, they feared they were going to be entirely abandoned to navigate our foreign systems on their own.
Meanwhile, tenacious Sandy tracked down the soccer coach in charge of the combined RCSD soccer team that included RIA students. Coach Paufler is a wonderful, gracious man who took Abdul Rahman under his wing and made sure he felt welcome and included as a senior on his established team, starting “AR” in every game. Abdul Rahman was stunned by the attention on senior night, including the larger-than-life-sized picture of himself affixed to the fence surrounding the field.
In September, I sat with the family during their qualifying interviews with MVP for in-home healthcare for Musa. MVP now pays Joza and Ahmad through a local healthcare agency to take care of Musa. Sally and I assisted Ahmad and Joza with the lengthy online application and training process at the agency. Sally had this to share about the experience: “I loved helping with the paperwork for Joza and Ahmad to get their caregiver pay. When I think of their situation just a few months ago and all the changes in their lives for the better, it is so touching. Once we finished helping Joza with her tests, the agency’s staff cheered for her! Got to love it!”
Mohamad has been attending OACES, the RCSD’s training center for adult and career education services. Hundreds of immigrants receive valuable ESL classes and job training through this program. Joza has been unable to attend classes due to Musa’s dependence on her care. We are all hopeful that she will be able to enroll and begin learning someday soon.
Throughout our six months together, the family has had various doctor’s appointments, for which our team has provided transportation. Their family doctor loves their wonderful family, and goes out of her way to help them, spending (much!) longer than typical appointment time answering their questions and concerns.
On November 16, we celebrated the family’s first six months in the US with a Friendsgiving dinner at Edgewood.
Some of our own family members were able to come to this feast of thankfulness and meet the Alhajji Ibrahims. Joza remained at home with Musa and Abdul Rahman, but contributed several delicious Syrian dishes to accompany our GNT’s traditional Thanksgiving spread. While we celebrated how far the family had progressed, this event also marked the conclusion of our six-month GNT commitment.
“It was a great experience,” Steve said of his participation on our GNT. “I didn't expect to build much of a relationship with the family given what we heard from another church’s GNT, but the Alhajji Ibrahim family are truly my friends. I was intimidated going into it - fearing that I wouldn't know what to do and would let them down. I learned that Google Translate is a powerful tool, and if you don't know enough about something, there are resources available. I would recommend this experience to anyone who has a desire to serve.”
Leading this Good Neighbor Team and getting to love the Alhajji Ibrahim family was a rich, life-affirming, life-transforming experience for me. When I think back to the concern I had when World Relief first told us about this “possible match,” I realize the Lord did more than answer our prayers to equip us to serve this family, he equipped us to love them like our own family, from the moment we met. Our GNT commitment has ended, but my love will endure. The Alhajji Ibrahim family will remain in my heart always.
And now a note from Mohamad:
🌺Hello to all of you, The Good Neighbor Team at Edgewood Church, Respected Mrs. Carol and her husband Steve, Sally, Robert, Sandy, Beth, her husband Steve, Daria, Helen, Jann and Judy.
I extend my sincere thanks to all of you, your wonderful church, and all of your staff for Your wonderful attention that you have shown to me and my family since we came to the United States of America, New York, Rochester, 6 months ago, and you welcomed us.
At the time, when we arrived, we were tired from the hassle of traveling and from the life we had lived in Azraq camp in Jordan for 8 years. It was very trying and we had no rights in the camp. When we met you and your wonderful reception of us, we forgot all the troubles that we had experienced in the past.
You did for us a lot in six months. We have not forgotten your efforts made with us. You have given a lot to my family, including enrolling us in education and schools, appointments with doctors, transporting us to hospitals, and taking us to the lake, to the park, to the swimming pool, and inviting us for meals. You provided us with many humanitarian services, good treatment, and beautiful manners. You were very wonderful with us and came to us at the right time. I thank you all for this humanitarian work. None of you was ever unable to do something we needed.
And now it is the turn of the loyal friend whom I cannot describe. She is Carol. She worked a lot with us, and I cannot express my gratitude to her for what she did. She was the alternative homeland when we left our homelands, and she was the mother and the sister and the brother and the daughter when I left my mother, my sister, my brother and my daughter. She stayed up with us nights with my son Musa in the hospital and helped me by applying for SSI for my disabled children, home healthcare income for my son and my wife, arranging appointments with doctors, helping my son Abdul Rahman in football training and playing with the team. She stood by us in our difficult times that we went through. Our situation is different from other families. My son Musa is missing sight, speech, walking, and mind. Whenever his condition becomes difficult, Carol comes. She behaves, communicates, and brings the necessary medication. She encouraged me and my son, Ahmed, and we obtained a driver’s license. She encouraged us and reassured us in all matters. She created a bank account for my wife, registered her in school, and took her to the hospitals when she became ill. Thank you, Carol.
Thank you, all my friends. Thank you, Edgewood Church, for your humanitarian work. We wish you a life full of joy and happiness for all. Thank you. For this wonderful and beautiful country, the United States of America, which hosted us, thank you for the hospitality.
-- The family of Mohamad Alhajji Ibrahim
Our GNT is ready to serve another family. Who’s in?
Questions about our experience? Interested in joining our team? Want to help World Relief’s ministry to refugees, but aren’t ready yet to commit to a GNT?
Contact any of our team members and we will gladly answer your questions and help you get started with the WR volunteer screening and training process.