by RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

I was in the middle of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a very bustling, modern town, yet when I looked around me I saw none of that. Instead I saw a warehouse that had been converted into a marketplace, sectioned up into stalls where Somali (from Somalia, a country in Africa) Muslims were selling goods and clothing of all kinds. It was quite a sight to see, quite a culture shock.

Here I was, a in a group of white men, about to journey through a Somali Mall filled with African Muslims. Many of the women in the market stalls were wearing the full hijab (Muslim women head covering), chattering away in their own language. Man, I was intimidated, I was nervous, I was even a bit scared.

They were so unlike me. They were so different. What was I doing here?

Despite the differences of our skin colors and our religions, I came to learn that the Somali people were quite amazing. They were so friendly, so ready to teach you about their culture, and be taught in return. I spent my whole Spring Break working with Somali Muslims, teaching them English.

I learned something big that week. Religion should not hinder communication. My high school had over 500 Somali Muslim students. It wasn’t the fact that they were Somali that made me keep my space, it was the fact that they were Muslim. Wasn’t I being a good Christian by keeping my distance?

I lacked love. I lacked understanding. I lacked compassion.

When we were tutoring the Somalis in English, their answer to a simple question left my whole team astonished.

“Do you have any American friends?”

Out of the five days we spent tutoring, our team of ten never found a single Somali with an American friend who wasn’t a part of the tutoring program. This left me discouraged. In the past I had been presented opportunities to be a friend to a Somali Muslim, but I had let the differences between us be too wide of a gap.

I have come to realize that I am no different from my Somali Muslim neighbors. Yes, we have a different skin color. Yes, our religion is different. Yet, we are still God’s children, still in need of his love and grace. And we both crave human contact. Next time you see someone completely different from you, are you going to ignore them and keep going on your way? I know I won’t.

Derek Hanisch is unique indeed! Four years ago he fought and overcame cancer, a battle that would make him into the man he is today. Derek is majoring in Social Work while praying that God will use his life experiences to impact others. Feel free to connect with Derek on Facebook or on his new blog at http://wordartificer.blogspot.com.