Unexpected Blessings!
/“Pastor, you help me too much!” exclaimed Hope as he and his wife Olga saw the kitchen table and other home furnishings they were offered by a generous donor. For Hope and Olga Kakina, together with their two children, Latifa (7) and Daniel (4), recently arrived Congolese refugees from a camp in Zimbabwe, these unexpected donations were a God send! The donor, Mrs. Kathryn Lang, of Messiah Lutheran Church in Weldon Spring, also felt greatly blessed. “My husband and I were hoping to donate this furniture from my mother-in-law’s house to someone who really needed it. This could only be a God thing.”
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As Hope, along with CFNA volunteers, picked up the furniture and household items, happiness was clearly visible in Olga’s eyes. The beautiful kitchen table, sofa, cupboard, end tables, carpets, space heater, vacuum cleaner and more, were just what she needed to restart life anew in her new country. “Thank you to the nice church people who are helping us…we are not alone, now we have new friends in this country. Thank you so much,”
As Lutheran church members from Zimbabwe, Central Africa, the Kakinas walked several blocks to St. John’s Lutheran, Morganford, on a Sunday immediately after they arrived in St. Louis. Shortly thereafter, St. Johns’ pastor, Rev. Michael Tanney, reached out to CFNA for assistance on behalf of this recently arrived family. Within the next few days, Latifa and Daniel were enrolled in CFNA’s After School Tutoring program while Hope and Olga began attending ESL and Driver’s Ed classes. After getting to know this family, at least in a preliminary manner, Kathryn indicated that her congregation would likely be willing to provide additional assistance as well.
These multiple blessings perfectly illustrate CFNA’s ministry and role in urban St. Louis, which is to connect recently arrived refugee families with Lutheran congregations and their well-established families in the greater St. Louis area. CFNA offers its thanks and gratitude to the Langs, even as it offers its service, along with our Lord’s richest blessings to Hope, Olga, Latifa, and Daniel as they continue their resettlement journey in St. Louis.
Note: As refugees continue to arrive in St. Louis, CFNA remains committed to reaching out to as many as we can; at least 250 to 300 per year. If you feel inclined to support this ministry, you may do so HERE.
By Rev. Stanish Stanley, Executive Director, with
Rev. Al Buckman
