April 24, 2024

Hi Four Lakes Welcome Corps fans! I’m quite sure there are a couple of you. So here is an update. Our sweet family of four is doing pretty well, though there have been a few bumps in the road. Through the month of March, the family was housed in an “Air BnB” corporate apartment while we got to know each other and talked about the future. The family turned out to have some connections, a sister in Virginia, and they briefly considering moving to Virginia. However after considerable thought, they decided to stay in Madison. Deep thanks to our local neighborhood translators, who spent many hours going back and forth. It is hard moving to a new country where you don’t speak the language. Really really hard. and dealing with multiple bureaucracies, well we all have that problem.

Nonetheless, the parents are now actively taking English classes at the Madison Literacy Network twice a week, and see to be making some headway on our maddening language. English is very not an easy language. We are working with the State of Wisoncsin to enroll them in “Wisconsin Works”, our state “welfare’ system. It seems to be designed to prevent anyone from getting benefits. The family was evaluated and it was decided they we not ready to work because of the language barrier. They were assigned to take classes and do self study 10 hours a week. The reporting requirements are extensive and the detailed forms must be submitted each week. Yet the benefits appear to be quite small, far less than their rent. Thus we are moving forward to searching for work for the father, and possibly the mother, though with two children, childcare will be a major expense.

Fortunately jobs in Madison seem abundant, with many options. But without a car or drivers license there are some issues. Wish us luck!

In this moment of just under two months of actual sponsorship, our situations quite real. We have some serious responsibilities. The are continuing. They are crucial to our family. we need to keep on keeping on.