My neighbor Batar

My neighbor was a refugee from Somalia years ago. He and his family were in a refugee camp before coming to Utah. They were assigned to Logan when they arrived. They were welcomed there and made many friends. His background is in law, and he eventually joined the staff of Catholic Community Services where he is the main person over refugees. He is a great man and has accomplished so much in his short time in Utah. He said he knew he wanted to live in our neighborhood when he first saw it. His home was built about a year after ours. He and his cute family -- his wife, Asa, 3 boys and 2 girls, and grandma -- are great neighbors. Willie and their youngest son Ibrahim are best friends.

Batar was a featured speaker in our counselor "professional learning" meeting today. He gave an excellent presentation on the refugee process through Catholic Community Services. It was nice to see him in a professional role. He is very articulate in English and also speaks Arabic and Somali. He said that his family had to flee Somalia to a refugee camp or die. I can't comprehend the trauma. His family still living on the African continent are now in Kenya.