Posts Tagged ‘Memphis’

Many American Christians have good intentions, working hard to welcome immigrants with hospitality and solidarity. But how can we do that in a way that puts our immigrant neighbors first rather than pushing them to the fringes of white dominant culture and keeping them as outsiders? That’s exactly the question Karen González explores in Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration, a new book coming out this fall. 

Today, we’re excited to share an excerpt adapted from Beyond Welcome and hope you feel challenged to move beyond welcome as you get to know new immigrants in your community.

In many Latin American countries, hospitality is expressed in the familiar proverb “Mi casa es su casa.” It is notable that the saying includes the pronoun “su,” which stands for the formal “usted” used when talking to strangers or older people. 

The phrase means “My home is your home, stranger.” How does that phrase reimagine the way we think about hospitality to strangers and immigrants? How does it move us beyond the host and guest dichotomy and into a hospitality that moves in both directions, a reciprocal hospitality?

I remember being awed when I learned that in his lifetime Jesus received and accepted hospitality and financial support from many people found on the margins of the first-century Near East: women, sex workers, tax collectors who were known for cheating people, and other sinners. 

What is perhaps less known is that he also reciprocated this hospitality—though he was a man without a home as he himself says, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58), he not only shared meals with people but also saw them, listened to them, accepted them and identified fully with them. He embraced them with a hospitable generosity of heart — listening, learning and engaging over and over again in his encounters with those in and outside his immediate circle:

• the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 
• his disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 
• in conversation with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 

This reciprocity is exactly what is often missing in modern rhetoric around hospitality to refugees and other immigrants—that hospitality only moves in one direction: from the native citizen with rights to the immigrant in need. I am not referring to the kind of hospitality where an immigrant person is invited to a citizen’s home for dinner, though that is one kind of hospitality. 

What I am referring to is the kind of hospitality that is truly engaged, where native citizens listen to and learn at the feet of immigrants they have welcomed to their countries—the kind where immigrants are asked to give feedback and evaluate services we receive, including resettlement; the kind where immigrants are at the table and asked to speak into the planning of programs and services that serve our own communities; the kind where our dignity and choices are respected and decisions are not made on our behalf.

When hospitality is not reciprocal, those belonging to the dominant culture unconsciously begin to think of immigrants as having less in every way. The truth is that immigrants may need material possessions, language classes and other services, but as image bearers of God, we have gifts, talents and skills, not just needs. 

It is important to revive the biblical practice of reciprocal hospitality in order to counteract these toxic narratives. 

In her book Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, Professor Christine D. Pohl writes, “There is a kind of hospitality that keeps people needy strangers, while fostering an illusion of relationship and connection. It both disempowers and domesticates guests while it reinforces the hosts’ power, control and sense of generosity. It is profoundly destructive to the people it welcomes.” 

Without reciprocal hospitality, we unwittingly reinforce the status quo and unequal power dynamics—this action mars the image of God in our immigrant neighbors and widens the distance between us. Hosts have something to offer to immigrants, but immigrants have nothing to offer to hosts. When hospitality is reciprocal, it encourages the hosts’ humility and diminishes the impact of the disparate power dynamics in the room.

In John 14, as Jesus prepares for his death and for leaving his disciples, he says to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” 

The one who has been received, fed, and cared for in many homes will now return to his home to prepare a place for them in his own Father’s house—a reciprocal hospitality. They wouldn’t be just guests in the house but family, welcomed in “Mi casa es su casa” style!

You can pre-order Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration here!

Karen Gonzalez serves as the Director of Human Services at World Relief. Shes is is the author of The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible and the Journey to Belong, and Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration.

How one Good Neighbor Team is providing hospitality and hope.

It’s been eight months since the fall of Kabul. World Relief North Texas welcomed many Afghans with the help of volunteer Good Neighbor Teams. Read about their mutual transformation as they recount their shared stories with us.

Susan has been attending Arlington Chinese Church for 6 years now. She is a part of a young professional’s community group there, where she has been able to develop an amazing community and grow in her relationship with Christ. Her parents were immigrants to the U.S. when she was just 3 years old. After moving from China to Texas, Susan worked hard alongside her parents to integrate to life in the U.S. During Susan’s 4 years of medical school in Fort Worth, she lived in nearby apartments where many refugees had been resettled by World Relief.

Her next introduction to the needs of new families was through her clinic, where many of them came in for their very first appointment with a doctor in the U.S. Through a desire to serve the most vulnerable and to understand her patients better, she explored volunteer opportunities with World Relief. She encouraged members of her small group to get involved by volunteering for a one-day event at a soccer game. 

From this one event, her small group realized a need and wanted to know how to become more involved. As they prayed, they decided to serve as a Good Neighbor Team, a group of 8-12 people who commit to serve and walk with an arriving refugee family for the first 6 months in the U.S. As they prepared to become a Good Neighbor Team, the Afghan crisis happened and Kabul fell to the Taliban. Susan recalled that “the Lord timed it really well and we were able to take an Afghan family right as they came to the US.” 

Asadullah and Sahar

Asadullah and Sahar lived a normal life in Afghanistan. Asadullah worked for the U.S. Government as a translator, and Sahar taught at an elementary school until she had two kids of her own who are now 2 and 4 years old, with a third child on the way. Asadullah mentioned that in the midst of this normal life, there were still hints of violence and danger throughout Afghanistan. Things such as target killings of those who were helping the U.S. or international organizations. Tragically, this included the assassination of Sahar’s father.

The Taliban’s invasion of their home displaced Asadullah and Sahar, along with over 700,000 other Afghan peoples who were evacuated from Kabul. Asadullah remembers receiving an email from his company that the Taliban had invaded and he needed to leave immediately. He rushed to get his wife and two children where they walked and waited in the Kabul airport all night long. 

From here, they went on a long journey to arrive at a camp in El Paso, where they remained for two months. Then they were sent to Fort Worth, Texas where they were resettled by World Relief. 

North Texas 

When they arrived in Fort Worth, Asadullah says that they were excited because “we had a home and a kitchen, and World Relief continually helped us.” Susan recalled that they first met them in their AirBnB because their apartment was not ready yet. One of the first things that was said by Asadullah was “we are so happy to meet people that look like us.” (They are ethnically Hazara which descends from Mongolians and they will look more East Asian and less Arab or Persian.) Asadullah and Sahar shared with their Good Neighbor Team, “it is not just a coincidence that we were paired with you.” Susan shares that they are so sweet, the family was eager to get involved, settle down, and get their kids enrolled in school. It was a thrilling experience for the Good Neighbor Team to help them enroll their children in school and help them become integrated into society. 

What impacted Asadullah and Sahar most upon their arrival in Fort Worth, was their Good Neighbor Team. Their Good Neighbor Team were the first people to meet them, help them move into their apartment, and take them grocery shopping. Asadullah and Sahar did not have any form of transportation or any knowledge of the metroplex, and are thankful that they had a Good Neighbor Team to show them these things. Their new friends took them grocery shopping, bought clothes for their children, and took them to picnics at the park.

After several months of spending time with his Good Neighbor Team, Asadullah reflected: “One time I invited the Good Neighbor Team over. We were all sitting around the kitchen table and I thought, ‘this is my family.’”

The impact surpassed any barrier of culture. Asadullah mentioned, “any time I faced a problem or didn’t know what to do, they were who I called. Without them, I’m sure I would have faced many problems.” 

Family Amidst Tragedy 

Sahar tragically had a miscarriage shortly after arriving to North Texas. Sahar mentioned how scary it was losing a child in a new place with no family. When she miscarried, they immediately turned to their Good Neighbor Team for help to navigate such a tragic situation. Susan was able to get Sahar to the hospital, and helped them navigate surgery, recovery, and medical bills. She still experiences deep sorrow over this loss, but the Lord used this circumstance to show Asadullah and Sahar that they are never alone, even during the most tragic times. 

“Our Good Neighbor Team behaved like a family and encouraged us to not be disappointed about uprooting our lives.” 

The Impact

As a huge impact was being made on the lives of Asadullah and Sahar, another impact was being made in the hearts of their Good Neighbor Team. 

Susan mentions being impacted by the hospitality that Asadullah and Sahar showed them. She recalls being at their apartment with the whole team when they hardly had any furniture, and Sahar served them all tea and food, and gave whatever she did have to host them. Susan was deeply marked by being served by someone who hardly had anything. 

We asked Susan what made the biggest impact on her in getting to serve Asadullah and Sahar, and she shared with us through tears, “seeing them has helped me to understand my parents’ journey to the U.S. as immigrants with nothing but a few hundred dollars.” Watching Asadullah and Sahar learning how to adjust their entire lives, and wanting to provide in the best way for their children has helped her understand what her own parents went through. “I never understood the sacrifices my parents had to make for certain things until I saw Asadullah and Sahar’s journey.”

Another amazing part of Susan’s parents’ story she shared was “my parents had an older couple who welcomed them from the airport and cared for them for the first 1-2 years of them being in the U.S. They helped my parents adjust and adapt because my parents spoke no English at first.” Susan, as well as the rest of the Good Neighbor Team, was able to love this family even more because they found unique ways they related to Asadullah and Sahar. “It’s been very rewarding to see how God uses each person on our Team because we all have different backgrounds and skill sets. God has allowed each of us to come alongside the family in different ways which is so sweet to see that this is how the body of Christ is.” Ultimately, she shared, “the impact on me has been the kindness shown in hospitality, the ability to relate from my own journey, and to see how the body of Christ can function using their different gifts.” 

“They are very open about what they believe in, but also are very open to hearing about our faith, and I don’t believe any of those conversations could happen if it was not for the amount of time spent building a relationship.”

A New Home

Asadullah and Sahar say that they are happy they are here and that they are safe. They are thrilled that their daughters will have a great education and have an opportunity for a good life. Sahar said that she will never forget the first time she saw her good neighbor team because “I was so happy” she said as she beamed with joy even telling me about it. “It was very special. We felt like a family because our faces are the same as their faces. They are my family.” Right now, they are excited to attend Susan’s wedding. It will be their first American Wedding. 

“The goal from the beginning was for them to see Jesus by becoming their friend.”

They have now been in the U.S. for 8 months, and in those 8 months, the Lord has provided them and their Good Neighbor Team with family, community, and the love of Christ. 

If you have been inspired to serve with World Relief as part of a Good Neighbor Team, there are next steps for you!

Learn how you can become part of a Good Neighbor Team with World Relief Memphis HERE.

Everyday, people like Ibrahim make the painful decision to leave their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and climate-related factors. Their journeys are often marked by loss, separation and worry for those left behind. 

For ten years, Ibrahim carried the weight of being separated from his family. This is his story of enduring hope.

An Impossible Decision

Ibrahim was born and raised in the Darfur region of western Sudan. He worked various jobs — housekeeping, construction, office administration — to provide for his family. He was married with three children and a fourth on the way. 

While Ibrahim loved his home and community, the civil conflict left him feeling uneasy and concerned for his family’s safety. 

For decades, Darfur has been embroiled in a conflict fueled by ethnic disputes and limited resources. In 2003, a rebel group launched an insurrection in Darfur, protesting what they believed was the Sudanese government’s disregard for non-Arab ethnic groups in the region. In response, the government armed ethnically Arab militias to combat rebels in Darfur. 

Despite international attempts at peacebuilding and intervention, the conflict worsened. Militias threatened the lives and livelihoods of non-Arab civilians, burned down thousands of villages, committed sexual violence and blocked aid organizations from delivering much-needed food and medical supplies. 

In 2013, as a renewed wave of violence gripped the region, Ibrahim made the heart-wrenching decision to flee Sudan, leaving behind his wife and children, hoping to find help. 

“There was too much killing, too much fighting,” he said. “It was impossible to live.” 

Seeking Safety

Ibrahim arrived in Jordan, where he had heard help was available. He registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), meticulously completing his paperwork. 

“I always wrote my kids’ names as my family on all the papers — all the dates of birth and everything,” Ibrahim said. He wanted to make sure records of his wife and children, still in Sudan, were included in his case so that they too would be resettled in a new country with him. 

Ibrahim found work, sent money home to his family and waited. 

Two years went by until one day, Ibrahim learned that his case had been approved for resettlement in the U.S. He passed all required security and health screenings, but because his family was still in Sudan, they could not travel with him. 

With help from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ibrahim flew to the U.S. in 2016, where World Relief Triad welcomed him to North Carolina. 

Ibrahim remembers feeling like he had escaped death. 

“When I arrived, I was so grateful for World Relief because they helped me with everything,” Ibrahim said. “They helped me with a place to stay. They were able to find work for me, and they helped until I felt that I could do things for myself.” 

And yet, as Ibrahim rebuilt his life in the U.S., he never stopped thinking of his wife and children, still stuck in Sudan. They frequently spoke over the phone — and Ibrahim continued to hope. 

“I couldn’t really rest or enjoy all the blessings I had because I kept on thinking about them all the time,” Ibrahim said. “I never felt complete.”

Hoping and Waiting

Now in the U.S., Ibrahim continued working with IOM in the hopes of bringing his family to North Carolina. He was persistent, calling for updates whenever he could. 

With IOM’s help, he was eventually able to secure interviews for his wife at the U.S. embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Still, the process crept forward slowly.

Then, in 2019, just when everything finally looked ready to move forward, Ibrahim encountered another obstacle — the president of the United States announced a new executive order banning Sudanese people from traveling to the U.S., Ibrahim’s family included. 

Ibrahim remembers being told, “Everything is correct; all the papers are the way they’re supposed to be. There are just some rules that they’re not allowing people.” 

He began to doubt whether he would ever see his wife and children again. “I almost lost hope,” he said. 

But then, in 2021, he got a call. A new U.S. presidential administration had reversed the executive order. Over the phone, he heard the long-hoped-for words: “Your family is coming.” 

Ten years after Ibrahim had to leave his family behind in search of safety, after years of hoping and waiting, they would be reunited at last. 

Reunited 

In February 2022, Ibrahim gathered with staff from World Relief Triad at the airport to welcome his wife and four children to North Carolina. 

“I broke down in tears because I hadn’t seen them in 10 years, and now they’re here, and it’s real,” Ibrahim said.

“The little one that I left was only three months; when he came, he was 10 years old. I cannot describe how I felt because I never thought — I was at the point of thinking maybe I will never see them again.” 

Now, with his family finally together again, Ibrahim has new hopes.  

“My hopes are for my kids,” he said. “For them to get the right education, for them to be good people. I want them to make something for themselves and make me proud… for them to benefit themselves and our new country — the United States.” 

Remembering Those Left Behind

Even as Ibrahim and his family continue building their new life together in the U.S., Darfur and the family, friends, and neighbors they had to leave behind are never far from his mind. 

“People are really suffering there. They don’t have food, they don’t have water, they live in very unsafe, unhealthy conditions,” he said. 

The UN estimates that 2.5 million people are living in displacement camps across Darfur, and 6.2 million people will need humanitarian assistance in the region within the next year. The same factors — war, violence, and persecution — that drove Ibrahim and his family from their home still impact people in Sudan today. 

At World Relief, we recognize that addressing the drivers of mass displacement requires a multi-faceted and holistic response. In Sudan, World Relief is on the ground providing humanitarian assistance and investing in development and peacebuilding efforts to address the underlying factors contributing to conflict and displacement.

Building a just world means coming alongside families like Ibrahim’s once they’ve reached the U.S. and it means finding lasting solutions to the problems that force families to flee in the first place. 

For Ibrahim, his hope for safety and brighter futures for those still in Darfur endures — “I really would like for them to… have a better life for themselves and for their kids.” 

Together, we are taking action, hoping and praying for lasting solutions for displaced and separated families like Ibrahim’s both in the U.S. and in countries around the world. 

World Relief Memphis, along with many other World Relief offices across the U.S., rely on partners and volunteers like you to help build welcoming communities. Join us on the path to hope, transformation, and lasting change alongside refugees and immigrants like Ibrahim. 

Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences. 

Abby Ray has been serving as the Communications & Advocacy Coordinator at World Relief’s Triad office since September 2021. She works to amplify the voices of clients, staff, and community members by empowering them to share their own stories.