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7 Ways to Love Your Neighbor
In Rwanda we have a saying — “Ifuni ibagara ubucuti ni akarenge.” This literally means, “a hoe that cultivates friendship is a foot.” In other words, we love our neighbor by visiting them and helping if they need anything.
No matter where you live, loving your neighbor is an integral part of our call as Christians. Having served alongside local churches in Memphis and Rwanda, we have seen first-hand how loving your neighbor comes in all shapes and sizes.
In some places, loving your neighbor might mean sharing baked goods. In another, it may mean dropping by unannounced for an afternoon tea. And still, for others it could mean fetching water or making bricks for a neighbor who is building a house. Yet, no matter where you live, one thing remains the same: We love because God first loved us. That’s why today, we’re sharing 7 Ways to Love Your Neighbor.
1. Take the Initiative and Value Small Acts of Kindness
Helping one another without being asked to do so is part of the culture in Rwanda. And doing something for your neighbor does not always require much. If your neighbor is sick, you could visit them, deliver groceries to them or take them to the doctor when necessary.
In rural Africa, if a neighbor is building a house, you could lend a hand by fetching water for them, making bricks or finding wood. In short, loving your neighbor is in action more than words.
2. Spend time
Quality time is said to be one of the five major ways people experience love. That’s true no matter who you are or where you’re from. When refugee families first arrive in the U.S., many often feel isolated with no family, no community and no means of transportation. Even if there is a language barrier, the simple act of spending time with our neighbors can make a world of difference. Whether you pop in for a tea or a walk, just knowing that someone cares and that they are not alone allows refugee families to feel the love of Christ through our actions.
3. Share a meal
Sharing a meal is perhaps one of the best ways to show our love for our neighbors. Whether it’s at your home or theirs, breaking bread together meets not only a physical need but also the mental and spiritual need for relationship.
No matter where you live, meals are an opportunity to connect, sharing our own culture while experiencing someone else’s. Especially for many refugees rebuilding their lives in the U.S., sharing a meal also demonstrates respect and interest in their life and culture, something that may often be overlooked in their new home.
4. Foster Reconciliation
Loving your neighbor can encompass more than lending a hand. It’s also reconciling relationships. In some Rwandan communities, church members often disregarded people from other denominations, sometimes to the point of viewing them as non-believers and refusing to work together.
After being trained by World Relief, church leaders, volunteers and program participants are reaching across denominational lines to adopt a culture of loving their neighbor by acting together. They’ve realized that together, as a unified body, they can accomplish much more, and they’re seeing ripple effects of love, joy, peace and harmony across whole communities.
Ask yourself — is there someone I can love by moving toward reconciliation and forgiveness? Is there someone I disagree with politically or denominationally that I can build a connection and a friendship with?
5. Listen
Paying close attention and listening to what your neighbors are saying is so important. We may have had very different upbringings and viewpoints, but we are all made in the image of God, and each of us has a story to tell. By listening to that story, we’ll learn new ways in which we can be intentional with our neighbors, showing them that they are welcomed and loved.
6. Advocate
While loving our neighbors on an interpersonal level is who we are called by Christ to be, sometimes systemic injustice is at the root of a problem, and loving our neighbor means advocating with them as well.
Advocacy is speaking up with those who are vulnerable to address the underlying causes of injustice by influencing the policies and practices of people in power. By starting with the reality of “what is,” we can leverage our voices to make systemic changes that lead to a vision of “what should be.”
7. Go Together
At World Relief, we believe we can accomplish so much more when we go together. In the U.S., our church partners form Good Neighbor Teams who work together to welcome and serve their new immigrant neighbors by taking them to appointments, picking up groceries or fostering friendships over lunch or dinner.
In places like Rwanda and Haiti, Outreach Group volunteers pair up to visit the homes of struggling families. Outreach Groups give local churches the opportunity to intentionally engage the community in a consistent way at a wide scale. Ordinary church members are equipped to do what Jesus taught and did — reaching out to their neighbors to share messages that lead to holistic development and facilitate relationships.
If you’re considering reaching out to a neighbor or participating in a service project, why not ask someone to join you, so this movement of love can grow further?
Living justly and loving our neighbor is better when we do it together. Share this article with a friend and invite them to join you in loving your neighbors this week.
Bailey Clark serves as the Communications Coordinator for World Relief Memphis. With a background in journalism and advertising, she is passionate about storytelling and its power to make a difference.
A pioneer in the documentation space, Emily Kankindi is the communications and documentation unit coordinator at World Relief in Rwanda. She started with World Relief in 2005 and has been growing through different stages while pursuing a career in creative communications with a passion to tell the story of impact. Driven by a mission to serve the most vulnerable, Emily is best known for inspiring others to care and serve the needy by using all possible means of communication to promote and call forth positive ramifications of WR interventions in all aspects of life. Her educational background is marketing and travel operations.
Learning From Waiting
When life situations bring us into uncertainty and the unknown, waiting is often a large part of it.
And that wait can be unbearable.
That’s because the “when” of waiting is never guaranteed. When will I get what I deeply desire or painstakingly worked for? And a more unsettling thought: “Will I ever get what I desperately need?
The act of waiting is no stranger to immigrants or refugees. In fact, it is often a defining season in many of their lives. But as the following three stories reveal, something transformational and lasting can happen to an individual during the experience of waiting.
For these three individuals, the struggles they faced in these challenging situations – and the waiting they endured – not only shaped them, but it also inspired them to make a difference in their new world.
Your skills, knowledge and gifts aren’t meant for you alone.
Imagine working hard to build a successful, professional career only to have it ripped from you. Imagine you must start all over. But this time it’s in a new country with a new language and a new system. And there’s no manual to tell you where to begin.
The weight of the work – and the waiting along with it – can feel insurmountable.
When violence forced Ali and his family to leave Iraq and come to the U.S., he hoped to transfer his license and continue his career as a pharmacist. He soon found this wasn’t going to be easy.
In fact, it became a long, arduous journey. Days, weeks and months were filled with full-time work to support his family, navigating a system he didn’t understand, and tiring hours of study. It took a toll, but he persisted.
Over 3 years later, his season of hard work and waiting finally paid off. And with Ali’s accomplishment came a deep desire to help others like him.
He realized he could serve others with the knowledge, skills and insight he learned along the way. He could help other newly arriving immigrants and refugees move through the uncertainty of rebuilding their own lives.
Learn more about Ali’s story.
The struggles in your life can serve as a guide for others.
Imagine you’re forced to leave your home to spend the next 19 years of your life in the unknown. Imagine spending nearly two decades in a refugee camp and living in uncertainty and with a lack of security.
Sometimes what we’re waiting for isn’t a “thing” but rather a feeling or state of being – like peace, relief or home.
As a refugee living in an unsafe situation, Jerome lived much of his life hoping for peace and security. And as the passage of time grew longer, he struggled with the hopelessness he would never receive it.
But after his arrival in the U.S., Jerome received what he was waiting for – peace. He finally found home. And he was transformed by the peace and welcome of the individuals walking alongside him rather as he began to rebuild his life in America.
The long wait he endured and the welcome he received helped him know that he intimately understood the mindset of newly arriving immigrants and refugees. Because of his experience, Jerome knew he could give them exactly what they needed: guidance, security and hope.
Learn more about Jerome’s story.
You can still serve and lead from wherever you are.
Imagine if your government threatened your life if you ever returned back home to the country you love. Imagine not only losing connection and proximity to all you knew but now you’re thrown into a life of complete uncertainty.
You’re forced to navigate a new life in a new country and you’re completely unprepared.
During a trip to the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar, Yomardy’s life and dreams were destroyed when her government declared her a traitor for sharing about the current conditions her people faced. She had big plans to help her people. But she knew she could never return as long as this government held power.
Yomardy still remains in a season of waiting to fulfill her dreams for her country. But her struggle to rebuild a new life in the U.S. inspired her to serve others also forced to flee their homes and start from nothing.
Yomardy realized it was time for a new dream. A dream that used her skills and strengths to give others the refuge they need when their lives are suddenly upended.
Learn more about Yomardy’s story.
It’s Your Turn to Find the Part You Play
Like these immigrants, you also have a unique set of skills and experiences that are needed to help provide welcome to newly arriving immigrants and refugees. No matter your age, passion or schedule, there’s a place for all of us at World Relief.
What does your part in providing welcome look like? Visit us at Volunteer Opportunities to find out more.
Meet Farah: Afghan Community Ambassador to the Fox Valley
For Farah, Herat, Afghanistan was home. It’s where she grew up, found a job she loved and started a family of her own.
As one of seven children, Farah spent every weekend with the women in her family talking, laughing and eating. Gathering in the homes of moms, sisters and daughters, their togetherness embodied the hospitality Afghans so highly value.
From a young age, Farah was motivated to learn about the world. Nicknamed the “city of civilization,” Herat was a rich tapestry of inspiring history, art and culture. “I took English and [found] other resources to help me grow,” she said.
She received a degree in education and went on to work as an English teacher at an educational and cultural center in Herat. The center was part of a partnership between the Afghan Ministry of Culture and Information and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Most students ranged in age from 15 to 35, and many came from poor, rural communities where they had limited access to the internet and educational opportunities. Â
“I enjoyed how we served the youth,” Farah said. “We had at least 200 students a day.” Those students received training in English, digital literacy, leadership, job preparedness and more. Eventually, Farah got involved in implementing programs and became the deputy coordinator.
When she was 25, Farah got married. She and her husband enjoyed traveling together and lived in a beautiful home where they planned to raise a family. Their son, Hanan, was born in 2019.
Farah and her husband loved their lives, and they felt safe, surrounded by family and all that Herat had to offer.
But then, they started hearing disturbing rumors. Farah remembers sitting in her living room in August 2021 when she first heard the Taliban was coming.
The couple’s jobs put them at risk of being targeted by the extremist group, so they made the heartbreaking decision to flee, leaving the home they loved behind.
First, the family of three fled to Kabul, hoping to get a flight out of the country. They soon discovered, however, that the airport was no longer safe. “People died trying to get to the airport. There was shooting, noises, so many people. You can’t imagine,” she said. “I was watching on TV. Many people tried to go to the airport three or four times, but were not able to. I saw how horrible it was.”
They needed to find another way out. The family continued east, and managed to escape through Pakistan. Eventually, they made their way to the U.S. where they were welcomed in Wisconsin by World Relief Fox Valley.
At first, adjusting to their new lives was difficult. “Everything was different,” Farah said. “Food, transportation. Everyone needs to have a car here.” She also felt the loss of the support system she had in Herat. “Taking care of my child, I am the only one. But in Afghanistan, I had a support system.”
While World Relief couldn’t replace the family, friends and home Farah’s family lost, the welcome they shared helped ease the burden of loss. It wasn’t long before Farah was using her own language and cross-cultural skills to help World Relief welcome more Afghans like her.
She is now on staff at World Relief Fox Valley, leading women’s groups to help others in her community adjust and thrive in their new lives in the U.S.
These Afghan women’s groups are helping create safe spaces for women to connect, process and develop life-skills as they navigate their new lives and rebuild together. Group activities range from the practical, like taking women on tours of the labor and delivery floors of local hospitals, to the more relational, like gathering women together to get to know one another and share life experiences and journeys.
Even as she focuses on rebuilding, in her own family and in the wider Afghan community, some days are harder than others. Farah misses her home in Herat, and she hopes Americans can learn from the beauty of Afghan culture.
“The people of Afghanistan are so hospitable. People care about each other a lot. Families are together, and care for each other. There is respect for elders,” she said.
Although this is not the life Farah and her husband had imagined, they plan to invest in their Wisconsin community. “I am not originally from the U.S.,” Farah said, “but I want to be a part of the community and serve the people.”
Why Choose Generosity?
Generosity can look like many things, but to a couple from Keller, TX, generosity looks like obeying the biblical mandate to care for the foreigner. Read what compels them to be generous.
Why Choose Generosity?
The Johnson’s* moved from College Station to Keller, Texas, in 2007 after graduating from Texas A&M. After several years of a successful career, they decided to sell their business, and wanted to donate from the proceeds towards a good cause. A few months earlier, their pastor had preached a sermon out of the book of Ruth, and addressed the Jewish laws and customs for taking care of widows, orphans, and the foreigner or displaced person. Afterwards, they knew they had to look at giving to organizations focused in these areas. “After that sermon we knew we needed to give back. Our thought was, what if we focused on what the Bible says we should really be doing?”
Mr. Johnson shared with us that “after researching organizations, World Relief North Texas stuck out as being really unique and were doing some really great things.”
Continued Partnership
Following many years of partnering with World Relief North Texas, the Johnson’s shared why they continue to partner with us. “I see what ya’ll are doing, I read the updates, and how personable you are with us. How you interact with partners is refreshing.” They have also been deeply impacted by the most recent crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan and see that World Relief North Texas is “helping these people and being the hands and feet of Jesus in a huge world crisis. We know our money is going towards that.”
He also shared “I like that they work to empower refugees. They do not do everything for them, but teach them how to thrive in a new place. They empower those who have moved here.”
Motivation for Generosity
What motivates this couple’s generosity is an understanding that what they have is not their own, it is provided by God. They understand that God has put them in a position where they have the means to do this and God has made it clear to them of what they are supposed to do. “This is not ours and we did not do anything to earn or deserve this. Why God chose to put us in this circumstance, I don’t know. But as Christians, we’re called to give, so that’s what we do.”
To anyone who is considering partnering with World Relief North Texas in a similar way, the Johnson’s say “do it! The organization has always been very transparent with what they are doing, where the money is going, and how it is being used. They give regular updates on what is going on and the impact they are having. I would tell someone to just jump and go for it.”
God Moves
As they reflect on the ways God has moved in their own lives through giving to others, they shared that on more than one occasion, when they give, those they give to always come back and say “I had just prayed for this” or “this is the exact number we needed.”
Mrs. Johnson shared her reflections with us; “That person praying specifically, God hearing that prayer, and us being obedient in what God has called us to do, it is what moves mountains. It’s a very clear picture to us of God’s sovereignty when you hear stories like that.”
Generosity means being obedient to what God is calling us to do. It is all God’s money, time, or resources. It all belongs to God and “you can’t store it up here.”
Generosity means being obedient to what God is calling us to do. It is all God’s money, time, or resources. It all belongs to God and “you can’t store it up here.”
*Disclaimer: names changed for privacy reasons.
Learn how you can get involved with World Relief North Texas HERE.
Hope in the Tension of Waiting
Dear Church Leaders,
The peace of Christ to you! Advent is in full swing—and Christmas is around the corner. What feelings does this season stir in you and your congregation—excitement, sorrow, joy, stress?
Rhythms change a bit this time of year, freeing many of us up to gather with loved ones. Personally, I am really hoping for both good connection and down time. I also recognize that for many, broken relationships highlight that all is not right. This season actually hurts.
Refugees also know the pain of separation from community rhythms—when the comfort of being with loved ones at home is replaced by only memories and tears. “Will my life ever feel normal again?” so many wonder as they work to adjust to a new land.
Until God’s promise of the new heavens and earth is made complete, and all the complexities of our broken relationships and systems are healed, our world waits in this tension. No matter how much technological and social progress we make, there lingers a shared sense that not all has not been made fully right yet.
We wait in tension—we qavah—for wholeness.
Living on the margins of society, Mary knew this tension well. Picture her in your mind—the humble, Jewish adolescent, displaced and pregnant, her family heavily taxed by Caesar Augustus, the self-declared son of god. Between the Old and New Testaments, Yahweh had been silent for 400 years. In Mary’s day, all did not feel right.
Her song proclaims a bold hope amidst this tension of waiting: At last! He has come to save us from our brokenness—and to defeat the powers that oppress us. Her voice cries out: Finally! Hope for the humble, the poor and the forgotten of His people. At last, the long-awaited sign! Yahweh’s ancient promise to Israel of salvation and justice is coming true.
Like Mary and our ancestors of faith,we may not know exactly how God will complete this work—and actually, we may not have evidence that circumstances will get better before they get worse. At times, we look around at our churches and communities, stuck in complexity and crisis we cannot fix. But like the prophets declared, our hope is rooted—not in the state of the world or our odds at progress—but in the very person of Jesus Christ. His faithfulness in the past gives us hope for the future He has promised. That one day at last, He will finally rescue us—and the whole creation—from decay and death.
As we wait for King Jesus to come again, we can lean deeply into hope that is rooted—not in summoned optimism or holiday cheer—but in the very character of God who makes good on His promises.
This hope gifted to Mary and to our forefathers is the same hope given today to displaced refugees—and to you and me. Praise the Lord—we need it now as much as ever.
During Advent, I invite you to reflect: who do you know that needs to be invited afresh into this bold, enduring hope?
May the Lord infuse your heart with it this day,
J. Mark Bowers
for all of us at World Relief
Feeling inspired to get involved? See what you can donate to create safe, welcoming homes for refugees – and above all, hope.
J. Mark Bowers is Sr. Training Advisor at World Relief, building our capacity to help churches become places of welcome wherever they are.
Welcoming the Stranger by Opening their Home and Their Hearts: Q&A with Tim and Gretchen Foley
By Nathan Spencer //
How we answer God’s command to welcome the stranger varies from person to person. For Tim and Gretchen Foley, it meant opening the doors of their home on a literal and spiritual level.
Tim, who has traveled extensively in the past, said the experience of being welcomed into another’s home left a permanent impression on him.
“Having traveled internationally and benefited from hospitality, knowing that you’re able to go in your own room while in a new place makes a huge difference in your level of comfort,” Tim said in a recent interview. “I wanted to return that hospitality for folks in our country for the first time.”
Gretchen said her experience with exchange students as a high schooler has persistently fueled her desire to serve.
“I’m from a college town that had a big international community,” Gretchen said. “Growing up, we partnered with the international house and were paired with students who were here for several years for their education. We built friendships through shared meals and holidays. That was immensely impactful to me as a teenager.”
“To have extended relationships with people who speak a different language or have different customs and cultures to learn from is a blessing,” Gretchen continued. “I see our three-year-old playing with a child from a family we partner with. The two don’t speak the same verbal language, but the universal language of love flows through them without a moment’s hesitation.”
This childlike faith is what Tim and Gretchen have been emulating through their work as a host family for World Relief Durham. Read the interview below to learn more about their journey.
How did you first get involved with World Relief?
Tim: We heard about World Relief through an employee who is at our church.
What we heard from her really inspired us and aligned with things that we were already interested in. We’ve always have had a very strong international interest, a desire to engage with and learn from other cultures, and to serve and meet people from other cultures. Knowing that we, in this country, have so much, it seemed a perfect opportunity for us to engage in helping, but also learning.
What led you to decide on hosting families as your primary way to serve?
Tim: Shortly after we signed up to volunteer, it became clear temporary housing was one of the best ways that we could serve, and that there was a need. We had plenty of space in our house for people who needed a spot for a week or two until World Relief could find them permanent housing.
Gretchen: When we were first interested in volunteering, there wasn’t a group of us to be an apartment setup team or friendship partners. We were trying to figure out what we, as a family, could do. We greatly value hospitality. The temporary housing seemed a good fit for that – being able to help people feel welcomed and provide space when they’re first getting here while things are chaotic.
How many families would you estimate you’ve had or how many times have you hosted like that since then?
Tim: Maybe half a dozen, ranging from one night to a couple weeks. Unfortunately, our volunteering after the first couple of families aligned with the decline in refugees coming into the country. There wasn’t as much of a need for temporary housing as was envisioned.
We then partnered with [World Relief Durham] to focus on assisting people who are already here as refugees who had additional needs beyond their first three months in the U.S. They paired us with Yohana, who wanted to go to Job Corps and needed temporary housing before that transition. She came and stayed with us through that, and then she moved in with us for a year after Job Corps.
Gretchen: She also came back to stay with us on the weekends while she was at Job Corps.
Tim: She became part of our family.
Gretchen: We are also now ESL tutors to a Congolese family. We were at their apartment a couple of weekends ago to have dinner and watching our three-year-old play with their grandson was sweet. There’s the hospitality piece, but there’s also that relationship building. Seeing and experiencing our separate families become one family is truly powerful.
What is your favorite story, or family memory, of your involvement with World Relief?
Gretchen: One of our favorite experiences was also one of our hardest. We hosted a Sudanese woman and her two sons. They spoke zero English; we speak zero Arabic. We had no real way to communicate. The boys were at a very inquisitive age and so just figuring out how to manage them – not just in our house – but in our neighborhood was challenging. But with that family, our neighbors really came around and supported both us and them, which was a different experience for us. The neighborhood children befriended them despite the language barrier, and would play with the kids and ride bikes together outside. Another neighbor picked up clothes and shoes for the family from the store. It was beautiful to watch happen in a community that did not typically interact with Africans, and who were giving out of the little they had.
You have served as a host home and as ESL tutors. Have there been any other roles that you served in?
Tim: I’ve done a handful of different things during COVID, as needed. World Relief Durham got 50-pound bags of rice. We put a bunch in my truck and helped deliver those, and we did some apartment setup because things were a little different without being able to be around people. Teams were smaller and requests were more finite and deliberate.
Gretchen: Up until our three-year-old was born, I was working on a farm. The farm wanted to donate food shares last summer, and so we connected them with World Relief. They wound up donating five food shares to some of the families in the greatest need. Every Wednesday over the summer, I along with another volunteer would go out to the farm, pick up the bags of produce and deliver it to three or four of the families that were in Durham and Chapel Hill.
As parents of young children, what would you say your hope, or vision, for the world is, and how is partnering with World Relief helping you create that vision?
Tim: It’s connecting [our children] with the broader world around them in an authentic way. Allowing my kids to learn about the world for themselves and meet new people and learn about new cultures is an important piece of that. This also helps them learn about themselves. Through those relationships, they learn who they are, and who they are in God.
Gretchen: I think there are so many levels to that question. At the first level, it’s just them as kids getting used to being around people who sound and look different from them, and not feeling uncomfortable around that. They are getting to learn about people from people directly rather than a history book, or a news article where somebody else is telling another’s story.
Tim: I also want them to grow up with a hope that the things they see aren’t intractable, and hopeless. Though the world is broken, there is hope through engagement, even if it’s just one life being changed.
Gretchen: Seeing our three-year-old’s eyes light up when he sees Yohana coming up the sidewalk because she’s coming over for the day to hang out and eat a meal with us is so sweet. And seeing him learn how to eat traditional Eritrean food like Injera with her, that’s special.
Tim: And one day, he’ll be old enough to learn about the Eritrean conflict and put those pieces together.
How have you seen your community move together this year?
Gretchen: The work that World Relief is doing right now is so vital, especially as the numbers of refugees allowed into the U.S. are starting to rise again. The farm story I mentioned earlier was something that truly inspired me with how creative it was. Even with COVID raging, people found a way to work together safely to spread love and life to refugees in our community. It may seem small in the grand scheme of the global refugee crisis, but it means the world to those families here.
If someone were to ask you, why World Relief, what would you say to them?
Tim: They do ask us, quite often. I reply with something that is simply the truth.
I don’t know of any other nonprofit working in Durham doing so much tangibly for the community. That’s why, in addition to having a heart for the work World Relief does, we really respect World Relief as an organization. When you donate, your money is going to very important places. When you volunteer, your time is not wasted. You’re being structured into a system that adds the most value to the community and to the people that work with this service.
Gretchen: Over the last year and a half or so, I know World Relief has supported refugees even after their initial six-month financial support period. We saw that with Yohana, and she had been in the U.S. for over a year. World Relief helped her get plugged in with Job Corps. Her old case manager who was no longer officially her case manager still supported her by helping her apply to Job Corps, and then found temporary housing for her with us. That’s above and beyond what one might consider the job description.
It’s not just about getting refugees here and getting them started, to then leave them to figure things out from there. World Relief commits to the long-term walk alongside the refugee community. This is not easy, but it is so vital and speaks to their commitment to answering God’s call to welcome the newcomer.
Giving Thanks – North Texas
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all the ways the Lord has shown His faithfulness in our lives. Some of our North Texas staff reflect on what they are thankful for this season.
I’m thankful for our Afghan refugees sharing their lives and stories with us. I have learned so much from their resilience and fight.
Stephanie
I’m thankful for my church community.
Noelle
I am thankful for Fort Worth! I moved here in may, so I am thankful my transition here has been easy and that I work with amazing people who encourage me every day!
McKenna
I’m grateful right now for the unity and integrity of my Match Grant coworkers.
Luke
I am thankful for the many churches in the DFW area passionate about vulnerable refugees and immigrants.
Calla
I’m thankful for a season of exciting things both at World Relief and in our family as we move to a new house.
Bri
I am thankful for the new season of life the Lord has gifted me with…marriage and a new family.
Serenity
I am thankful for this job. It was a huge answer to prayers! I am so happy to have the opportunity to assist refugees and be a neighbor to them.
Emily
I am thankful for our family’s good health.
Edwin
I am thankful to be able to have a friend in Jesus Christ everyday and for the moments I’ve been gifted with my husband and family. I am grateful for World Relief staff, who truly care and go beyond duty to serve and love on others. As a 10-year old immigrant girl, I was greeted with smiles from American people, saying “Hola amigo!,” and for that I am forever thankful.
Alejandra
I am thankful that the Lord has given me a platform to share the process of a refugees journey and advocate for those who are vulnerable.
Kelsey
I’m thankful to be a part of an organization that is truly living out what it looks like to care and love the stranger! I am also thankful for the upcoming Advent season and treasuring it with my family!
Ryan
I’m thankful to be a part of this World Relief and North Texas Community that cares deeply for families in vulnerable situations. I’m grateful that time and time again team members, churches, and volunteers are coming forward with open, humble hands seeking ways to love one another and the women, men, and children who are simply looking for a place to belong.
Garrett Pearson, Office Director
Thank you all for making North Texas a place of welcome. Blessings to you and your family this Thanksgiving from the World Relief North Texas team.
Honoring our Immigrant Neighbors
For the Lord’s sake be subject to every human authority, whether to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
I Peter 2:13-17
Peter, writing to Christians in Rome, offers advice on navigating Roman culture. He affirms the role of government to ensure social order, but then encourages them to use their Christian freedom in positive ways. He ends by telling them to honor everyone, including the emperor.
So, what does this have to do with immigration? Too often the immigration conversation seems like a choice between immigration reform and border security. On one side, it’s assumed that support for immigration reform is to be for open borders. On the other, there’s the assumption that insisting on border security means they have no compassion for immigrants and refugees.
The reality is meaningful immigration reform must include measures to help secure the border. At the same time, making it easier to come to this country legally will greatly diminish the need for people to break the law.
Peter tells us we are to honor everyone, regardless of social status. Notice how this text flattens social status. Everyone is due honor—not just citizens, the wealthy, the employed, or leaders… everyone. In this way, the emperor is on the same level as the common person.
All people deserve respect and dignity because we are all created in the image of God—there can be no favoritism. James says the same thing:
“My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?”
James 2:1
Undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers deserve honor and dignity. Immigrants are vital member of our communities who deserve an opportunity to get right with the law, to come out of the shadows.
Congress has the power to reform our immigration system by passing laws that make it easier for people to come to this country. Congress has the power to provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, and to provide a pathway to status for undocumented immigrants.
Ask our leaders to rebuild the asylum system to welcome and support refugees into this country. This is an important way we can honor our immigrant neighbors. When we do this through the proper channels, we “honor the emperor”—we recognize the importance of institutions and laws to preserve the social order.
Our legislatures have the power to enact reform if we have the will to step outside of our ideological camps (both conservative and liberal) and use government to meet the needs of others. We can provide border agents with the resources and tools they need to make sure criminals and terrorists are kept out of our country. In listening to border agents, it’s clear this doesn’t have a be a wall. Instead, more human power, technology, and increased legal pathways are the way to a secure border.
As Christians living in the United States, Peter instructs us to use our Christian freedom for good and not for evil. We can use the cultural power of our government to seek the flourishing and wellbeing of our immigrant neighbors. Consider contacting your member of congress and your senators. Ask them to support immigration reform that is bi-partisan, honors our immigrant neighbors, and upholds the importance of the rule of law.
Inspired to get involved in the conversation? Sign up for our six-week advocacy classes using “Welcoming the Stranger” by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang.
Jason Lief lives in Sioux Center, Iowa and works for the National Immigration Forum as a Bibles, Badges, and Business Immigration Mobilizer.
Email: jlief@bbbimmigration.org
Leaving Ukraine: The Ochkur Family
The Ochkur Family – Slava, Iryna and three-year-old Olivia – had been working on their immigration to the United States from Ukraine for four years. Slava needed one last stamp on his documents, and then the airline tickets could be issued. They expected to get the call any day. Instead, on February 24, 2022, they woke up in Kyiv to discover that Russia had invaded Ukraine from Belarus just to the north of their home. Slava decided they needed to leave immediately. They packed their car, leaving much behind, and headed for Slava’s parents’ house which was closer to the Polish border and somewhat removed from the fighting.
Slava and Iryna had been working with the US Embassy in Kyiv through the Lautenberg Program, which allows members of religious minorities who are living in countries associated with the former Soviet Union to join their families already in the United States. However, when the unrest began, staff from the US Embassy were evacuated from Ukraine. No one was left to help them with their tickets.
“We stayed at his parents’ and just wait,” Iryna said. “We don’t know how long we need to wait. When we called, they just said, wait until the war is finished or just try to cross the border to another country, and we will try to help you. So we decide to try to move to another country.”
They spent about two weeks living with Slava’s parents in Western Ukraine. “It was a really hard two weeks.”
Slava added: “It was the beginning of the war. Nobody knew what to expect. If Kyiv will be taken or not. If government will still be there or not. And, also, Russia started to bomb, not just Kyiv, but all around Ukraine and even closer to where they were staying.”
Slava’s parents were in the same situation as Slava and Iryna. They were also in the process of immigrating to the US and waiting for tickets. They all knew they needed to cross the border and get to a place of safety.
However, Slava’s missing stamp created a problem. Everyone was able to cross the border except him. Iryna, Olivia and Slava’s parents had to cross into Poland without him, uncertain whether or not he would be able to rejoin them. (When the war began, all men from the ages of 18 to 60 were summoned to join the war effort. Slava had an exception because he was already slated to move to the US, but in war, things do not always go as they should.)
Olga Symonenko was helping to translate during this interview. She also played an important role in the Ochkur’s story. Olga is the mother of World Relief Spokane employee Erika Symonenko, our housing coordinator. Olga had escaped a war in Tajikistan when she was 18 and then in 2008, she had to run again, resettling with her family in Spokane through World Relief. When the war broke out in Ukraine, she and her sister, Katya, who lives in Germany, began to plot how they could help friends and family seeking to flee Ukraine. Olga helped numerous families, including the Ochkurs, get to her sister’s in Germany.
When Olga called about the Ochkurs, Katya and her husband were already headed to Poland to pick up another family. Even though the two families had never met, Katya and Andreas agreed to pick them up, as well. Andreas ended up sleeping in his car at the border for three days, waiting for their arrival, and their church provided a place for the Ochkurs to stay while they waited for word about their immigration to the US, as well as warm clothes since they were not able to pack any.
The great news is that Slava was able to join his parents, Iryna and Olivia after 20 days, but, Iryna explained, that was a hard 20 days. “We can’t move without him to the USA. We must move together.” And they did not know when their tickets and authorization to move would come through.
In the end, the Ochkur Family stayed in Germany for four and a half months. They arrived in Spokane in July, where they were welcomed by Slava’s brother and family. World Relief helped them to find an apartment, and now they are studying English. They have their Social Security numbers and are waiting for work authorization.
Slava said they are doing well. “I am very glad that we are here together, that we can live together. I think it’s really good that we can study right now, very important for us to study right now and be together.”
However, Iryna is concerned about her parents who are still back in Ukraine: “They are still in Kyiv. They were in Kyiv all this time. They have electricity problem. They do not always have lights. We are not sure if they will have heat. The heating system also experiences lots of problems.” She speaks to them by phone, but sometimes the connection is not good.
“My parents, my family, they are in constant danger.” Iryna broke down in tears. Slava explained, “She is very worried about her parents… The last eight months show us that the things we were hoping for, or things we usually hoping for, they may not work, and so, we must rely on God and his providence.”
The Ochkur Family’s story reflects the pain of so many refugees. Even when they reach safety, their hearts are still breaking for the loved ones they left behind.
“Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me.”
– Frederick Buechner
Giving Thanks
2022 has been a long year. Too often, it feels as though the crises are never-ending, leaving many of us sad, frustrated and confused. When feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to take a step back and remember the things that heal us. Here’s what our team is grateful for this year.
I’m thankful for my girls’ amazing teachers, and especially thankful for Black Hawk Area Special Education.
Leah
I’m thankful to work for a pro pregnancy and pro momma office.
Habie
I am thankful for God’s goodness to me, for good health, for my family and friends. I am thankful for my daughter and being able to see her grow, and most of all, I am grateful for being alive today.
Chantal
I’m grateful for all my coworkers. Since I started working with them, I’ve learned a lot from them. Lastly, I’m grateful for being able to work at WRQC because it gives me the chance to serve and help our people. I feel like I’ve made a small difference in someone’s life, and that’s the greatest gift you can give to some.
Pascal
I am thankful for God’s blessing upon my family.
Paw
I’m thankful for the upcoming arrival of our first child and a work environment that’s been so supportive of me and Beth as we plan for her arrival.
Spencer
I am thankful to Allah (God) for giving me life this year.
Amir
I am thankful that I get to work every day with a staff that feels like family and for volunteers who pour so much of themselves into our families, ensuring they feel safe and cared for.
Beth
I’m thankful for my husband’s unwavering support, to have a group of friends who can uplift one another from miles away, and to have a job where I can watch as my work makes a difference. I’m also grateful for my genuinely kind colleagues, who offer wordless but empathetic support in the form of coffee or food during long writing hours when I can’t step away.
Erica
I am thankful of the role that lets me serve the people in need.
Najib
I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for the job I have as I get to do what I love.
Ratko
I am thankful for everything, but most importantly my family and my mother that live in Malaysia; to love and to be loved by them is a blessing. Also thankful to work with wonderful people in WRQC; wonderful leaders, wonderful team.
Hanna
I am thankful for good music.
Bekzod
Words will never be able to capture how grateful I am for the entire team at World Relief Quad Cities. The dedication, passion, and love is seen everyday through all the work and support they give to our families. It is an honor to lead and work alongside a team that is dedicated to fulfilling a mission and calling to serve refugees. My heart is filled with thanks and appreciation for all the volunteers that have put in countless hours to help us accomplish our work and welcome and love new families to the Quad Cities. I am humbled at the support we have received from our community. This Thanksgiving, I thank YOU!
Laura Fontaine, Executive Director
Thank you all for making the Quad Cities a welcoming and loving community where all people from all countries, faiths, walks of life, political and social views are accepted, loved, and treated as equals. Blessings to you and your family this Thanksgiving from the World Relief Quad Cities team.