I have been reflecting on my past 9 months in Missoula and thinking a lot about the power of time. Time can heal. Time allows for growth, understanding, and building connections. When I first moved to Missoula I was skeptical if it would ever feel like home. Like most good things, it took time for me to find my community and place in Montana. Now I’ve been in Missoula for over 8 months, and I am so happy I will be here for at least another 2 years! Thanks to my job at the International Rescue Committee, and friends I have met through AmeriCorps I have made connections with not only my co-workers, but with the community I serve.

I have been working with a 6 and 7 year old every week since October. These students came to Missoula 3 years ago from a refugee camp in Uganda. This brother and sister duo are some of the funniest people I have ever met. They both have huge personalities and every Tuesday I look forward to spending the afternoon with them. We try our best to focus on homework, but naturally it doesn’t always go that way. We play board games, draw with chalk on the sidewalk, make cards for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, eat ice cream cones at Big Dipper when we are celebrating a special occasion, and sing really loudly in the car. I am so proud of how they have progressed academically throughout the year. Each of their reading levels have shot up and I can see their confidence grow every week. Getting to know these two has brought me so much joy throughout my service and has really been the highlight.