Far from Home with Mabel Ninan Mabel Ninan

Our guest is Prasanta Verma, an Indian American, who’s debut book titled, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging (IVP Press), launched on April 16th, 2024. This is the second half of my conversation with Prasanta. (You can listen to part 1 here.)







In this episode we dive deeper into Prasanta’s book, examining the impact of assimilation and integration on immigrant identities and communities. Prasanta discusses the role of her personal faith journey in shaping her identity and helping her navigate life as an ethnic minority.







We touch upon strategies mentioned in the book to cope with ethnic loneliness, including the significance of sharing stories and the importance of churches as welcoming and safe spaces. Prasanta also shares insights on parenting advice for first-generation immigrants raising children in a different culture.







Takeaways









* Ethnic minorities can feel alone, devalued, or unimportant. But the Bible reminds us that God sees, knows, and loves us. A personal relationship with God meets our needs for belonging and a secure identity.







* Prasanta’s unique faith journey highlights God’s sovereign work and providence in our lives. He uses circumstances and people to draw us closer to Himself.







* Representation in literature matters to ethnic minorities. Reading and sharing stories that are similar to ours can bring us great comfort and encouragement.

























Giveaway







Win a signed copy of Prasanta Verma's debut book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging. Giveaway ends at 11.45 pm Pacific Time on April 24th, 2024.







Winners will be announced at 9am Pacific Time on April 25th, 2024.









I want to enter the giveaway!

























Watch on YouTube









https://youtu.be/fbm_qico_tI

















About Prasanta







Prasanta Verma (MBA, MPH) was born under an Asian sun, raised in the Appalachian foothills in the South, and now resides in the Upper Midwest. Her essays and poetry have been published in Sojourners, Propel Women, (in)courage, Inheritance Magazine, the Indianapolis Review, Barren Magazine, and the Mudroom blog. She served as a speech and debate coach for over ten years. When she's not writing, speaking, or working, she's drinking chai, walking, or reading. Prasanta lives with her family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.







Learn more about Prasanta by clicking here. Follow Prasanta on Instagram (@PrasantaVerma)and Twitter (@VermaPrasanta).







Check out Prasanta’s book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging here.







About Mabel







Mabel is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. In her award-winning book,

Our guest is Prasanta Verma, an Indian American, who’s debut book titled, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging (IVP Press), launches on April 16th, 2024. Prasanta and I chat about the meaning of ethnic loneliness as it pertains to immigrants, assimilation, code switching, and identity negotiation. If you’re a person of color or an immigrant, I hope you can relate to our conversation and know that you’re not alone. If you’re not an immigrant, I hope this episode gives you a new perspective on the internal struggles faced by ethnic minorities. This episode is part one of our conversation.







Takeaways









* Loneliness impacts ethnic minorities, including immigrants, in a different way. Some factors that contribute to ethnic loneliness include feeling misunderstood, being the first or the only ones of their ethnic background in their neighborhoods or workplaces, the pressure of meeting the varied expectations of different people groups, and coping with dual identities.







* Immigrants need a safe space which allows them to be themselves and often, these spaces include friends or community groups who share a similar background with them. At the same time, immigrants can also step out of their comfort zone and embrace the tension that's involved in making friends with people who are unlike them.







* Prasanta talks about the Partition at the beginning of the episode. India's independence from the British in 1947 was followed by the Partition, the division of the country into India and Pakistan. This event led to the largest mass migration of people in the world at that time. Around two million people became refugees during this time and it is estimated that between half a million to two million people died due to the violence that erupted.

























Giveaway







Win a signed copy of Prasanta Verma's debut book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging. Giveaway ends at 11.45 pm Pacific Time on April 24th, 2024.







Winners will be announced at 9am Pacific Time on April 25th, 2024.









I want to enter the giveaway!

























Watch on YouTube









https://youtu.be/QCbb8kIRek8

















About Prasanta







Prasanta Verma (MBA, MPH) was born under an Asian sun, raised in the Appalachian foothills in the South, and now resides in the Upper Midwest. Her essays and poetry have been published in Sojourners, Propel Women, (in)courage, Inheritance Magazine, the Indianapolis Review, Barren Magazine, and the Mudroom blog. She served as a speech and debate coach for over ten years. When she's not writing, speaking, or working, she's drinking chai, walking, or reading. Prasanta lives with her family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.







Learn more about Prasanta by clicking here. Follow Prasanta on Instagram (@PrasantaVerma)and Twitter (@VermaPrasanta).







Check out Prasanta’s book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging here.







About Mabel







Mabel is an author, speaker,

Josephine Smits was born and raised in Sierra Leone, Africa and moved to the Netherlands as an adult in 1992. At first, she felt alone and missed home terribly. But her local church made her feel at home and became her family. Even as she was settling down in her new homeland, her frequent visits to Sierra Leone after the end of the civil war, brought her face to face with the needs of the communities and she resolved to help them.







With the help of her Baptist church and other supporters, Josephine founded the Wanda organization which established a church and schools in Sierra Leonne. In this episode, she talks about how God helped her every step of the way, miraculously supplying the needs of the people of Sierra Leone through the Wanda Foundation.







Takeaways:









* Churches play a huge role in helping immigrants and refugees feel welcome and find a community they can count on for support, encouragement, and practical help.







* Josephine saw the needs of her people in Sierra Leone and she was moved to help them. Her efforts over the years evolved into her ministry and became her calling. Sometimes, we can spend too much time wondering what God wants us to do, forgetting to pay attention to the potential opportunities He places right in front of our eyes. We can begin by serving wherever we see a great need.







* If God has called you to do something for Him and His people, He will provide all the resources and people you need to carry out His plans. Trust Him and follow His direction, one day at a time.

























About Josephine







Josephine Smits emigrated in 1992 from Sierra Leone to Netherlands where she studied and worked as a truck automotive  assemble technician. During her thirteen years of work as a technician, she also helped with charity work for the Baptist mission, less privileged and orphans. Eventually, Josephine became a full time volunteer to help achieve the Baptist Mission goals in Sierra Leone. She pursued development and management studies to guide her work . Her trips back to her motherland inspired her to start a nonprofit organization called Wanda Foundation which works with rural children and women in the eastern province of Sierra Leone. The organization has established the Boyd Primary Schools, Boyd Senior High School and Boyd Institute of Innovation and Technology School. 







As a believer who is hard working and respectful, Josephine focuses on connecting her work with the hope and love of the Lord. She is now a grandmother and works as an international development professional.







Learn more about Wanda Foundation here - https://www.wandafoundation.nl/en/















About Mabel







Mabel is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. In her award-winning book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, Mabel draws from her personal experience as an immigrant and examines the lives of biblical heroes to shed light on how we can find purpose and joy as sojourners on earth.







Learn more Mabel here.







Buy Mabel’s book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, on Amazon.







Buy Mabel’s book from a href="https://www.endgamepress.

When we think of hospitality, we usually think of inviting people home for a meal. But it’s more than that - it’s about making feel welcome, loved, accepted, and safe. According to our guest, author and speaker Dorian Lazo Gilmore-Young, God’s mercy towards us manifests through hospitality and we in turn can extend His mercy and love toward others by practicing hospitality. A former missionary to Haiti, Dorina talks about what it was like to host a refugee family in her home for nearly a month and how practicing hospitality can be spiritually beneficial for your family.







Takeaways:









* One of the best ways to instill the biblical value of hospitality in our children is by modeling it for them. Dorina “inherited” this value from her parents and she now practices hospitality toward others with her family.







* Hospitality is rooted in God’s mercy who loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. Jesus’ mercy is also demonstrated through His hospitality while He was on earth, setting an example for us to follow.







* Refugee resettlement is a community effort where individuals and organizations, especially churches, can come together to contribute their time and resources toward helping refugee families

























Watch on YouTube









https://youtu.be/uFb5mhqqf18

















About Dorina







Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young is a sought-after speaker and teacher, who specializes in helping people navigate grief and raising up women from diverse backgrounds to flourish in community. An award-winning author of more than 20 books, Dorina has served as a journalist, missionary, social entrepreneur, spoken word artist, and Bible study teacher. Dorina and her late husband Ericlee Gilmore started a non-profit organization in Haiti today called Haiti Gospel Outreach as well as a fair trade jewelry business called The Haitian Bead Project. A remarried widow, Dorina and her husband Shawn are raising three daughters in Central California with a love for cultures of the world.







Dorina is also the president of the Redbud Writers Guild. Connect with her at www.DorinaGilmore.com.







 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DorinaLazoGilmore







Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorinagilmore/







Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dorinagilmore/







Twitter: https://twitter.com/dorinagilmoreYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DorinaGilmore







About Mabel







Mabel is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. In her award-winning book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, Mabel draws from her personal experience as an immigrant and examines the lives of biblical heroes to shed light on how we can find purpose and joy as sojourners on earth.







Learn more Mabel here.







Buy Mabel’s book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on E...

In this episode, my guest, Bronwyn Lea and I discuss the impact of visas and the process of becoming permanent residents and ultimately citizens on immigrants. A native of South Africa, Bronwyn is a pastor, author, and former lawyer who now lives in Northern California in the U.S. She provides insight into how her vulnerable immigration status impacted her faith, identity, and relationships. Bronwyn discusses her book, 'Beyond Awkward Side Hugs,’ in which she shares her view of relationships between men and women in the church. The episode offers an encouraging message for immigrants, highlighting the valuable perspectives and experiences they bring to their communities.







Takeaways:









* The process of immigration, especially the paperwork involved can make immigrants feel vulnerable, lonely, stressed out, and/or frustrated. Listen to your immigrant friends when they share their frustrations with visas and pray specific prayer for and with them.







* Many immigrants, like me, struggle with questions about identity and belonging in their initial years of moving to another country. I leaned into my identity in Christ and rehearsed biblical truths to get through my identity crisis. I realized God used my struggles to draw me to Himself and refine my faith.







* No matter which passport we hold, as believers we are all citizens of God’s kingdom. We belong to God and to each other.

























Watch on YouTube









https://youtu.be/78h8PucVasE

















About Bronwyn







Bronwyn Lea wears many different hats: pastor of discipleship in her local church in Northern California, mom to three hilarious tween/teens, wife to fellow South African Jeremy, and editor and leadership coach with Propel Women. She is the author of Beyond Awkward Side Hugs, a practical and accessible guide to cultivating healthier community between Christian men and women. A former lawyer and seminary graduate, she cares about justice, truth, wisdom, quality relationships within the church, and emotionally healthy spirituality — so she teaches, writes, and pastors to equip others in these areas..







Connect with Bronwyn on Facebook.







Buy Bronwyn’s book, Beyond Awkward Side Hugs: Living as Christian Brothers and Sisters in a Sex-Crazed World, here.







Read Bronwyn's articles that were discussed in this episode:







https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-you-dont-know-about-immigration_b_7216388







https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-letter-from-a-white-soua-letter-from-a-white-south-african-to-white-america_b_7618544







About Mabel







Mabel is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. In her award-winning book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, Mabel draws from her personal experience as an immigrant and examines the lives of biblical heroes to shed light on how we can find purpose and joy as sojourners on earth.







Learn more Mabela href="http://www.

Brittani Farrington is the Discipleship Coordinator for Women of Welcome, a community dedicated to diving into the whole of scripture to understand God’s heart for the immigrant and refugee. Her passion to embrace the Christian mandate of welcoming the foreigner originated in Canada, where she began serving refugees from Syria. Brittani reminds us that a believer’s call to love the foreigner is not a new biblical revelation. It’s a truth found all over Scripture. We also talked about her role at Women of Welcome and how the organization is discipling believers to love immigrants with a Kingdom mindset.







Takeaways:









* If you’ve never served refugees, a good place to begin is to look for opportunities to meet their immediate needs. You can also partner with organizations or churches that help refugees.







* More than anything else, refugees value friendships. So, invest in long-term relationships with refugees.







* We’re obeying God and participating in His Kingdom plans when we love immigrants and refugees well.

























Watch on YouTube









https://youtu.be/MEoZcPAkmm8

















About Brittani







Brittani is the Discipleship Coordinator for Women of Welcome. Her desire to advocate for those in need led her to study communication at Wheaton College, where she was a member of the debate team, and later served as one of the team’s assistant coaches. But it was a chance encounter with refugees newly arrived from Syria that channeled her passion specifically into advocacy for newcomers, leading her to forge deep friendships with refugee families, eventually founding a catering company together. She is passionate about our Christian mandate to welcome the stranger. Brittani and her husband, Griffin are raising their two little girls in Holland, Michigan.







Learn about Women of Welcome here.







Read Women of Welcome’s latest issue of their digital magazine, Art of Welcome, here.







Join Women of Welcome’s private Facebook group here.







About Mabel







Mabel is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. In her award-winning book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, Mabel draws from her personal experience as an immigrant and examines the lives of biblical heroes to shed light on how we can find purpose and joy as sojourners on earth.







Learn more Mabel here.







Buy Mabel’s book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, on Amazon.







Buy Mabel’s book from End Game Press.







FREE Resource







Download the tip sheet, Love Your Immigrant Neighbor : 5 Action Steps, here.







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