Immigrants’ lesson: “the joy of living safely in God’s hands”

By Kristin McAtee

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13

“Everyone is an immigrant,” Abigail Thant insists. “We all come from somewhere, at some time.” 

Abigail’s voice rings with joy as she laughs. We hear her laughter in the CBF Oklahoma, where she serves as an intern while working on a college degree. 

Abigail Thant’s parents, Naw Lar Ka Paw (left) and Aye Thant

Abigail lives the dream of her parents—to raise a family in a place where she is free from oppression. She also lives her own American dream—granted to those who understand the advantages of safety, education and opportunity. Most importantly, Abigail radiates joy because she understands all these blessings are gifts of God.

Abigail and her family immigrated to the United States a little more than seven years ago. They had been refugees in Malaysia, among the flood of immigrants fleeing Burma (also known as Myanmar) across the previous decade. 

Abigail remembers the tight-knit refugee community in Kuala Lumpur. “We would go to church all day on Sunday,” she recalls. Each tribe would worship in its own language, then all would gather to worship in the common Burmese language. Children studied the Bible and took music lessons, too. 

“It was a wonderful time of community and worship,” Abigail says. 

This community provided essential services for the Burmese refugees. For many years, Malaysia considered them illegal immigrants. They had no access to any public services, including healthcare and schools. In response, the Burmese created their own school systems and deepened community ties to serve one another as they awaited a chance to immigrate. 

Their faith created community, and that community grew strong around …

• Shared experiences of oppression in both Burma and Malaysia

• Grief at leaving family behind

• Fear of not being chosen to immigrate to a new land

• The joy they found in their faith

Those ties have stayed strong for the Thants and other families who came to Oklahoma City, Abigail explains. Now, they celebrate the new life God has given them.

For Abigail’s ethnic Karen community, God has been in control of all things, she stresses. 

In their struggles, they found God sustaining them. In their financial need, God has surprised them with resources. In their scatteredness, they found multiple paths to immigration, as refugees, as asylum seekers, as immigrant lottery winners. In coming to America, they found God’s blessings of home, safety, and freedom. 

As Burmese from all tribes entered Oklahoma, First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City welcomed them warmly, Abigail remembers. Many of those original immigrants have started churches in their own language around the city, growing in population and impact. 

The Karen community in Oklahoma City remains small, but they gather each week for worship and fellowship in a home. Birthdays, new jobs and Bible study all provide occasions to share a meal, to pray together and to give thanks for God’s blessings. 

Abigail Thant (right) and her mother, Naw Lar Ka Paw

I have had the blessing to celebrate American Thanksgiving with the Burmese Karen since they arrived in Oklahoma. When I told them we must cancel this year due to COVID-19, their immediate response was uniformly emphatic: “We have thanksgiving every time we are together!” 

The lesson of Abigail and her fellow Karen refugees may seem surprising: Joy comes not only at the end of the immigrant/refugee journey, but all along the way. 

God builds communities of faith among displaced people across the globe. They share sorrows and joys, possessions and responsibilities, hopes and dreams. In all these ways, they find the peace of God that passes all understanding and the joy of living safely in God’s hands, even as their lives are completely shattered and rearranged. 

May God bless us all with this same joy in 2020 and beyond.

Kristin McAtee is associate coordinator of the Cooperating Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma. She expresses thanks to Abigail for her help in preparing this Advent article on joy.