December 14, 2007

SUBJECT: NEW LIFE AS A NEW-BORN AMERICAN 

Dear Dennis Sasseville, Life for Sudan board members and my friends,  Please accept my gratitude and thanksgiving to all of you for the support you have been giving me throughout our friendship and ministry.  Although frustrated with the process of applying for American citizenship, I can proudly say today that I am a newborn American!  I’m proud to be an American and to serve as an American!  God blesses America and American people. 

My message to all my fellow American citizens is that I’m your fellow brother, and we share common status as citizens of this blessed country.  I will stand firm with all due respect and fidelity to my country and fellow citizens.  I was so excited when I was handed my naturalization certificate.  What an exciting moment when I walked in front of all the other applicants towards the judge and shook his hand to receive my official documents.  I am thankful that my friend and the president of Life for Sudan, Dennis Sasseville, who was there to snap a picture of me during this momentous occasion. 

When I came to this country six years ago, it was a completely different world to me with so many things to learn – from turning on an electric lamp to driving a car.  Life immediately became complex in this “land of opportunity.”  But time, determination, and experiences over these past six years have brought me to where I am today.  And today, December 14, 2007, is a very significant and rejoicing day for me and my best friends. 

As an American, I am delighted that I can now carry on with my ministry to help serve the Sudanese people to rebuild their new lives after 21 years of war.  This means a great deal to me in this context and format of life.  With God’s help and my optimism, it is a dream come true!  God has blessed me with the help and support of a wonderful family, Dennis and Kathy Sasseville, and with a lot of encouragement from Life for Sudan board members alongside.

Since moving to the State of New Hampshire, I have never felt alone.  Nor have I been disregarded by the diverse American communities I have sought to befriend. Despite my ethnicity, I made myself a very unique person from any other Sudanese refugees in the State of New Hampshire by trying to make myself look as any other white person who has the same values and equalities.  But now I am officially an American and equal with all living citizens of the United States of America and this gives me much pride.  

This is special because I found so much love and care from different great American people. I just want to give thanks to Saint Joseph Cathedral parish for embracing and welcoming me in 2002 when I became a parishioner.  Deacon Bob Potvin and Fredrick Walsh have been such wonderful people to me at Saint Joseph Cathedral; may God bless them for their care and spiritual strength they gave me. Rick and Deacon Bob played a great role in my life while a church member at cathedral parish. I will continue to seek more opportunities as an American to help change the lives of suffering people of the world. This is our obligation as citizens of this blessed and fortunate country.  

God bless America!  And thank you,   

Peter Nhiany

Vice President, Life for Sudan and sworn-in new American