On October 8th a young woman came to the
office doors of the church asking if she could pray in the sanctuary. Jane, the secretary, showed
her the way. When she left she asked for a Bible. Upon that request, the pastor's interest was peaked. Who was asking for a Bible? Sandy Khabbazeh was.
Sandy is a 26 year old Syrian citizen from Aleppo where her
parents and older brother remain. With the ongoing war and increasing violence
by ISIS, Sandy’s parents knew that as Christians they were a prime target. War
had depleted their savings. With their only possession of value remaining, her
parent’s sold the family car. They had enough to send one of their children to
the United States. The decision was to send their daughter, Sandy.
Sandy is here on a student visa having been accepted into
the Rutgers’ Program for American Language Studies (PALS) in Newark. She was
sponsored by her uncle who lives in Wayne. The support promised her never
materialized, and the relationship with the uncle became strained. This raised
serious concerns for Sandy. On October 21st payment for her PALS was
due. If payment was not made, Sandy would then not be considered a student.
Rutgers is required by law to report to Homeland Security any student changes.
Therefore she would be considered an illegal and be deported back to Syria.
Sandy shared her story with the consistory of Ponds Reformed Church (as she had done with
the youth group and interested members in October). There were unspent monies
in the Foundation Benevolence budget for 2014. Consistory approved using funds
to pay for her fall session in order to maintain her student status. A church
family opened their home and Sandy lived there from mid-October to the end of the year. Another church
family designated the monies given in memory of their mother to pay for any
expenses incurred by Sandy (textbooks, travel to/from school). Other members
helped in a variety of ways with clothing donations, rides, invitations to
their home and assistance when needs arose.
While this situation is challenging, it is not new. The church has a history of inclusion sponsoring a refugee family in the 1970s. Above all scripture has directed the response of the church as the words of Jesus from Matthew 25:35 have echoed in the many discussions. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Scripture is replete with instructions to welcome the foreigner and the alien, and Jesus redefines the meaning of neighbor when he includes a Samaritan in his parable told to a Jewish audience. In December the consistory approved Ponds Reformed Church being Sandy’s sponsor and ongoing support. Meanwhile, Sandy has become part of this body of Christ. Her presence has challenged the church to broaden its imagination as to who is our neighbor.
Since the beginning of 2015, Sandy moved in to live with the Busker family. She has continued to attend classes in the PALS at Rutgers in Newark. Although a student visa does not allow Sandy to hold a regular job, she can work on campus. Rutgers has employed her to work in their computer lab.
Due to the civil war, the United States government designated Syrian citizens as eligible for Temporary Protected Status if they are already in the United Status legally. Sandy has applied and at the beginning of June received authorization to work. Sandy holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Aleppo University and is looking for a job in that field. With a job she would be able to assist her brother and parents who remain in Syria.
On Saturday, June 20 Sandy was hired at Subway in Oakland. This is only a temporary job to provide Sandy some spending money while she is searching for a civil engineering job. It also provides Sandy an opportunity to work in a public setting, work on her English and develop her understanding of American culture.
Monday, June 22 Sandy completes her spring session in the PALS program. She is off for the next two months during which time she will need to better understand her immigration status with temporary protection.
