“Sometimes that’s just friendship!” This Good Neighbor Team finds ways to connect, even when words fail. 

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Rachael was late, but luckily the refugee family she was meeting for the first time had not yet arrived. Inside the meeting room, her fellow Good Neighbor Team members from Faith Bible Church awaited their arrival. Anticipation hung heavy in the air as they prepared to welcome the Sudanese family to their new life in Spokane. 

“It was the first time we met Robina and the kids,” said Rachael. 

Finally, the door opened, and the case manager ushered in a cheery woman and her five children. This was Robina. She immediately engaged with her family’s Good Neighbor Team. 

“Robina wanted to express that the importance of her family was our family, and sort of adopting the kids. It felt like a large gap between two cultures, but one thing I appreciated about Robina is she was so open.” 

Mike Hudspeth, Volunteer

It was a short meeting, but already the volunteers began to form a bond with the family. One of the youngest – Ronald – spent nearly the entire time on Rachael’s lap. 

“Ronald was so cute that I was like, ‘I wish I could just take him home,’” said Rachael with a laugh. As an alternative, Rachael and Mike took the family to the park a few days later. 

“They really wanted to play with the kids,” said Mike. He was a little nervous and wondered if the kids at the park would accept their refugee playmates. They shared a love for bikes… would that be enough? 

But his fears were negated as soon as the boys began to play. “It was fun to watch. A couple of them played ball, a couple of them rode the bikes.” 

As The Good Neighbor Team spent time with the family, they began to get to know Robina and her faith. 

Robina and her husband left South Sudan, a country devastated by war and economic strife. For seven years, they lived in a refugee camp in Uganda. All five of her children were born there. Her husband died there. 

Everything started to look brighter when the United States government invited her family to start a new life in Spokane. The journey from the camp to Spokane was a flurry of activity. She said goodbye to her brothers and sisters in the camp, departed on the plane… and soon was welcomed by their case manager in Spokane. 

The morning after their arrival, she woke up in a new city, a new country, a new life.  Suddenly, she needed to get her children enrolled in school, attend medical appointments and navigate an entirely new world. 

Luckily, she wasn’t alone. With support and assistance from her Good Neighbor Team, Robina successfully found an apartment, enrolled her children in school, and attended medical appointments. In the process, a genuine friendship blossomed between Robina and the kids, and their support team. 

“Developing friendship across culture and language can be really difficult at times… but it is a great challenge with a lot of rewards,” said Stacy, a member of the Good Neighbor Team. She laughed about all the funny moments that came with developing a friendship that was not connected by language and offered a multitude of opportunities for cultural learning. 

“Robina was trying to explain something – some mattress we got on the topic – we were all laughing,” said Mike recalling a specific memory. Even though they didn’t always understand what the other was saying, they found ways to connect even when words failed. “And so sometimes that’s just friendship.” 

Robina’s faith is a cornerstone of her life, that has provided comfort and strength throughout her journey.  Helping Robina connect with a faith community was something her Good Neighbor Team was well prepared to do.  They accompanied her to church, introduced her to people, and helped the kids get connected with other kids and fun activities.  

“Every day, every day, every day. I’m going to church. Now, church is good for helping me for this,” said Robina, clasping her hands as if she’s in prayer. “I bring the bible and pray – and I’m good.” 

She even taught her children how to pray.  They seemed to enjoy praying.  One day, Robina even found the boys sleeping with their heads on the Bible. 

“Moses, Robert,” said Robina with a smile. “Why?” 

It was obvious to Robina that they had a love for the word of God. Mike often found himself reading stories to the kids from a children’s bible, at their request. 

I can tell she’s… teaching them well,” said Stacy after helping Robina check up on their progress in school. “It’s a blessing to see God really at work.” 

One day, a miracle occurred: Robina would be reunited with her sister-in-law. 

Knowing that she needed to be there to welcome her sister-in-law to Spokane, Robina asked her new friends to help her get to the airport. Stacy was available, so she escorted Robina and some of the children to the terminal. 

As the newly arrived family stepped off the plane, Robina rushed to welcome her sister-in-law. They hugged and laughed. Stacy greeted the women as Ronald tugged at her hand in typical childlike fashion. For a moment the whole world was centered around the reunion of these two sisters. 

Later, Robina said that “God has brought Selena to me.” 

Now more than ever, the support of Good Neighbor Teams is crucial. By connecting with refugee families, offering friendship, and providing practical assistance, we can help them rebuild their lives in our community… not to just survive, but thrive. 

Contact our volunteer team at VolunteerSpokane@wr.org  to learn how you can form a Good Neighbor Team. 

About the Author

Keri Bambock is the Communications Coordinator at World Relief Spokane. Her hobbies include sketching and painting. She likes riding her bike to the office and always gets the best parking spot.