Published: February 08, 2010 03:50 pm      

Refugees find friends in Central Indiana

MOORESVILLE — Linda and Larry Crews of Mooresville have stumbled into a new mission in life — helping Chin refugees who have arrived in Indiana.

The Chin people are one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar, which is a section of Burma. The Chins are found mainly in the western part of Myanmar, which is the Chin State. They are one of the Tibeto-Burman groups.

“We were having a garage sale and were asked if the leftovers could be donated to the Chin people,” Linda Crews said. “When we saw the need we asked people in our Sunday school class for help.”

She said they would hear about people needing couches or other furniture so they would do their best to find it.

“We just kind of jumped in the middle of all this,” she said. “We had a party for many of the Chin people in our basement. It was so much fun.”

Crews said they had to teach the people how to play Bingo.

“The first time I read a letter and a handful of them said ‘Bingo!,’” she said. “I had to explain that they needed to have a whole row to call a ‘Bingo.’”

She said her experiences helping the Chin people have been very positive for her but that is difficult to hear how they are treated in their home country.

According to Indy Chin, as of the end of 2009 there were approximately 3,000 Chin in the greater Indianapolis area.

“Their government can do whatever they want to them,” she said. “The government can pick them up and just make them do things. And if they leave and come back they often end up in jail, which can mean death.”

The U.S. State Department has officially recognized the Chin people as refugees. Nearly all the Chin who have arrived in Indiana have come directly from refugee camps.

Salai Pi has been in Indiana for nine years.

“This is a nice place to live,” he said. “The living here is very easy and nice.”

Pi attends the Indiana Chin Baptist Church where many Chin refugees have come to worship. The Chin community has banded together with local church groups and support organizations to find employment where possible.

Linda and Larry Crews recently held a donation drive for clothing and household items for the Chin people. Several volunteers and members of the Chin community organizations donations which were brought to Mt. Gilead Church in Mooresville.

Anna Zing, a Chin refugee, arrived in Indiana on Jan. 28. She said after being in the area for just a few weeks she can tell she already likes the area.

“I do like Indiana,” she said. “It’s nice here.”

To make further donations, call Linda Crews at 831-6939.

For more information about the Chin people, visit www.indychin.org.

brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com