[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING PETER TER FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES IN THE PEACE 
              CORPS AFTER COMING TO THE U.S. AS A REFUGEE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ANDER CRENSHAW

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 9, 2016

  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Peter Ter for his 
outstanding service to his country through his volunteer work with the 
Peace Corps.
   Peter Ter was born in southern Sudan, although his exact birth date 
is not known because his family, like many others, did not keep these 
records. His father and mother, a cattle keeper and farmer 
respectively, were both illiterate. He lived with his family, including 
five sisters and three brothers, in a small hut built with wood and mud 
and thatched with grass.
   However, Peter's childhood was cut short due to the breakout of the 
Second Sudanese Civil War that began in 1983 and lasted for twenty-one 
years. Like thousands of other children in Sudan, Peter became a ``Lost 
Boy,'' losing his family in conflict between the warring Sudanese 
government and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army. After fleeing the 
violence and enduring a grueling journey, Peter ended up in the Kakuma 
refugee camp in Kenya, living what he described as a hopeless life.
   While living in the Kakuma camp, Peter completed an application for 
refugee status in America. In the application, he had to write one page 
on why he wanted to go to America. He wrote of living a hopeless life 
in the refugee camp and of how he yearned to go to a place where he 
could restore his dignity and educate himself--the United States of 
America.
   After two years, Peter's application was approved, and he was 
resettled in my congressional district in Jacksonville, Florida. Peter 
went on to graduate from the University of Florida and attended 
graduate school at Brandeis University in Boston.
   After graduation, Peter knew he wanted to give back to the country 
that had saved him, so he volunteered for the Peace Corps. Since 2009, 
Peter has served as a cultural ambassador and an international 
development practitioner in Azerbaijan, China, and the Republic of 
Georgia, promoting the values of the United States along the way. In 
his work abroad, Peter has faced many challenges, including blatant 
racism. However, having faced greater challenges before, he doubled 
down on his commitment to service and eventually earned respect in the 
villages and cities where he served.
   As the co-chair of the House Peace Corps Caucus, I have the 
privilege of interacting with and supporting the work of outstanding 
individuals, such as Peter Ter. America is the world's most generous 
country, made up of people from around the world, and Peter is proof 
that this generosity touches those who need it most. I am proud that 
Peter calls Jacksonville, FL home. Peter has fully utilized the great 
opportunities presented to him by the United States of America and has 
dedicated his life to helping others around the world.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask you and Members of Congress to join me in 
congratulating Peter Ter on overcoming great obstacles in his life and 
on his continued success abroad on behalf of our great nation.

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