Debbie's blog

From Debbie Shaver

Jim and I had the special opportunity of witnessing the reunion of Nadine and her family at the San Jose airport on September 4, 2009. Nadine was quite emotional as she waited for her family to arrive. Several times she wiped tears away from her face and said, “I am so happy.” I think we all had butterflies in our stomachs as we waited for the family to appear. Finally, we saw Reza from Catholic Charities escorting the family toward us. The oldest sister was the first to spot Nadine. Her face broke into a huge smile, and soon, Nadine collapsed into the embrace of her sister and mother. Nadine collapsed physically and emotionally, and suddenly I could sense the weight of the last two years of being a refugee in the U.S. and undergoing very serious medical procedures without her family. The rest of the family huddled around and didn’t quite seem to know what to do. Finally Nadine was able to hug her father and a few of her brothers.

Then the hugging stopped and the family looked around waiting for what was going to happen next. The moments that followed felt rather awkward to me. The family members were obviously extremely exhausted and overwhelmed. They followed Reza to the baggage claim area, but there was little talking or hugging. The oldest sister was the only one who seemed relaxed and able to talk with Nadine as we waited. The rest looked completely shell-shocked, especially the mother.

It was an intense experience for me to witness this emotional reunion. After being away for the weekend, it was so heartening to read the previous posts and learn that the initial shock had dissipated and that a sense of family had taken over.

I can’t even imagine the family’s emotions as they have traveled across continents and cultures to join their oldest daughter and start a new life in the U.S. I am overwhelmed as I think about how difficult the next few months will be for them, but I know that all of this has happened for a reason and that God has a good plan for them.

Debbie