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Show Page 10 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXX Issue VI November 1, 2023 Coming To America: Journeys of Modern-Day Immigrants By Johan Hattingh, with excerpts from stories in “Coming to America” Leaving your country for another is really a two-part decision. You must decide to emigrate from your country and to immigrate to a strange country with a different culture. That sounds self-evident, but each decision has its own challenges. Leaving my family and my country was going to be extremely hard. I was leaving everything I ever knew, for the unknown. The stories in this book demonstrate the difficulties this brings. Emigrating means leaving your whole life as you know it behind. Your whole support system is taken away in an instant. Family and extended family, the people who have known you forever and love you unconditionally, no matter how you live or what you do. Parents, siblings, cousins, friends, all of them an integral part of your life. Children lose the direct support of their grandparents. Their cousins, with whom they spent a lot of time and with whom they shared their dreams and secrets, are left behind. It brings deep sorrow and a great sense of loss. “The weekends with my grandparents were moments in my life that I cherish the most to this day, and I still get rather emotional when I reflect upon those beautiful memories.” Lara Lenhoff And the response from friends and family to this decision to emigrate varies a great deal. I was anxious to tell my father that we were going to America for three years, but his reaction surprised me. “Wonderful” he said, “and if you can stay there permanently, stay there.” Others have a difficult time accepting the loss of a loved one. “My eyes met Miemie’s and locked them in for a couple of seconds. The reproach, doubt, and sadness [was] evident in her eyes. Two days before we flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg to say goodbye to our families, Miemie called me and said that she had a very strong feeling that we were leaving forever. There was reproach in her voice as though she was accusing me of something dreadful. When I hugged and kissed her earlier, I whispered in her ears, “It’s only for three years.” She whispered back, “You are not coming back….” Drienie Hattingh “I discussed the idea of leaving with my wife, siblings, in-laws, and friends. Everyone said that I was making a big mistake. On a sheet of paper, I wrote down all the pros and cons of leaving, and I showed it to them. The pros of leaving far outweighed the pros of staying.” Adriaan Botha Close friends of ours, which we went on vacation with on a regular basis and visited regularly for “Canasta” nights, totally turned their backs on us and would not talk to us again after they heard of our decision. To them, we were traitors for leaving. The reasons for leaving vary greatly. For some, it’s a matter of leaving an oppressive system and the opportunity to live in freedom. “My father’s life was soon upended, the family restaurant summarily nationalized, the loss of their home and enforcement to live in a dirt-floored shack off the backyard of the once illustrious and famed restaurant. Leaving my father behind was more than just difficult, but freedom beckoned, both politically and on a personal level.” Katalin Kalmar Gibson Others leave because of safety reasons. “Weekly, and sometimes daily, someone we knew was affected by crime or unemployment. WhatsApp crime prevention groups were filled with gruesome events daily. Mountains were filled with white, wooden crosses; one cross was planted for every farmer that had been killed brutally. My own family was driven off their beloved family farm because of attacks and intrusions. Even with high electric fences and alarm systems, our home did not feel safe anymore and fear became our everyday friend. After the fourth time that my husband, children, and I were held up at gunpoint, robbed, and traumatized, we knew that it was time to start looking at a new way forward.” Lorna Greyling Some move because of greater opportunity. “It’s the chance to provide a better financial future and quality of life for yourself and your family. My decision was never made out of fear, it was based on financial stability.” Gail Bowers America is one big country, but it’s not a union, it’s a federation. It’s many different “countries” in one. The culture from state to state can vary greatly. And each state has its own laws and customs. Minnesota has a mainly Scandinavian heritage, Wisconsin mainly German, Louisiana French, and New Mexico has a huge Hispanic population. The first thing we realized when we arrived in America was that we were the only people without an accent. Everyone else had a strange way of talking. And as we traveled throughout America, we found that there were even stranger accents elsewhere. In New Orleans, a whole sentence is spoken in one long word, with no punctuation. “America! A shining city on a hill,” Ronald Reagan called it. My own perspective on America was built on a lot of reading when I was a teenager and a little older. About Abraham Lincoln. A man of few words but strong beliefs who failed so many times before he succeeded. And Benjamin Franklin, who devised a thirteen-week program with thirteen principles to improve himself. Not some highfalutin stuff. He chose Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility. He would concentrate on one principle a week and repeat it four times a year throughout his life. He did incredible things but worked on staying humble. But it does not mean that there aren’t any problems or challenges. Throughout history, people’s nature has not changed. There are good and bad in any community. Your own weaknesses and challenges do not change because you moved to a new country. You are still the same person. But the opportunity in America is unmatched anywhere. We tend to think that the way we do things is the “right way.” What other people do is strange and wrong. We’ve often heard overseas visitors say how “dumb” Americans are. We just smile and realize that it’s their own lack of perception that makes them say that. On arriving in America, we decided that we would not be “When we…” immigrants. “When we’s” are people who just can’t let go of the old country to the extent that it makes it almost impossible to adapt to the new environment. They constantly long for what used to be. “When we were back home, we would do this or that.” That does not mean that you should forget who you are or where you came from. That is and will always be an integral part of who you are. But you should be open-minded enough to accept a new culture, their habits, and traditions. We felt that if this country fully accepted us, which they did, we should fully support the country. But it’s still a huge adjustment. “My first two weeks in NYC were rough. Of course, nothing in comparison to what most refugees and immigrants have to go through, but my experience made me appreciate and understand the immigrant experience a lot more.” And “It is the time lost with the loved ones we leave behind in our home countries, and the joyful and sorrowful events that we miss out on, that hurts the most. Children growing up without their grandparents.” Danuta Lyzwa “When our plane landed in New York, I burst into tears, “What have we done?” We had to change our English from British English to American English. We had to learn how to pump gas into our cars and tip everyone that provided a service. I remember buying sausage and it was horrible!” Rachelle Swart “This application came with a whole new challenge because financially, something like this would cost thousands of dollars, which we just didn’t have. With no income, no means, no transportation, and living at the mercy of others, it was a humbling experience, and at times torturous. But God… miracle after miracle appeared as we continued in blind faith.” Lorna Greyling. Some people won a green card in a lottery. Some obtain green cards because of exceptional skills. Others come on work visas and end up staying. But obtaining the green card is a grueling process. For us, it took six years from the time we arrived and a lot of dollars. And then you have to wait another five years before you become a citizen. Overall, we are just thankful for the generosity and acceptance of the American people. Everyone is accepted for who they are. We were 37 years old when we came to America. We have now been in the USA for 37 years. It has been the right decision for us and provided the opportunities we wished for our children to prosper. And today we can say, “We are proud to be Americans.” SNOWCREST FIELD cont. from page 1 a great year playing on the new softball field!” New Skyhawk and new softball team member Jaylee Poulsen stated, “I was really scared to go to a new school, but the girls, coaches, and softball team just made it feel like I had been at the school for years. The coaches also did an amazing job at teaching us. I didn’t know that much about softball because I have never played, and now I feel like I have been playing forever, and I know everything [about the game].” The team had a successful fall season, making it into the playoffs—something that hasn’t happened for years, if ever! The playoffs were held at Walquist Jr. High on October 9. The entire Snowcrest student body attended the game to cheer on the Lady Skyhawks, who played well, but were eventually defeated by Walquist, who were playing on their home field. Congratulations Lady Skyhawks, and a big thank you to all who contributed to this great effort! this field of dreams happen: Cash Hancock, Keith Colvin, Casey Kap, Sage Strasburg, Kyle Jackson, and Tysen Butters. The 2023 Snowcrest Skyhawk softball team included Emma Moore, Kenly Shaw, Jaylee Poulsen, Brynn Montgomery, Shelby Wood, Presley Rodriguez, Remi Verhal, Elliotte Hurd, Summer Hallows, Emery Hayes, Leah Anderson Cain, Olivia Harris, Jade Kulpa, Luella Watts, Kate Watson, Scarlett Holker, Courtney Waddups, and Shia Christansen. Head coach was Jared Hayes, assisted by Blaine Burnett and Morlie Hayes. Snowcrest team pitcher Emery Hayes stated, “I loved the softball field this year. It meant a lot to me, and it meant a lot for the other girls, too. We are so thankful for all the donors who took their time and their effort to make our field. I feel like it gave all the girls and me more confidence that we weren’t going to get hurt. I had Shown above is a picture of Snowcrest’s softball team who thanked donors and volunteers October 5 at the dedication of the new 昀椀eld. Standing behind the team are donors and volunteers who make the new dream 昀椀eld a reality! Thanks to all. POSTAL INCREASE cont. from page 1 website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index. Please note that the United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to nearly 165 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service WEBER COUNTY cont. from page 1 maintenance, and can have high operating costs. With over 2,000 landfills across the U.S., a scalable and reliable solution is essential to eliminate methane emissions. The Weber County Economic Development office has partnered with leading methane abatement solution provider Qnergy to deploy the first system in Utah that will convert landfill gas emissions into electricity and heat. With a proven track record in the oil and gas industry, Qnergy’s PowerGen is a Free Piston Stirling Engine generator that converts methane from any source, including landfills, into utilitygrade electricity. The PowerGen is ideal for remote locations as it has no rotating parts and promises 100% methane destruction with minimal maintenance requirements. across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations. For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel and like us on Facebook. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps. com and facts.usps.com. Of the more than 55 landfills in Utah, Weber County has two that are closed, but that are still emitting methane. The partnership was formed as a pilot project for transforming otherwise vented methane into usable electricity. Located on the outskirts of Fort Buenaventura Park, the PowerGen will utilize landfill gas to bring electricity to the park while eliminating potent and harmful methane emissions. Russell says “The County is thrilled to work with Ogden-based Qnergy on this project. Our goal is to expand these efforts to the other landfills in the county and throughout the state.” “Qnergy is continuing to deploy generators in hard to abate distributed methane sectors, such as closed landfills,” says Zik. “The Weber County landfill project is a great opportunity to deploy the technology in the county in which we operate.” |