By Thaw Bwe
Motlow Buzz Reporter
SMYRNA, Tenn. -- There are 50 families
of Karen ethnicity starting new lives in Smyrna at 111 Joyner Drive, after fleeing
their homeland from Burma and crossing the border of Thailand to become refugees.
The 50 Karen refugee families who
started new lives in Smyrna are having a difficult struggle because of
language, new culture, laws and jobs. They are thankful to have a Community
Center located in their area represented by Teresa Johnson, who is a leader of
Community Connections at Chalet Apartments, which started in November 2011.
According to Johnson, Community Connections
serves all ages, helping students with homework every afternoon. Tutors offer
ESL, sewing and Bible study, and they have Karen family meetings to give
parents important information about education, laws regarding children, DUI's, and
drug and alcohol abuse. Johnson’s hope and prayer is that Karen people will not
be in need of help from Community Connections in five years because Karen
teenagers will have enough information and language to care for their parents.
This may be true as Karen children pick up English quicker than adults and
usually have the responsibility to translate for their parents.
The Karen people live
in Burma. After World War II, when the Burmese gained independence from the British,
the dictatorship of Burma attacked other ethnic groups in its country,
including the Karen people, because it wanted more land. It practiced genocide
to gain land. Many Karen families lost their homeland, and some were tortured,
killed and raped by the dictatorship’s soldiers who gained control from their
leader with drugs. Some Karen people crossed the border of Thailand and became
refugees. Many are still there today. In 2007, many of them immigrated to other
countries, including Australia, England, Canada and America, according to a Karen
girl, Shee Ku.
A few Karen teenagers who go to Motlow
Community College in Smyrna may be the people who can inspire or be emulated by
their young fellow Karen. Shee Ku is the first Karen girl who attended Motlow College.
She thought it might be easier for her with less people and a smaller school. According
to Ku, college is difficult because English is her second language, but she has
the self-confidence to succeed.
“I will encourage my young Karen
students to study hard, never give up, and that everything will be easier for
them,” Ku said.
Johnson explained that she serves the
Karen people because of her “love for God the Father and Jesus.” Johnson noted that
even though she was born in this land of great opportunity and has never known
poverty or oppression of any kind, the “Lord tells us to serve the least of
these.” These ethnic Karen have lost their land and possibly a lot of their
history. They have chosen a difficult path so their children will have better
lives. They are hardworking, kind and gracious people. She feels privileged to
serve them.
“According to Matthew, ‘The King will
reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
of mine, you did for me.’” Johnson said. “'Give a man a fish, and he eats for a
day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.'”
For more information about Karen families or
how you can volunteer, call (615) 973-0966 or visit http://www.communityservants.org/index.php?p=1_26_Community-Connections .
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