The Many Faces of Nathan

Refugees, the Poor & Kelly

It's really humbling you know when you see that something you said, or prayed, or hoped for is sprouting flesh and bones and becoming real.  Lisa and I have been experiencing that in small, yet exciting ways.  

Kelly and her husband Chad are a couple that have become a fast friends of the Watson's upon our relocation to Memphis and joining Living Hope.  Kelly and Lisa have been spending a good deal of time together, hanging out, shopping, talking, studying the Bible, drinking margaritas...or whatever it is that 30-something married women do.

Lisa's been telling stories about us living in Fresno, serving with folks in Nigeria learning our way around Memphis.  And Kelly has been introducing Lisa to other young women.  Young professional women Memphians.  Its been fun.

Recently, Kelly begun volunteering with a group that assists in the resettlement of refugees in Memphis.  And this experience has greatly impacted Kelly.  So much so that in just a month, she's continued to volunteer, mobilize groups of others to do the same, raised money and even had a spot on our local news station about the situation of refugee families in Memphis.  

The first spark was Kelly serving among refugees in Memphis (not far from where Lisa and I live).  The second spark was an email which she read during one of the services at Living Hope.  This story is still unfolding.  And continues to amaze us.  Kelly has given me permission to share her email which is below.  The 'friend' she mentions is, of course, Ms. Lisa Watson.

Subject: Dirty little feet 
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:50:38 +0000 

For those of you who know how much I love my sleep and being that I don't have any children and I can still sleep, I woke up at 4:30 not able to go back to sleep.  The dirty little feet and piercing little eyes that I saw yesterday are sitting right on the top of my heart.  Yesterday, I had the OPPORTUNITY to meet a friend off of Poplar to tutor some children.  My intentions to "go and help someone in need" were at best terrible!  When I got there of course they needed help with the babies.  In my mind my eyes were rolling...me go and help the babies -- me the one who is struggling to have a baby go and help with the babies?  Not to mention where they keep the babies; in a 500 square foot room, at best, in which the air conditioning does not function properly, so it was 78 degrees in there, at best, and there were close to 20 of these little babies in that hot and small room.  But they didn't seem to care...most of them in winter-looking clothes, shoes that were too big, too small, too old, fingernails and toenails caked with dirt, some of them with no undies on at all, none of them able to understand the English that I spoke, begging for me to hold them and hug them, to throw the ball again or tickle them, and all of them crying out for another cup of Cheez-Its.  I was not in Africa, Somalia, or Afganistan yesterday...I was witnessing these things, these different cultures right off of Poplar.  Off of Poplar where I buy my name brand purses and shoes, off of Poplar where my large, air-conditioned, house with an alarm system sits, off of Poplar where I buy all the groceries that I need,  off of Poplar where I spend most of MY time, off of Poplar where I get my pedicures, off of Poplar where my church meets and I sign my checks to help someone in need. 

 

A friend told me a few weeks ago that I needed the poor.  HA!  Me need the poor?  I have an education, I work hard, I vote, I pay my taxes, I tithe, I help missionaries, I give to organizations, I pray for them, I sign up to clean their neighborhoods once a year....I don't need the poor; they need me!  Well my friend, you were right.  I do need the poor.  I need them for perspective, to remind me to find the joy in the midst of hardship, to not always be wanting for the next thing but to be thankful for all that I have, to remind me to think of others instead of always thinking of myself, to remind me that just because someone is different doesn't mean they are bad or undeserving of love, to remind me that just because I have an education doesn't mean that I am smart, to remind me that a little bit of dirt doesn't make someone dirty,  to remind me that hoarding MY time is a waste of time, to remind me that my money isn't really my money anyway and that my money can't buy my happiness and my contentment.  So from this girl who lives off of Poplar to my friends, who live off of Poplar too....I pray that you will take the time to find out for yourselves if you need the poor!

 

p.s. To my skeptical friends (been there) who think that all poor people in Memphis sit on their butts all day, living on welfare, sucking from our hard earned tax dollars, jumping at the chance to have some folks from the suburbs take their kids off of their hands for a bit:  while I was keeping these babies, their mamas (most of them single parents and all of them refugees) were working on their English, learning trade skills to get a job, asking for help to get their GED's!  But does that extra information really matter?  Could love..real love.. not change all of us, no matter our situation?

One last look at Mission Faith Alive

For those that some how missed it, Lisa, Nathan and I used to live in Nigeria for a while.  While we were there, we had a website that chronicled our lives there.  Well the life span of that website is coming to a fast close.  i think it only has a couple of weeks left before the host company takes it down.  Lisa and I have opted not to pay the $100 to keep it going.  

So, if you haven't seen it or what to take one last look, stop by before it goes away.  www.missionfaithalive.org

Fun pics, good stories and lots of memories.

Too Young for Beale?

As a Christmas present last year, my good friend and Alaska resident Brian 'Rozey' Rozell gave me a years subscription to Alaska Magazine. A fantastic gift and a peek into the wild west that is Alaska living. A recent article was written by some young parents, probably not unlike Lisa and I. This couple was an adventurous sort, living an outdoors life in the wilds of Yukon Territory. When their little one was born, they scoffed at those that told them their lives would not be as adventurous as before. They were determined to have their little one participate in as many outdoor adventures as they could muster. The article culminated in the author reflecting on a cross-country ski trip wherein she was pulling a sled with baby inside across the snow covered countryside...at something like 10 degrees below. And all the while she's wondering, "what am i doing?!".

I had one of those moments last night.

It was a Saturday evening. My mom and my cousin Tory are in town to meet the newest Watson and provide 'back up' to me and Lisa. After a great dinner at the Flying Fish in downtown Memphis, we hopped a trolley for a ride around our fair city and along the river. Lisa and I, Momma Bear, Tory, Nate-Dog, the young Prophet Eli and about 15 bikers from Effingham, IL. all packed into a trolley. And all 15 bikers wanting to peek at Baby Elias. And although it wasn't 10 below, it was about 90 above.

We hop off the trolley at Beale St. just to feel, again what its like to walk (and push a stroller) with your feet 10 feet off. And this is when it hit me...what am i doing? I'm pushing a stroller down Beale Street on a Saturday night. I'm surrounded by hundreds of bar hoppers holding 32 oz. plastic beer troughs with the words, "Big Ass Beer" emblazoned on the side. Now, I'm the first to believe that it's never too early to get your kiddo exposed to some good Blues music, but...maybe I've overshot this one.

And then, through the crowd, walking around folks like he's strolling comfortably through his own neighborhood, I spy Nathan, leading his mom, cousin and 'Grammie D' through the crowds on Beale. I'm not sure if to be proud or terrified. or both.

Welcome Home Baby Elias

We made it home a couple of weeks ago and the transition home has gone well. Baby & momma are both doing fine and nathan has made the transition like a champ.

We've had several hands around to help us with the newest addition. Felicia Graham and her daughters Julese & Brianna were here for a while, then lisa's mom Jeanne joined us. My mom, Dyonne and my cousin Tory arrived yesterday. It's been great having our family and friends around to celebrate this homecoming.