The impact these words have on my heart.
When my children were young, we would read together, We’re Going on A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and beautifully illustrated by Helen Rosenbury. It’s a classic, rhythmically poetic children’s tale of a family going through obstacles in order to catch a bear. I would read this book over and over until we knew the words of the repetitive stanza by heart:
“We’re going on a bear hunt.
We’re going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We’re not scared…”
Somehow when we are were all piled up on the couch like acorns under a tree speaking in unison what we were going to do, it wasn’t scary. Going through the many obstacles, believing we could catch a bear, and conquering our fears together. The journey was fun, exciting and full of wonder!
The problem usually stems from going through it alone, the uncertainty of what we are up against, and the outcome that may not be positive or perhaps taking longer than expected can be overwhelming to say the least.
My sister has a rare heart disease, and recently she called to share she had double lung pneumonia which makes having this twice as hard. She concluded she will just have to go through it. My heart sank, knowing the challenge this would present and the obstacles she would meet in order to get well. The miles that separated us as sisters made the reality for me even harder. She was good to reassure me that she had support from nearby friends, and neighbors that truly care and will step in to help her. She is not alone while going through it.
Wintertime has a way of transfixing our thoughts inward when, perhaps we need to change our thoughts direction. Being mindful that whatever our circumstance, whether it’s for young children’s desire to stay close with a book or a sister that needs tender loving care & encouragement while being sick – we may have to go through it but NOT alone.
At InStepp, we have a remarkable opportunity to journey life’s obstacles and going through them TOGETHER. You may feel lonely at times, but you are certainly NOT alone. Facing the unknown, and with uncertain outcomes can be scary but when done together, and with the support of others that have gone through a bear hunt or two, the way is less daunting and can even bring a new perspective amid hard places.
Gaining US Citizenship may be something you are facing. A desire to obtain citizenship in order to become a full-fledged American brings for many, obstacles! The current US Administration status on immigration laws; if they will remain the same or change is not clear. This can be additional stress and give way to overwhelming feelings.
Every day, people around the world make the difficult decision to leave their countries in search of safety and better lives. Some who are looking for jobs or an education-they are migrants– and people who want to live permanently in another country – called immigrants. And still others escaping war, persecution and political turbulence. These are refugees and asylum seekers. All these people groups are going through it and trying to gain some ground on how to become a legal US Citizen. It is a painstakingly long and arduous process that leaves us to question, how and even, why.
You are not alone. InStepp was recently awarded a 2-year grant called, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (FY 2018) Citizenship and Assimilation (USCIS) and is one of 36 non-profit organizations across 19 states that will enable them to provide citizenship instruction and naturalization application assistance to legal permanent residents (LPR’s).
Here are several major benefits when you enroll for the citizenship classes:
- The cost of classes through InStepp’s USCIS Grant is FREE!
- Naturalization services will be available for free or at a discounted rate of $50.00 to all students who complete the 10-week course. This is a savings of several hundreds of dollars.
- Classes are available at local libraries in Durham and Wake County
In addition to these benefits, during the class you will be provided instruction on the 100 Civic questions you are expected to know, practice & assistance on responding to questions on the N400 form, reading and writing dictation, and additional instruction on the civics and ESL tests that will help you gain a deeper understanding of reading, grammar and to be knowledgeable about US Civics.
If you, or someone you know that is qualified for taking this instruction to gain US Citizenship, please sign up for classes now. It is imperative to have this prior to getting your citizenship, it will save you money and you will not be alone in going through it! Please use this link for more information: https://www.instepp.org/citizenship-classes/