Neighbors

We live next to an Iraqi refguee family. Our whole house has has really enjoyed getting to know them. Last weekend the family invited us over for a traditional Iraqi meal. Seriously, it was probably the best meal we have had since coming to LaGrange. They made a couple types of chicken, about 3 different sauces, a HUGE plate of rice, homemade flat bread, plus much more. All 14 of us sat on the floor to enjoy our feast. I know there are many cultures that eat on the floor, but I had never actually experienced it on purpose. Ben, Holly, and I would sometimes eat hot wings and french fries on the floor but that was just so we could see the TV better! It was a really cool experience, especially because there were SO many of us. We had such a fun night. We didn't leave until around 11:30 and even then they were like,"Why are you going?"

That night we learned the coolest things about Mohammed, the 16 year old. Before moving to LaGrange, the family lived in Clarkston, GA which is right outside of Atlanta. Clarkston has become a refugee center for refugees from all over the world. There is a soccer team called The Fugees, which is made up of teenage refugee boys, in Clarkston. Not too long ago a reporter from the NY Times heard about this soccer team and after visiting, he moved to Clarkston to learn the story about this incredible team of boys. He wrote a book, Outcasts United, which tells the story about the boys, their soccer team, and their coach. Mohammed used to play on that team, in fact he is on the cover of the book! How cool is that! I already made it through half of the book, I just can't put it down. It is an incredibly powerful story.
Learn more about the Fugees at http://http//www.fugeesfamily.org/index.html.