Reflecting on his family’s time in the U.S.,
Bhattarai said, “It’s not easy because we have had to undergo a lot of things. Maybe our kids will do better. I’m hoping they will do better.” Bhattarai’s love for education continues to be a
passion, and although he isn’t exercising it at work, he is teaching through his leadership in the Global Garden. He doesn’t just tend his plot there, he spends time with fellow Bhutanese refugees, whom he considers family. Fluent in English, he helps other refugees
navigate the challenges of life in the U.S., whether it is the language barrier or cultural differences, using knowledge he gleaned from his relationship with Schnell and RefugeeOne. “I love helping people. When I’m there, if they
need someone to help, I will,” he said. “They say, ‘Oh, are you coming to the garden today?’ and when I get there, they come with a bunch of people. I sit there and help them.” For the Bhattarais and many others, the garden
is a special place, not only for growing food, but relationships. Passing on wisdom and sharing stories in the spirit of welcome that first embraced them, they have found authentic community there.
‘ When we started getting some help from outside,
that gave us some hope we could rebuild our lives
’ Bhattarai shows off his backyard garden.
The work of RefugeeOne (
refugeeone.org), a local partner of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (
lirs.org), was funded by ELCA World Hunger in 2008. To watch a video of the Bhattarai family at the garden, visit
LivingLutheran.org.
Erin Strybis is a content editor of Living Lutheran and a member of Resurrection Lutheran Church, Chicago.
the Lands of the Bible Experience
Journeys of Paul Cruise October 15-26, 2017
Guest Speaker: Karoline Lewis
Cruise on the RCI Jewel of the Seas to Rome, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus & more Cruise Code: PS17/J
Karoline Lewis Luther Seminary
Exclusive EO Excursions to Biblical Sites included at no extra charge
www.eo.travel/biblicalcruises 800-247-0017
36 SEPTEMBER 2016
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Lands of the Bible Cruise Oct. 22 - Nov. 4, 2017
Guest Speaker: Dr. Monte Luker
Cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette to Rome, Athens, Bethlehem, Jerusalem & more Cruise Code: PF17/C
Dr. Monte Luker Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
@eotours
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