A Short Humbling Experience

I know I just blogged recently about my amazing week/weekend, but I have one more thing to add to my experiences here. This will be a short blog, but I thought I should tell you about it anyways...

In case you didn't know, I have joined a student organization/group here called Activists for Asylum. It's an organization that attempts to help refugees (currently specifically from Sudan) get asylum, or at least get into, Israel. I volunteered with this group to help type up and edit the interviews with refugees themselves. Tonight, our group got to sit down and have dinner (well, order in a couple pizzas) with 2 of the refugees, Gabriel and Malik. Having dinner with them, hearing their stories, and reading the stories of prior refugees has been one of the most humbling experiences I've ever gone through. They've watched their villages burned to the ground, their family shot before their eyes, and the struggles they go through just to reach the border is astounding. Especially considering how easy it was for me to just pop on over to this country and how easy it was for me to even STEP FOOT onto this land while for them it's one of the hardest things they will struggle through. Here's the website of the organization if you'd like to check it out. http://4asylum.org. We're in the process of editing the interviews for spelling mistakes and such, but please go read their stories.

I'd just like to say how grateful I am that I live the life I do, and am capable of having the experiences I have. It's great to live in a country so free and grow up in a wonderful, safe, loving environment. I'm truly humbled by what these Sudanese refugees have been through and I don't wish it upon anyone. So please keep in mind what a wonderful life we all have.

-Talia