This photo  had special meaning for me because it showed Ali and another teacher at RISSE (I did not get his name) with their students, and the love of the students for one another, and for their teachers, and the love of their teachers all shines through in this photo. Some of the kids are on Ali’s soccer team, and he teaches in the day care center as well. The spirit of the children was infectious, they loved to ham for the camera, and I loved to see them doing it.

Ali is very proud of them, he invited me to come to a soccer game.  I think I’ll do that.

It is my goal to make RISSE and the people there are part of the Bedlam Farm story. They are planning to visit the farm, and I am planning to visit them regularly, to try to tell their story, to show that refugees and immigrants are people, just like the rest of us.  I hope to help them and support them. They need help and deserve support.

We are an immigrant nation, the immigrant experience has made us strong and free.

It is worth fighting for, and I hope do my part in a positive way to fight for it, not to argue about it.  They are part of my life now, and I will share the experience. Stay tuned and thanks.