Do you see the little girl peeking shyly from behind dark eyelashes and a black hijab?

“She’s not from around here,” the local men mutter from their rocking chairs.

The Texas heat and distinctive drawl are foreign to her. She didn’t grow up near the Stockyards. She’s never been to a Cowboys game or seen the Rangers hit a home run. She doesn’t remember the Alamo. 

 She was born in a different place. She was forced to leave her homeland due…

It started out like any Friday night should.  I was riding in a car with 3 guys reaping havoc and tearing up Ben's car with a banana and water (sorry Ben!).  We had just eaten out, and we were going to Food Lion to get snacks, and then to Ben and Mike's to reap further havoc.  While we were standing around trying to decide what drinks to get, Mike gets a phone call.  I heard him say, "Yeah, we will definitely be praying for the house..." or something to that effect.  None of us had any…

Monday, June 10, 2013 marked the 50 Year Anniversary of Bloody Monday; Bloody Monday is when a group of African Americans and a few Whites peacefully protested against segregation.  They were met with violent opposition, as they were beaten by police officers and sprayed with a fire-fighting hose.  60 people were arrested and nearly 50 were injured (…

For those of us who grew up in the middle of White Bread America, we may be asking exactly who the refugees are.

(I didn't really know either)

Where do they come from?

Why are they here?

(We hear this one a lot)

Why can’t they go back to their country?

I’m…

As you will soon find out, and as the people I am so blessed to be working with this summer are sure to be finding out, I am absolutely obsessed with the prayer of St. Francis (a piece of it is the title of this blog).  My obsession is so severe, I am highly considering getting the beginning of the prayer tattooed down the top of my right arm.

Pre-Danville

The reason I chose "pardoning" for the title is for various reasons.  See, I was robbed sometime between…

So it’s not all sunshine and kumbaya togetherness at the apartment complex.

Kids can be vicious toward each other. Bloody noses from stray balls abound. Kids are crying right and left. I find myself forced to be the mean ‘adult’ in this chaos, and that’s more than a little scary.

A time may come in your Student.go assignment when you find yourself huddled behind closed blinds, hiding from 20 some odd screaming refugee…