Last summer I took Rita swimming and she was terrified! I don't think she'd ever gone before. This summer she hopped right in and had a blast. However, Rebecca, Rita's sister had some struggles getting in the pool, she preferred the hot tub:). After some coaching, she seemed to do okay...each time they get more and more comfortable in the water!
We went to Temple Square to see the lights with my friend Heidi and her little sister Kadi! We even had some yummy hot chocolate! One thing that I remember about that night was Rita would become really quiet as we were walking and would tell everyone to shhh! We couldn't figure out why until, we heard the sound of the horse shoes tapping against the road...Rita loves that sound! There were a lot people going on carriage rides that night, touring Temple Square. 
This is Rita opening gifts from me...she loves to read and I of course love that she loves to read so I got her one of my favoirtes "If you give a Moose a Muffin!" 
Most of the Sayou family...
My roommate Niki came too!
Niki (my roommate) and I took Rita (my little sis) and Rebecca (Rita's real big sis) Trick or Treating! It was a blast. I dressed up as a world travelor, Niki, a baseball player, Rita, a hawaiian girl, and Rebecca was a witch!
Both girls got tons of candy and loved going from house to house!
Basically a refugee is someone who is forced to leave their country because it is not safe for them to stay there. Refugees have little/no choice of country or city of resettlement. To learn more about refugee's in our country, research the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program Act of 1980.
From what I know about the Sayou family, most of the children were raised in camps in a neighboring country to Liberia, Africa.
I've heard Rita and Ante (Rita's real big sister) talk about waiting for their names to appear on a list...I assume that list was a list of acceptance from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Ante has written a paper for school about her move here to America and I'd like to post that someday when I get it. I just think it's so interesting to learn about other people's experiences.
I feel so blessed to live in a country where I am am safe. I can't imagine going through what these "little wonders" as I like to call them, have gone through...
I had been thinking about volunteering somewhere but I didn't know where. Then I got an email about a new mentoring program at Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) and they needed mentors for refugee children from Africa.
A little about BBBS...
"The Big Brothers Big Sisters Mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth.
National research has shown that positive relationships between youth and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentors have a direct and measurable impact on children's lives. By participating in our youth mentoring programs, Little Brothers and Sisters are:
I decided that this would be a a great program to get invovled in and here I am...1 year later! I love being the "big sister" of Rita Sayou! I decided to make this little blog so that Rita and her family can see pictures from our outings and to make more people aware of this amazing program. I've learned so much about Rita's culture and have been able to watch her learn the everyday values and conventions here in the United States.
