Accomplishments

So i got to volunteer at Catholic Community Services again and it was another awesome experience. The man that i worked with was very young. He was probably only eighteen or nineteen years old and is working hard to get his high school diploma here in Utah. For one of the activities the refugees were writing down some of the things that they had accomplished in their lives. This young man wrote down "I survived the civil war." I thought about that for a few minutes and I didn't say anything, but it had a huge impact on me. His brother who was also there said that all of the men in their family except for their father were killed in the civil war. I always thought that being an eagle scout was a good accomplishment, but after hearing their stories I realize that I have been through nothing in my life. Another man, this one from Africa, said that when he was a child his father was dragged outside and shot to death in front of the family. His mother then took all of her children and their grandmother on foot across the border so that they wouldn't also be shot. The courage that these people have is amazing. Being able to meet refugees and hear their stories has made this issue so much more personal and I am thankful for it.