Posts Tagged ‘Refugees’
Moving Beyond The Compassion Moment
Itâs been just over a month since the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan began and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti. While the news headlines may be settling down, the need continues. Our U.S. offices are preparing to welcome thousands of Afghans into their communities, and our church partners in Haiti are hard at work helping their communities rebuild.
At World Relief, weâre committed to moving beyond the compassion moment â bringing hope and lasting change to the women, men and children who need it most.
This blog was originally published on Aug. 14, 2018 and was updated in September of 2021.
The âCompassion Momentâ
In 1984, BBC journalist Michael Buerk produced what was arguably the most groundbreaking news reports of the late 20th century, documenting massive famine in Ethiopia. Record low rainfalls, compounded by the effects of a brutal civil war, contributed to an estimated one million deaths and made millions more destitute. In his report, Buerk described the scenes of dying families huddled in feeding camps as âa biblical famine in the 20th century.â
The report went viral, transmitted by 425 television stations worldwide. Musicians, artists and celebrities of all kinds came together to organize fundraising events, the culmination of which was the Live Aid concert, watched by over 400 million people worldwide. The surge of compassion was huge.
Fast forward to 2008, when genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan splashed across headlines and the Save Darfur movement was born. The campaign grew like wildfire, garnering unparalleled supportâfrom high school students to politicians to Hollywoodâs biggest names.
Millions of dollars were pumped into advertising, celebrity spokespeople ensured constant media coverage and high school and college clubs and letter-writing campaigns ramped up national support in the blink of an eye. Again, the surge of compassion seemed unstoppable.
Then, in 2015, a picture of a little Syrian boy washed up on the shores of Turkey broke over the news. His name was Alan Kurdi, and he had drowned as his parents sought to escape the violence and horrors of the civil war in Syria. The image of this unimaginable horror once again fueled a compassion moment that captivated the world and led to an outpouring of generosity. The Swedish Red Cross saw donations skyrocket from $8,000 to $430,000 in one day â a pattern experienced by many other international organizations the day after Alanâs photo was released.
Each of these tragic stains on our global history have been complex and different. But they have one painful commonality. The compassion moments failed. The outpouring of support did not last. Donations stayed elevated for a few weeks â before returning to normal levels. And these crises were largely forgotten. Conflict persisted and the images of suffering became commonplace. We returned to our normal.
We should not be surprised. Today, the litany of crises around the world seems to be endless. Famine continues to stalk much of Africa periodically. The number of conflict zones seems to multiply. Mass migration driven by conflict is increasing sharply with the number of displaced people in the world today at an all-time high.
Psychic Numbing
Today, the Democratic Republic of Congo currently faces one of the worst food security crises in the world. A volcanic eruption occurred in May just outside of Goma, displacing more than 20,000 people and destroying much of the arable farmland, which the community relied on for food.
In Ethiopia, civil unrest has displaced an estimated 1.7 million people from their homes since 2020. Many are internally displaced, while others have crossed borders into Eritrea and Sudan where they live in refugee camps. And yet, these crises have hardly impinged on the consciousness of the average American. We have become numb.
Why? Perhaps it is fatigue. Perhaps itâs a belief that itâs no longer possible to make a difference. A belief that the problem is just too big. Indeed, when the World Food Program reported that it had run out of funding for its emergency response in Syria just 12 months after the outpouring of charitable giving that was spurred by Alan Kurdiâs death, many undoubtedly took this as proof that their compassion wasnât, and never would be, enough.
But what if there was a different way to respond to these crises? What if funding didnât run out with the hand-outs, but became a catalyst for crisis preventionâa hand-up? Would the world believe once again in the power of their empathy? Could we transform humanitarian responses to have impact that lasted far beyond the end date of a single crisis?
Sustainable Solutions
Humanitarian crises are rarely simple or short-lived. In fact, recent OHCA reports reveal that more than 90% of humanitarian crises last longer than three years, with the average length being seven years. It, therefore, makes sense that responses that focus only upon the immediate âcompassion momentâ to raise funding are insufficient. The root causes of most humanitarian crises, whether catalyzed by nature or by conflict, are complex and multi-dimensional. They require far more than just emergency aid. Only a response that goes beyond relief to include restoration and rebuilding will truly heal and transform suffering populations.
Thatâs why at World Relief we go beyond immediate assistance to focus on empowering local communities with sustainable solutions to these complex crises.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and other nations plagued by conflict, we design and implement programming in conflict prevention through village peace committees, interfaith peace gatherings and youth against violence initiatives. These programs ensure that peace is maintained, create stability and social harmony and provide a mechanism for communities to resolve local conflicts before they turn to war.
In parts of Africa, where drought and conflict often contribute to re-occurring food crises, we teach communities to rethink common cultural practices to ensure children begin life with proper nutrition and introduce food diversity through new agricultural techniques.
And in places like Haiti, we developed strong networks of local churches that have led to sustainable development work beyond initial disaster response. In Les Cayes, we established a church network after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti in 2016. These church networks are now responding to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit in August, partnering with us to do distributions and are helping us to identify those most in need.
And in the community of Mapou, Haiti our disaster risk reduction work has helped communities develop low-tech early warning systems that dramatically reduce their potential vulnerability.
In each of these cases, we mobilize the authority, knowledge and outreach capacity of local churches and other partner organizations within the affected communities, magnifying and extending the impact of our work so that change can be sustained long after we depart.
Of course, we cannot claim to have the solutions or the resources to end these humanitarian crises. But we can seek to operate beyond the compassion moment with long-term, sustainable and transformational solutions to complex crises. These solutions ensure that even in the face of crises that seem âtoo bigâ, âtoo hardâ or âtoo complicated, we can still make a differenceâbreaking the cycle of despair and empowering the most vulnerable with courage, resilience and hope.
We can still say âyesâ.
Tim Breene served on the World Relief Board from 2010 to 2015 before assuming the role of CEO from 2016-2020. Timâs business career has spanned nearly 40 years with organizations like McKinsey, and Accenture where he was the Corporate Development Officer and Founder and Chief Executive of Accenture Interactive. Tim is the co-author of Jumping the S-Curve, published by Harvard Publishing. Tim and his wife Michele, a longtime supporter of World Relief, have a wealth of experience working with Christian leaders in the United States and around the world.
I Never Expected to Be a Refugee
When Life Felt Almost Perfect
I never expected to be a refugee. I joined a university when I was 18 years old, enrolling in the English department at Basra (the Port of Iraq). At the end of my time there, I graduated second in my department. After graduation, I stayed two more years as a researcherâs assistant and then five more years when I was accepted for my masterâs in the linguistics program.
I became a professor in 1987 and moved to Baghdad in 1992 to teach undergraduate and postgraduate students of the English Department at Baghdad University College of Education for Women. Life felt almost perfect, and it seemed I had great success.
For the next 10 years, I continued teaching, translating for the womenâs newsletter, participating in academic, cultural and social activities, and supporting needy students during the 12-year blockade. I especially enjoyed my big extended familyâs weekly gathering to have our authentic food and spend the most precious time together.
Then, in 2003, the unexpected happened. The United States invaded Iraq. This is when my life would change forever.
In hopes to rebuild my country, I stayed three years after the U.S. military arrived. However, the targeted people were the Iraqi brains. Doctors, professors, scientists and engineers were receiving life threats daily. I knew it was only a matter of time before they reached me. It was then I knew I had to leave. My sister, niece and I packed our bags to escape the ongoing danger.
Becoming a Refugee
Life had taken a sudden turn. The complete unimaginable came to be. We had never expected to be refugees. I took a one-year leave to live in Jordan, just to rethink and find some rest. However, the war continued on and when we were accepted into the States, we took our chance to go.
All I knew of America was what I had studied in literature and what I had seen from Oprah and Dr. Philâs shows. I had an idea of what American culture would be like, but it proved to be very different.
In the beginning, our time in America was really tough. Our family had come from a comfortable background. We were different than refugees that had come from impoverished countries or refugee camps. We went from having everything to nothing and it was a shock.
My sister, niece and I cried for the next two weeks. We were depressed and longed for what life had been. But we had to move forward. Surviving a war together, we knew we were not weak, but strong. We made the decision to do whatever it took not only to survive, but to be successful again.
Razkya, my sister, took on the responsibility of home life. My niece, Shatha, was the first one to begin working and thriving (she later got her diamond star from JC Penney and now she is furthering her education in make-up artistry and fashion marketing). I applied for community college, but was rejected, even though I had studied the same courses others at the school had. My degree was not from the States and this was enough to receive their rejection.
Three months later, a glimmer of hope came. World Relief offered me a job as an Arabic interpreter and I eagerly accepted it. Not only did they offer me work, but they embraced me. They became my second family, a family I had lost from my home country. I knew this job was meant for me.
[Re]Building
Eventually, I went from working part-time with World Relief to a full-time position as a program caseworker. I now have the opportunity to advocate for refugees and immigrants just like myself. I have also served as a member of the Refugee Advisory Council for the past three years, along with starting a WhatsApp group to build community for refugee and immigrant women. This group shares needed information on health services, employment opportunities, educational support and even recipes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I have felt so loved during my time at World Relief. I have gained a community I never imagined having in America. I have been participating in many cultural festivals in order to create a mutual understanding about our Iraqi-Arabic-Islamic culture. World Relief has given me the chance to teach about my country and culture and offers this same opportunity to other refugees.
This past year, the support and love I have received from World Relief was so important, as I endured the painful loss of my sister, Razkya. She recently passed from COVID and life has just not been the same without her. My grief is so deep. However, my niece and I do our best to press on. We are turning our grief into honor and success for Razkya.
By giving back, our family has been able to show our gratitude. My sister always did this through her cooking and had even taken on the nickname of the âIraqi Martha Stewart.â Every year, Razkya would make her favorite dish, biriyani. She served it to our office, police station and community. It was her way of saying thank you.
It has been a long journey. Looking back, I am able to see all the ways God has worked through my life. I never expected to be a refugee. It has not always been easy, but He has always provided, from sunset to sunrise. Even through all the pain and struggle, God has given me a second family and a job I love through World Relief. I continue to give back and advocate for other refugees in hopes of bringing help to those that are experiencing the same pain I once did.
We are so grateful to Amira for sharing her story today. You can join Amira and the rest of the World Relief family as we help refugees and other immigrants [Re]Build their lives in the U.S. by giving today.
Summer Lecas interned for World Relief in Spring 2021. She is a recent graduate of Liberty University with a degree in Strategic Communication.
Amira Al Salami is a Preferred Communities Caseworker at World Relief Tri-Cities. She holds a masterâs degree in linguistics and has more than 10 years of experience teaching as a professor in Iraq. After fleeing war in her home country, Amira came to the U.S. as a refugee in the early 2000s. Today, she is happy to advocate for refugees and teach others about Iraqi culture through her role at World Relief.
Your Rebuilding Questions Answered
A Conversation with Jenny Yang and Matthew Soerens
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the next President and Vice President of the United States at noon today, January 20, 2021. The Biden-Harris administration has a proposed set of policy goals that they hope to accomplish in their time of office, one of which includes increasing the refugee ceiling to closer to the U.S historical average number at 125,000.
Recently, World Reliefâs Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang sat down to discuss what raising the refugee ceiling means for the United States, for World Relief and for refugees around the world.
In this conversation, youâll hear Jenny answer questions like: Is there a precedent for an incoming president changing the ceiling mid-fiscal year? How does COVID-19 affect this plan? Would the increased ceiling affect World Reliefâs work? What can I do to help newly arrived refugees?
Listen in on their conversation to get these answers and more.
If you prefer to read instead of listen, access the audio transcript here.
Links for Listeners:
Matt and Jenny shared several ways that you can support refugees by getting involved with World Relief. Check out the links below for resources and partnership opportunities:
Advocate
Contact your congressional representative in support of refugee resettlement.
Welcoming the Stranger
Read the book and download the discussion guide to host a small group or book club.
Join The Path
Welcome refugees arriving in the United States and create lasting change in communities across the globe by joining The Path.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
An Open Letter
To the people we serve at World Relief,
We want to express our unwavering support to you and express our deep grief over the events of last week when a group of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol. The scenes we all witnessed left us feeling sick and unsettled and were reflective of the divisions that the country is facing.
We acknowledge that many of you may be fearful as you witnessed violence, terrorism, anarchy and instability â all resembling the dynamics you left behind in your countries of origin, and which you never expected to face again in the United States. We also acknowledge that refugees and immigrants have often borne the brunt of a hostile political narrative that has discounted or diminished the validity of your story and experience and your tremendous contributions to our country.
We also recognize that at least some of the confirmed perpetrators of the attack espoused explicitly racist and white supremacist views. We grieve that the response from law enforcement to this attack stood in stark and unjust contrast to the violence with which largely peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrations were met in the past year. We know that you may be seeing and experiencing historical events unfold that are often checkered with racism and bias against people of color. And the American church has been complicit in perpetuating untruths that do not affirm the image of God in every person.
We want to recognize that we as part of the church have often placed an allegiance to a distorted vision of our country over our commitment to God. But, the view of the people we saw at the Capitol building does not represent the view of all Americans. In fact, Christ calls us to be peacemakers and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We know pursuing peace is not a passive act but an active one that seeks the good of our neighbors and our communities.
We condemn in the strongest terms the riots last Wednesday and the scourge of conspiracy theories, anti-democratic misinformation and white supremacy that plague our nation. The continued assault on truth, decency and our basic democratic ideals is not just emanating from the far corners of our society but carried out from the highest levels of government.
We mourn the lives that were lost in the violence and grieve the ongoing trauma that refugees, immigrants and people of color, in particular, experience in this country. At the same time, we commit to continue our work in creating welcoming, just communities where you and your families can find safety and thrive.
We pray for peace, for reconciliation, and for justice and accountability for those who perpetrated the violence in our nationâs capitol last week. We pray for truth, decency and the rule of the law to prevail. We pray that there will be no further bloodshed and that a peaceful transition takes place. And beyond that, we pray that the seeds of division and discord begin to wither in the light of truth.
Most of all, we are praying for you. We are praying for your families to be safe during this time and for you to continue to find a welcoming and loving community that represents the best that this country has to offer.
We do not write today because we have answers to offer but, as an organization that has served over 400,000 people like you and whose staff is composed of many refugees and immigrants, we want to affirm our commitment to continue serving you as best as we can. To that end, please do not hesitate to reach out at any time to any of our staff if you are feeling overwhelmed and need someone to speak with. Please note our list of local offices on our website at www.worldrelief.org/us-locations.
We thank you for allowing us to journey with you and believe we can work together to contribute to the healing this land needs. We recognize you. We stand with you.
With respect and affection,
World Relief
Are We Becoming a Nation of Closed Doors?
Last month, World Relief published a report in collaboration with Open Doors USA. This report explores how persecuted Christians and the U.S. refugee resettlement and asylum process have been impacted by recent changes in immigration policy.
The report found that since 2015, the number of persecuted Christians resettled in the U.S. has dropped by nearly 90%.
While the report focuses primarily on the effects policy changes in the U.S. have had on persecuted Christians, various other persecuted minority groups have also been largely shut out of resettlement in recent years.
As Christians, we believe that all people have the right to religious freedom and that religious minority of any sort â not just those who share our Christian faith â should be protected.
In an article recently published by The Christian Post, Matt Soerens, World Reliefâs U.S. Director of Church Mobilization said, âSince the time of the pilgrims, America has been proud of its legacy of opening its doors to those experiencing religious persecution⊠American Christians must ask ourselves some tough questions. Scripture makes it clear that all believers are part of the body of Christ and that when one member suffers, the entire body suffers alongside it.â
These dramatic changes to U.S. refugee policy, which many American Christians seem to be either unaware of or indifferent to, âsuggest that weâve closed our ears â and our nationâs doors â to this suffering,â Matt writes.
Download the report to learn more.
Treasures in the Dark
COVID-19 is proving to be a deep, dark season. It was March 16th when we closed our office and began working remotely. The virus hadnât yet hit the Fox Valley area so although our team was preparing, we werenât really sure for what. We began praying, as individuals and as a team, for the refugee and immigrant communities we serve.
At World Relief Fox Valley, we serve 10 different immigrant communities and several hundred individuals per year. They come to us from Congo, Burma, Iraq and South Sudan, just to name a few. While we donât know every personâs specific story, we do know that all have persevered through unimaginable circumstances.
Many who have fled violence and poverty to come to the U.S. feel a sense of hope and opportunity when they arrive in the Fox Valley. No longer will their lives be measured by their ability to survive. Instead, opportunity has been restored, positioning many of them to thrive. Education, home ownership, business ownership â these new possibilities excite them, and they are eager to succeed and give back to the communities that have welcomed them.
While the immigrants we serve face many challenges in achieving these dreams, it didnât take long for us to realize COVID-19 would only add to the complexity of their lives and delay their journeys forward. Though our newcomer friends have overcome insurmountable obstacles, this uncharted territory posed a unique set of challenges for them to navigate.
I remember thinking in those first days of the crisis, âItâs hard enough for Americans like me to wade through the ever-changing COVID-19 information. I canât imagine trying to understand it in a new language and in a new home with new laws that I was still working to understand.â
With that in mind, in an effort to mitigate confusion and connect with those we serve, our team began reaching out to our clients shortly after we closed our office. We started with adults over 50, those who werenât yet fluent in English and others we knew to be most at risk in these circumstances. We made phone calls and sent texts, asking people if anyone had gotten sick or if they needed anything. We also wanted to let them know how much we cared about them.
Initially, their responses were nonchalant and unaffected: âThis text is to let you know that everybody in the (Burmese) community is doing well and staying safe,â one response read.
And so, we continued praying for their health and safety. Our prayers were answered with a resounding âyesâ for a while. But then we started hearing about refugees testing positive for COVID-19, families being quarantined and people being laid off. One of the first calls we received was from a group of people who all carpooled to the same worksite. They were all exposed to the virus and told to self- quarantine. We were able to ease some of their anxieties and offer a bit of hope by helping out with rent and groceries while they were quarantined.
That was just the beginning of the phone calls and requests for help we received. Our team moved quickly to support our clients in any way we could. We increased our outreach to ensure they were receiving accurate health information. We also began offering virtual services to help families navigate unemployment claims and understand stimulus check qualifications.
The work has been constant, a load that has weighed heavily on our team as we navigate our own uncertainties. Yet, in the midst of it all, I have been constantly reminded of Godâs promise in Isaiah 45:3.
âI will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.â
God has indeed gifted our team with treasures in this dark time. Our community of donors has given so generously, allowing us to provide financial assistance for those most affected by COVID-19. Iâve received so many messages from donors saying things like, âWe wanted to share our stimulus money with organizations we support. Thanks so much for all you do.â
Messages like these give our team the fuel we need to continue this vital work.
Likewise, our volunteer community has been a treasure. They have donated masks, purchased and delivered groceries, coordinated video chats with clients to help them stay connected and visited nearly every market in Fox Valley in search of ugali, a favored staple of our Congolese population.
Then there is the community of local churches that have donated offerings, gift cards and prayers. The generosity has been astounding. âI have a question,â one church partner wrote to me. âHow are some of the people youâre working with handling all this stay in placeâ stuff? Do you have a need for gas and grocery cards? I think I can get you some if you can give me a rough idea of what the need is right now.â
And the most treasured of treasures? A community of refugees and immigrants who remind us of what resilience and perseverance look like. They remain faithful and, by their example, demonstrate to our staff, donors, volunteers and church partners that even in the midst of darkness and despair, there are treasures to be found.
“I was just telling God,â one person from the Hispanic community we work with told me, âI do not know what I am going to do, you need to help me.’ And just when I finished praying, I received your call!”Our refugee and immigrant communities have endured hardships before, and they have come out stronger on the other side. So we continue praying â for health and protection for everyone within our community, and that we would keep our eyes peeled for the treasures to be found even in the season of COVID-19.
Tami McLaughlin first joined World Relief in 2014 as an Employment Specialist in Atlanta. Later that same year, she moved to Wisconsin to assume the role of Director of World Relief Fox Valley. Tami is passionate about developing service, fundraising and outreach programs and events and is dedicated to supporting the worldâs most vulnerable.
Love Disrupts: Rodneyâs Story
âWe are enamored with a gospel that comforts us, but we are rarely drawn to a gospel that disrupts us.â
– Eugene Cho, Thou Shall Not Be a Jerk
Rodney is a husband and a father. He goes to church and home-schools his kids. He loves God and loves others, but when it came to immigration, Rodney felt it might be best if the U.S. stopped allowing more people to come here.
â[I would] see the big headlines saying that an illegal alien broke into someoneâs house,â he said, âor [Iâd] hear something about MS13 without context. You get to the point where you start to put all people into the same category.â
Rodney was comfortable with his views on immigrants and refugees, that is, until God disrupted his life.
It was a perfectly ordinary Sunday when David Frazier, founder of World Relief Memphisâ Connect English Language Center, spoke at First Evangelical Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Rodneyâs son, James, was in attendance, and he listened as David spoke about Godâs heart for immigrants. After the service, James returned home and told his dad about Davidâs message and how it was causing him to question his own views on immigration. Rodney was intrigued so he invited David to come speak to his Sunday school class the following week.
âDavid really pulled back [the curtain] and showed me the facts about who refugees are and the processes in place in terms of vetting that they have to go through,â Rodney said.
After Sunday school, David suggested that Rodney enroll in an orientation program at World Relief Memphis to learn more.
During one of the first classes, Rodneyâs instructor passed out index cards to everyone and asked them to make a list of things they would bring with them if they had to leave their homes. After they made their lists, the instructor told everyone to cross one thing off their lists. After a few more rounds, everyone was left with just two or three things they could bring with them.Â
â[I realized] this is what these refugees have had to do,â Rodney said. âTheyâve had to give up things in order to [find] a better life or escape danger where they were. It just made me think, what would I have to give up?
â[The exercise] opened my eyes up to the fact that the people that are here are not trying to…stay in their own groups,â he continued. âThey are trying to learn English, trying to assimilate and trying to get jobs. These arenât people coming just to get something, theyâre coming to learn. Theyâre coming to contribute.”
After finishing the classes, Rodney felt compelled to volunteer. He signed up to serve on Wednesday nights at the Connect Language Centerâs CafĂ© English, helping ESL students practice their English by simply having conversations with them. At CafĂ© English, Rodney connected with refugees and other immigrants and began to feel a palpable sense of shared humanity with them.    Â
A few weeks later, World Reliefâs Mobilization Director, Karen Spencer, asked him if heâd be interested in filling the need for a Roadrunner â a volunteer driver who transports refugee and immigrant clients to and from ESL classes and other appointments they have. Without hesitation, Rodney said yes and began driving World Reliefâs 15-passenger van three days a week. According to Rodney, this was simply the next step God had asked him to take, and spending time with clients in the car allowed him to foster deeper connections with them.Â
âOne of the first groups of ladies I [drove to ESL class] came close to my 29th wedding anniversary,â Rodney recalled. âSo I asked them to teach me how to say âI love youâ in Swahili, which is nakupenda. It was a way to [connect] things from my life [with] theirs.â
After that, Rodney said he and the group of women would say ânakupendaâ to each other each time he dropped them off, a sign that a beautiful friendship was forming.
Rodney also got to know the Mto brothers on his drives. They talked to each other about their marriages and hobbies, and as they grew more comfortable with each other, one of the brothers approached Rodney and asked if he would help him learn how to drive.
Rodney admits that he was hesitant at first.Â
âThere was the human instinct [in me] that said maybe this is going too far,â he said.
But he had been asking God to make him open to new opportunities. When he remembered that prayer he thought, âGod, I asked you to make me open, so, okay.ââ
He picked up some books from the Connect Language Center that would help the Mto brothers study for their permit test and began studying with them. Eventually, Rodney invited the brothers over for dinner after their study sessions and the men became close friends with both Rodney and his son. One night, Rodney even took the brothers out for pizza and to drive go-karts so they could safely practice driving!
Recently, Rodney said that Patrick, one of the brothers, texted him saying, âBig! Iâm ready to drive!â
âMy nickname is Big Rod,â Rodney laughed, âbut he canât remember the âRodâ so he just calls me Big.â
At World Relief, we often talk about the opportunity for mutual transformation. Because of his willingness to take a leap of faith, Rodney experienced a significant mindset shift and has been blessed tremendously by being a source of friendly welcome for so many refugees and immigrants in Memphis.
âThe thing that has gotten me more than anything else,â Rodney said, âis that there are missionaries that are called by God and go to a certain country. Iâm being a missionary here. Iâve met people from Columbia, Venezuela, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Iâve learned these peopleâs names. Iâve gotten to talk to them, find out about their families, what they like to cook, etc. It’s something that Iâve really enjoyed and itâs ever-expanding.
âIt is not so much that you have the âskillsâ when you come to this job,â he continued. âItâs that you open yourself up to God and say, âTake everything that I am, and use me for your glory in this position.â So, itâs all about being open to God… Be open, and let God use you to be who he created you to be.â
Rodney’s story is a refreshing reminder of what God can do when we open ourselves up to his transformative, often disruptive love. May we all be a little more like Rodney and courageously let that love in.
Nathan Spencer is a former Communications Intern for World Relief Memphis. A recent graduate of the University of Memphis, Nathan continues to volunteer for World Relief as a copywriter.
All In This Together
Over the last few weeks, our world, our organization and the communities in which we serve have experienced rapid amounts of change. Like many of you, my colleagues and I have shifted to working from home for the foreseeable future, and our 16 offices across the U.S. have closed their physical locations. As our teams have moved quickly to create innovative ways to serve our immigrant and refugee neighbors during this time, I have been struck by the idea that we really are all in this together, and have felt compelled to consider what âbeing in this togetherâ truly means.
Initially, you and I might picture family and friends as we think about weathering this storm together. We might expand our view to include our churches and schools, coworkers and classmates, the healthcare workers and grocery store clerks we see responding on the frontlines. And while all of these are, indeed, included in together, I canât help but wonder if our view should expand even wider.
When I look to scripture, I see that every tribe, tongue and nation is present at the throne of God, and thatâs the very picture I want to inform my definition of together. For over 75 years, World Relief has been coming alongside refugees and other vulnerable immigrants who have been displaced by extreme poverty, violence, oppression and disasters. Many of these people live right here within our own communities and are experiencing the same sorts of hardships we are throughout this pandemic. Sadly, for many of them, unique vulnerabilities including language barriers, fear of ICE and family separation make this time even harder.
Even as we seek to support vulnerable immigrants during this crisis, many of the people in the communities where we serve are using what they have to give back as well. Sei Paw and the Karenni Burmese refugees in Winston Salem, NC is one such community that is pitching in to serve others. Recently, they came together and made over 3,000 masks to give to healthcare workers and other first responders through an initiative called Project Mask.
Rob Cassell, the Executive Director of World Relief Triad, got to talk with Sei Paw about Project Mask and why she got involved. My prayer is that as you read, you would take Sei Pawâs words to heart and begin to see her and other refugees like her as valued members of our community.
When were you first resettled in the United States?
I first came to the United States in October 2009. I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for three years before moving to Winston-Salem.
Where are you originally from, and what caused you to have to flee from your home country?
I am originally from Burma. I had to flee when I was 16 years old because the Karenni people were accused of being involved with insurgents in Burma. The military came and tried to grab me and take me with them. It was very scary. My family fled because it was no longer safe. My grandmother was killed by the government who accused her of being a spy. Thankfully, my mom and I escaped the country and went to live in a refugee camp. My brother, who had been disabled by a mine, also escaped and was eventually resettled in Australia.
After leaving your home, did you have to wait anywhere before being resettled in the U.S? How long did you have to wait?
Yes. I had to live in a refugee camp in Thailand for eight-and-a-half years. There was no freedom in the camp. We were not allowed to go anywhere else.
What role did World Relief play in her resettlement?
I, personally, was resettled by Catholic Charities, but many of the other 500 Karenni refugees in Winston-Salem were resettled by World Relief. Many in our community have also worked with World Relief translators and English teachers.
How has the COVID-19 crisis affected you, your family and your community?
It has created a bad situation for some of us. I started experiencing racism because I am Asian. Some people blamed me and my friends and family for the virus. Once, at a grocery store, a woman in line behind me shouted at me (the only Asian in the store) to get out of the way. I have never experienced this kind of aggression from others before.
Another time, I was in line at the grocery store, and the cashier was chatting nicely with the person in front of me. When it was my turn, the cashier turned away from me and completely ignored me. He then closed his register without even acknowledging me. I had to go use the self-checkout and kept wondering what I did wrong? I was only trying to buy food.
As I left, I noticed they opened the lane up again. I teared up in the car and prayed, âLord, help me. Help my people. I donât want it to be like this.â
Before COVID-19, cashiers at the grocery store were very friendly to me and my husband, but lately, Iâve felt very scared to go places.
What is Project Mask?
Itâs a community project where people are sewing masks for people on front lines â healthcare workers, firemen, EMS and those working in nursing homes and hospitals.
What inspired you to get involved?
I got involved through my friends at RISE Winston-Salem, which is a program through the local YMCA that helps women learn English and how to sew.
I wanted to show that the Karenni and other refugees have skills to contribute, and we want to give back to our community and to the country. My first year in America I heard Obama quote Kennedy saying, âAsk not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.â That quote has guided me and led me to encourage more of my friends to get involved.
When did you first learn to sew and who taught you?
I first learned as a teenager in Burma. I attended some classes at a local Catholic Church when I was 15 to 16 years old. When I fled Burma and went to live in the camp, there were some sewing classes there as well that I took.
Is sewing a regular part of your life?
Not really. I havenât sewed in over 20 years but started again just to make masks.
Who else participated in Project Mask with you?
There were 15 others from my Karenni community who made masks along with me.
How did it feel to participate in this project?
It felt great. It was amazing. I didnât know it would be like this. I just wanted to help and show that my community could help the wider community.
How many masks have you been able to make?
We have made over 3,000 masks and are still sewing! Our original goal was 1,500, and weâre already passed that.
How has this project impacted your community?
It has given a name to the Karenni and prompted people to learn more about us and where we have come from. There has been a lot of support from others saying how proud they are of our community. We feel very proud of who we are and what we have been able to accomplish.
What would you say to others who want to support those in need during this crisis?
Itâs easy to get involved. There is always something you can do. Try to help as much as you can. Even though you may think you can only do small things, when you come together with others, you can make a big impact.
What are your hopes for the end of this crisis? Is there anything you hope changes within your community, within the country, or throughout the world?
I hope that the Karenni people would be known in Winston-Salem and viewed as part of the community. Refugees have skills and we want to give back. I also hope people will visit the Project Mask website to learn more about the work weâre doing.
We are so grateful for Sei Paw and the Karenni community for their contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are just one of several refugee communities across the globe using their skills to give back. In Seattle, refugees have partnered with Aldi Collective to make masks for their community. In North Texas, our refugee Womenâs Sewing Initiative made 150 masks and donated them to the Texas Oncology Clinic. And the list goes on, reminding us that together means all of us â refugee, immigrant, American-born alike.
Jennifer Foy joined World Relief in 2007 as a volunteer in serving many refugee families before joining the staff in 2014. She served in the High Point North Carolina Triad office until April 2019 when she moved to World Reliefâs headquarters in Baltimore to take on a national role. In her current role she oversees the program management and development across all U.S. network of offices. She brings 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience leading local nonprofits. Jennifer grew up in Oregon and received a B.A. Sociology from Western Oregon University and later a M.P.A. from Norwich University in Vermont. She lives in Maryland with her husband Will.
A Spirit of Welcome: Volunteering at the Northwest Detention Center RV
Earlier this year, before COVID-19 transformed the ways in which we work and travel, I had the privilege of visiting World Reliefâs office in Seattle. The energy in the Seattle office is incredible. English classes, job coaching, meetings with newly arrived families, immigration legal services â the list goes on.
One of the most meaningful parts of my trip was visiting the Northwest Detention Center. In an industrial area outside of downtown Tacoma sits a nondescript cinderblock building that houses thousands of detainees from countries around the world.
Recognizing the incredible stress and anxiety that detainees often experience, World Reliefâs Detention Center ministry staff offers spiritual support to those who have been detained. And thankfully, World Reliefâs support and care isnât just limited to those inside the detention center.
In an RV parked outside the detention center gates, World Relief offers released detainees some much-needed hospitality through a Welcome Center run by our partner, AID Northwest. Last year, 274 men and women were welcomed and cared for in the RV Welcome Center by volunteers like Amanda Carlson.
I recently had the chance to talk with Amanda about her experience as an RV Welcome Center volunteer.
Hi, Amanda! How did you first hear about World Relief’s Detention Center ministry and how long have you been volunteering?
Iâve been volunteering for a year-and-a-half and I serve once a month. I had heard of World Relief, but decided to get more involved after learning about the new administration’s rules limiting immigration. I went to a meeting and heard Scott Arbeiter (World Reliefâs President) speak and then, Stephanie (World Reliefâs Post-Release Coordinator for the Detention Center) came and talked to my church, Urban Grace in downtown Tacoma, about the needs of detainees. It turned out that she had an office right here in our church building, so I signed up for the volunteer training.
Tell me a little bit more about what the Detention Center is and why we have an RV parked outside of it.
The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma is one of the largest immigration detention centers in the nation. People are detained for a number of reasons â not having the right paperwork, illegally crossing the border, or legally claiming asylum and being detained while their court cases are processed. Some people are there for a short time and many are there for quite a long time.
When people are released, there is nothing there for them. Itâs a long walk to the bus station or to get someplace where you could make a phone call or charge your phone. The RV is there to meet them as soon as they walk out of the detention center gates. We give newly released detainees a chance to catch their breath and figure out their next steps.
Itâs always really fun to welcome people to the United States. We provide backpacks for everyone because most people come out with a hodgepodge of belongings and lots of paperwork. We offer them snacks and drinks, give them toiletries and have phones and iPads to help people contact relatives or make travel arrangements. There’s also a big collection of clothing that people can go through. Some people come out in the Detention Center uniform of gray sweatpants. Some people come out wearing what they were detained in, so if they were detained in the summer they might be wearing shorts but now itâs the dead of winter and they need warmer clothes. People are so happy to go pick out some new things for themselves. We want to do everything we can to try and facilitate a smooth transition for someone who has just been released.
How has volunteering at the RV shifted your perspective on immigration or impacted your faith?
I was so surprised at how many nationalities are represented in the Detention Center. I ignorantly thought that most people would be from Mexico or from Latin America, but there are literally people from all over the world. More importantly, I have never met people who seem so rootless. People seeking asylum often have no support and no connection. They either had everything taken from them because of violence and conflict in their home countries or they had to leave it all behind.
Theyâve left their family, children, everything â in search of safety and a better life. All they have is this little stack of papers that they have been released with and then what we are providing them and that is it. I have so many roots here in the U.S.– family, a modest savings account, a home and citizenship in a powerful country that will protect me. I often take these things for granted, but these people have none of it at that moment. While they are incredibly independent people because they have gone through this huge thing on their own, theyâre also incredibly dependent on the goodwill of others to help them rebuild their lives.
Are there any memorable stories that you would like to share?
The story that comes to mind is one of a young woman who was from Cameroon. She had been at the RV for a few hours and I ended up taking her to the airport. She shared that she was impatient to get on a plane. I learned that she was flying to reconnect with her husband and her one-year-old twin babies that she had been separated from for four months. She was heading to Denver, so I pulled up some pictures of Denver on my phone and showed them to her, and she just cried. She was so excited to get there and build a new life with her family.
How has COVID-19 impacted the RV welcome center?
Unfortunately, all visitation and church services inside the detention center have stopped. The RV is still functioning, but it’s all happening in a tarped tent outside the RV so we can maintain appropriate social distancing. Everything has been loaded into tubs that can be moved outside. Thankfully it isn’t winter anymore so it’s been okay so far.
What is something that you know now that you didnât know before you started serving at the RV Welcome Center?
That God’s love is alive and well, functioning and serving outside of the traditional Christian box. World Relief is right in the middle of an issue that can be so politically controversial in the Christian community, but as I have expanded my faith and walked into different communities, Iâve loved discovering how vibrant Godâs love is in communities that I was previously unaware of. And Iâm very thankful that World Relief is willing to be a part of it. Maybe in the fringes where itâs messier and controversial is where Godâs love is the most evident.
What would you say to someone who is wanting to get involved with World Relief or serve in some way but is maybe hesitant?
There are so many ways you can get involved. With my lifestyle and family, I can only volunteer one day a month. Itâs so minimal but has impacted me so much. I’ve learned a ton, I talk to people about my experiences, I bring people with me to shadow. You can send letters to people in the Detention Center and when the virus calms down you can go visit. It is a real one-on-one, person-to-person way to serve a really vulnerable community. A lot of times with volunteering, you canât actually get so close to the people you want to help. But the detention center ministry lets you get close so it’s a really amazing way to try to help a little bit.
As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week, we are so thankful for amazing people like Amanda who partner with us to bring Godâs love to vulnerable and marginalized people around the world.
Scarcity, Immigration and Having Enough
In the human world, abundance does not happen automatically. It is created when we have the sense to choose community, to come together to celebrate and share our common store.
 – Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak
Seven Years of Waiting
Arooj leans back against the refrigerator in her dimly lit kitchen, her head resting heavily atop postcards and family photos. She holds a brightly lit cell phone out in front of her.
âYeah, but they never informed me clearly of what clearance they need,â her husband Sunnyâs voice is heard from the speaker. âThey are only sending me the emails â we are waiting for some clearance from the U.S., please wait⊠So I am living here alone, you are living there alone.â
Arooj closes her eyes, breathing deeply before she speaks.
âYeah. Just keep praying…Be strong. Be faithful. Everything will be alright.â
Arooj and Sunny fled their home in Pakistan in 2013 when Muslim extremists threatened to kill them and their families. Arooj made it to Sri Lanka, but Sunny was caught and kept from joining her. While Arooj was resettled in the United States in 2017, her husbandâs resettlement has yet to be approved. The couple has only been physically together for six months out of the last seven years. Now theyâre waiting â waiting on a process that seems ever-changing and ever more difficult to complete.
A Culture of Scarcity
The United States has historically been a place of refuge for people fleeing violence and persecution, but drastic changes in immigration and refugee resettlement policies have left many, like Sunny, in a state of limbo. At its best, the U.S. has been known as a place of hope and opportunity, where dreams can come true regardless of race, socioeconomic, ethnic or cultural background. Recently, however, our national rhetoric has shifted. Phrases like, âweâre full,â âthereâs no room for you,â âyouâll drain our resources,â and âwe donât have enoughâ have replaced a culture of compassion and unearthed a deeply seated culture of scarcity.Â
In 2012, author and researcher, Brene Brown published a book titled, Daring Greatly. In it, she discusses a cultural shift sheâs noticed in the United States over the last several years:
âThe world has never been an easy place,â she writes, âbut the past decade has been traumatic for so many people⊠From 9/11, multiple wars, and the recession to catastrophic natural disasters and the increase in random violence and school shootings, [weâve survived] events that have torn at our sense of safety with such force that weâve experienced trauma…
âWorrying about scarcity is our cultureâs version of post-traumatic stress. It happens when weâve been through too much, and rather than coming together to heal (which requires vulnerability), weâre angry and scared and at each otherâs throats.â
That description is eerily accurate of our current culture.
If youâre like me, you struggle with scarcity almost daily. You wake up thinking thereâs not enough time to get everything done, not enough resources to get what you want, not enough know-how to accomplish your goals⊠simply, not enough. But if scarcity and this pervading belief that you donât have enough â that we donât have enough â is driving the policies we support and the rhetoric we use, then what does that say about the God we serve?
Godâs Promise to Us
All throughout scripture, God promises to provide for our every need. He says to look at the birds of the air and how he feeds them. Are we not much more valuable than they? He also promises to keep us safe, to be our place of refuge and to shelter us beneath his wings. And at the same time, he calls us to be compassionate â to care for the vulnerable and welcome the foreigner among us. We take this call seriously at World Relief and consider it an essential task for followers of Jesus.
At World Relief, we do not advocate for open borders. But we do advocate for policies that are both compassionate and secure. These ideals need not be mutually exclusive. We also advocate and call for a church â Godâs people â to be a voice of compassion and to trust God when he says that he is enough and he will provide enough.
Perhaps youâve heard it said that anytime there are gaps in our knowledge, fear fills those gaps. If weâre fearfully believing that immigrants and other refugees are draining our system and we donât have enough, could it be that we just donât know enough about the facts?
The Facts
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a report that revealed between 2005 and 2014, refugees and asylees contributed $63 billion more in government revenue than they used in public services. These findings, however, were largely ignored. A fact sheet was released later that year detailing all the ways refugees spent public money without providing any of the details about how much they contribute.
Whatâs more, according to the National Immigration Forum, immigrants are twice as likely to start new businesses than U.S.-born citizens. Immigrants have founded more than 51% of the countryâs new start-up businesses, and in 2016, these companies employed an average of 760 people.
Immigrants and refugees like Arooj are grateful for the refuge America has provided for them and are eager to rebuild their lives and contribute to our economy and our culture.
âWe have a big plan, actually…â Arooj says smiling, âthat whenever we have kids, one of our kids is going to go to U.S. Army⊠thatâs what we believe!â
A Call to Trust
Author Parker Palmer once wrote that âwhether the scarce resource is money or love or power or words, the true law of life is that we generate more of whatever seems scarce by trusting its supply and passing it around.â
As we move forward, letâs be conscious of the ways our internal stories and misinformation might be shaping our national narrative and choose to generate knowledge, trust and truth rather than letting scarcity and fear win out.
Learn more about Arooj and Sunnyâs story.
This story is taken from âThey Are Us,â a video produced by Jordan Halland.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.