Posts Tagged ‘Resources’
A Prayer for Refugees
Every June, we at World Relief invite people like you to join us in honoring World Refugee Day. And we believe one important way we can walk alongside our refugee neighbors is through prayer.
Prayer is a source of power and light in dark times. As we face the largest displacement crisis in recorded history with over 108 million displaced people and 35.3 million refugees worldwide, prayer is an essential part of our response.
For me, prayer has been integral to my growth as a Christian. It has given clarity to big life decisions, healing to sicknesses and physical pain and it has been a practice of vulnerability and unity within Christian community. Prayer is the simplest act of being and communicating with God our Father.
Will you join me today in his presence as we pray for refugees together?
Father, I still my heart and mind to focus on you. Speak, your child is listening.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Read: “The Lord your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty, and he is to be obeyed. He does not show partiality, and he does not accept bribes. He makes sure that orphans and widows are treated fairly; he loves the foreigners who live with our people, and gives them food and clothes. So then, show love for those foreigners, because you were once foreigners in Egypt.” — Deuteronomy 10: 17-19 (GNT)
How wonderful and powerful you are, Lord. Help me to reflect you and love like you.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Today, I pray for those who are vulnerable and who may not be able to see your might and presence in their lives at this moment. I pray for those fleeing violence, wars and persecution; be their guide and comfort. For the millions of refugees around the world, waiting for justice and a new home.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
I pray for my city and community. May it be a place of safety, support and solace for those in distress.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Lord, I think about our nation’s leaders and government. May they use their positions of power to work towards justice and righteousness.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
I pray for your church, that it would be a city on a hill, shining bright as a beacon for all who seek a new and better way.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Lastly, I stand firm, covered with the armor of God, and pray against the work of the enemy, who comes to kill, steal and destroy.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
I offer this prayer to you and declare that yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Want to learn more about refugees and how you can celebrate their lives and stories this World Refugee Day?
Nou Huse works at World Relief as the U.S. Good Neighbor Team (GNT) Program Coordinator. She formerly served as the Volunteer and GNT Coordinator at World Relief Fox Valley. Before joining the World Relief team, she lived seven years abroad working in education and serving in urban missions. She aims to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God in all things.
5 Ways to Keep Welcoming Afghans
In August 2021, the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, and Kabul fell to the Taliban. Many Afghans, especially those who had assisted the U.S. government, were left at considerable risk. Since the withdrawal, an estimated 84,600 Afghans have been evacuated to the U.S.
Over the last year, people like you have helped us welcome 3,419 of those Afghans. World Relief staff, volunteers, church partners and donors have given generously of their time, friendship and resources to help these families and individuals begin rebuilding their lives.
Within weeks of the fall of Kabul, churches were gathering household supplies to transform empty apartments into homes for Afghan arrivals. Volunteers formed Good Neighbor Teams to help Afghan families adjust to life in the U.S. And, even as they began rebuilding their own lives, leaders emerged from the Afghan community to help us better welcome our new neighbors.
Now, we invite you to keep leaning in. Do not grow weary of doing good — the work of welcome doesn’t stop when headlines fade.
Here are 5 ways you can keep building a movement of welcome for Afghans in the U.S. By continuing to advocate with, pray for and walk alongside Afghans, you can embody Christ’s love for all people, whether or not they’re making headline news.
1. Ask Congress to provide lasting protection for evacuated Afghans
Many of the Afghans evacuated to the U.S. were granted entry as “parolees.” This means their immigration status is temporary, leaving tens of thousands of Afghan women, men and children resettled in the U.S. with uncertain futures.
Take action today on behalf of your Afghan neighbors by emailing Congress and urging them to support the Afghan Adjustment Act, which will provide lasting protection to evacuated Afghans in the U.S.
2. Learn about Afghan culture to better connect with your Afghan neighbors
As Afghan evacuees continue to rebuild their lives in the U.S., you may find yourself wondering — How can I better connect with and serve my Afghan neighbors?
In the Afghan Culture Guide, an interactive, online course from the World Relief Workshop, we share essential knowledge about Afghan culture, unpack common tension points and provide practical tools to help move you towards a mutually enriching friendship with your Afghan neighbors. Now through September 30, enroll for 50% off with code AFGHANCULTUREGUIDE50.
3. Volunteer alongside Afghans in your community
Over the last year, volunteers across the U.S. have demonstrated love for their Afghan neighbors by serving alongside them. Whether providing transportation, helping newcomers learn English or making an apartment feel like home for a new arrival, volunteers play an essential role in embodying hospitality and welcome for refugees and immigrants, including those who have fled Afghanistan.
Find a local World Relief office near you to start your volunteer journey with us.
4. Apply to work at World Relief
If you’ve ever wanted to grow your gifts and talents while serving your refugee and immigrant neighbors, this is your chance! World Relief is hiring for open positions across our U.S. network and internationally.
Whether you have a passion for mobilizing volunteers and churches to welcome refugees, advocating for the rights of immigrants or providing support and services to your newcomer neighbors, we need people like you to join our U.S. teams. Apply today to put your faith into action and be part of the movement of welcome.
5. Join The Path and give a gift that lasts
Rebuilding lives and regaining stability takes time. Over the next few months, World Relief is expected to resettle an additional 500 Afghans. When you join The Path as a monthly giver, you help ensure our newest immigrant neighbors are welcomed and supported. Together, we can sustain a movement of welcome long after the headlines fade.
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.
20 Ways to Learn More About Refugees
Around the world, 103 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes — the highest number in recorded history. Of those, 32.5 million are considered refugees, having fled across an international border due to war, violence, conflict or persecution.
That’s millions of mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, teachers, doctors and friends — each created in the image of God — with full lives and identities long before they became refugees.
As we enter World Refugee Awareness Month and look toward World Refugee Day on June 20th, we’ve compiled a list of books, podcasts, videos and more to help answer your questions about refugees. As you engage with and share these resources, we hope you’ll be inspired to join us in creating a world where everyone can thrive.
READ
Some advocates have described Jesus as a refugee. But was he really? World Relief CEO Myal Greene tackles that question and how the answer should shape the Christian response to refugees and other vulnerable immigrants.
Blog: Drivers of Mass Displacement
People are displaced from their homes for myriad reasons, including persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and climate-related factors. World Relief’s Lydia Dawson explains the drivers of mass displacement and how World Relief is responding globally.
Blog: Worth the Wait: A Story of Faith, Perseverance and Love, Despite the Odds
For seven years, Congolese refugees (and newlyweds!) Mbimbi and Goreth didn’t know if they would ever see each other again. Read their story to learn more about the challenges and uncertainties that many refugees face as they rebuild.
Book: Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church
U.S. churches are at a critical crossroads — blurred lines between discipleship and partisanship have compromised our witness and confused our national and individual responses to refugees and “the stranger.” In their book, pastor Eric Costanzo, missiologist Daniel Yang and World Relief’s Matthew Soerens find hope in the witness of global Christians, the poor and the ancient church.
Book: Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration
Karen González invites Christians passionate about serving immigrants to explore how we can create welcoming communities that put our immigrant neighbors at the center of the conversation.
Book: Everything Sad is Untrue: (a true story)
Following his mother’s vocal embrace of Christianity, Daniel Nayeri, his mother and his sister were forced to flee Iran. In this memoir, he retells the tales of his family’s history from his perspective as a misfit middle schooler in Oklahoma.
Book: The Girl Who Smiled Beads
When Clementine was six years old, she and her 15-year-old sister, Clair, fled the massacre that was happening in their home country of Rwanda. In this riveting memoir, Clementine tells their story of rebuilding and reclaiming life on their own terms.
LISTEN
This World Relief mini-series offers a global and a biblical perspective on the subjects of immigration, mass displacement and refugee resettlement, diving into current policies and practices and sharing stories of our collective human experience.
This six-part series traces the U.S. refugee resettlement journey through the eyes of those directly experiencing it. Follow along as each episode brings the listener into the daily lives of refugees adjusting to life in the U.S.
Podcast Episode: Holly Andrews on How the Church Can Walk Alongside Refugees
In episode 4 of our Forward Together podcast series, Holly Andrews explains how churches can use the resources they already have to help refugees and other immigrants rebuild their lives.
WATCH
TEDx Talk: One Refugee’s Life Experience | Come Nzibarega
Born and raised in Burundi, Come Nzibarega shares his story of escaping torture and civil war and why he thinks refugee camps are the richest places in the world.
For Ibrahim’s family, the road to resettlement, reunion and rebuilding has been long. Learn more about the obstacles families like his can face as they seek safety.
Video: Who are Refugees and How Do They Arrive in the United States?
From flight and displacement to arrival and integration, this 7-minute animated video tells the true story of a refugee family’s experience in each stage of the refugee resettlement process.
STUDY
World Relief Workshop Course: Intro to Resettlement
Have you ever wondered what actually happens in the resettlement process or what a resettlement agency does? This FREE, 45-minute course will answer those questions and explain how you and your community can support refugees resettling in the U.S.
World Relief Workshop Course: Navigating Friendships
Navigating friendships with those who are different from us can be rewarding — and challenging! In this self-paced, online course you’ll learn essential skills for building empowering, long-lasting friendships with those who may differ from you in culture, socioeconomic status and religion, and best practices for supporting a friend who lives with trauma. During the month of June, enroll for 50% off with code WORLDREFUGEEDAY50.
Bible Study: Christ Like Welcome
Jesus astonished the culture around him by giving voice to the speechless, frustrating the powerful and humbling the wise. In this 5-week study from our partners at Women of Welcome, learn how your welcome can become like his — wonderfully surprising, deeply challenging and firmly rooted in love.
Bible Reading Plan: The I Was a Stranger Challenge
Take the challenge and discover God’s heart for those who have been displaced. Over the course of 40 days, read one Bible passage a day that speaks to God’s love for foreigners and refugees.
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Children’s Book: Marisol’s Dress
In the midst of a revolution, young Marisol is forced to flee the life she knows and loves in vibrant Cuba. In this beautifully illustrated book, Emily Ozier follows her mother and grandmother as they journey to the U.S., facing challenges and celebrating along the way.
Children’s Book: My Two Blankets
When Cartwheel moves to a new country as a refugee, everything is strange: the animals, the plants, even the wind. An old blanket comforts her when she’s sad, and a new blanket just might change her world. A story about leaving home, arriving in a foreign land and finding a new friend.
For parents and teachers wondering how to talk about mass displacement with children and teens, the UN Refugee Agency offers teaching materials on refugees, asylum and migration, as well as guidance for teachers working with refugee children in the classroom.
Are you ready to take the next step towards creating a more welcoming and just world for refugees and other vulnerable immigrants? Learn how you can join us today.
Karen Spencer is World Relief’s U.S. Marketing Partner and serves U.S. offices in the area of identity and messaging. She previously served as Mobilization Director for World Relief in Memphis, where she lives. She is a connector of people, places, passions and purpose.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief and previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Expect A Miracle: Reimagining Our Lives in the New Year
Though the new year may be upon us, many of us are still moving through the immense amount of change we’ve experienced over the last two years. Today, Karen Gonzalez encourages us to see change as God’s vehicle for renewing and reimagining our lives.
We invite you to read or listen to Karen’s message below, then check out the entire Made for Change Audio Series, created to help you experience God’s presence in the midst of change. May you find the peace and presence of our good and loving God, the one who can do more than we could ever ask for or imagine.
Listen to the audio version of this blog post and find more audio meditations here.
Another Year of Change
When I was little, my grandmother sent me a card every year for my birthday. She would always write a special message inside, and then in the corner, in small, careful print she would write, “Jesus loves you and so do I. Expect a miracle.”
“Expect a miracle” were the words she lived by. They sustained her and reminded her that the Almighty would act in unexpected ways for her good and for God’s own glory.
Many of us can likely relate to my grandmother… 2020 – and subsequently 2021 — have been difficult years, in ways most of us could not have imagined: We faced a contentious election season, a global pandemic, racial unrest and economic turmoil.
We are grateful to say goodbye to the old, difficult year and welcome the potential this new one holds. We want to expect a miracle — something different but welcome, surprising but joyful. And so we come to this new year with expectation, with the assurance that God makes all things new, even us.
Change reimagines. It’s what God uses to reimagine our present circumstances and give us hope for a future beyond anything we could ever ask.
Naomi’s Story
I’ve been reflecting on the story of Naomi in the book of Ruth. For a woman whose name meant “pleasant,” Naomi led a life of suffering and grief. She experienced famine, forced migration, widowhood, the death of her sons, abject poverty and an uncertain future.
After the death of her children, Naomi returned home to Bethlehem for a new beginning in the company of her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth.
But to Naomi, the future did not look bright. She knew that having a husband and sons was the only way to ensure her survival, the only means for a woman’s economic sustenance in her society. Without them, she could not imagine a life full of anything but poverty and despair.
The best Naomi could hope for were the provisions in God’s law, designed to care for poor people like her: gleaning the leftovers in the fields and vineyards.
She railed against God, bellowing that her name should have been bitter, not pleasant, because her life had been bitter, “The Lord has afflicted me,” she cried, “and brought misfortune upon me. I went away full but now I am empty.”
In a million years, Naomi could not have guessed that the terrible changes in her life would be God’s vehicle for reimagining her life. Though the pain and the loss would not be erased, they would be robbed of their sting because God would redeem and restore her life.
Naomi, a woman who thought that men — a husband and sons — were God’s only way of providing for her well-being, could never have imagined that a woman — her loyal daughter-in-law — would be the path through which she’d experience God’s faithfulness.
By the end of the story, Ruth had remarried and given birth to a son. Naomi gets to hold her grandson as part of a new family. She listens as her Bethlehem neighbors rejoice with her and proclaim, “your daughter-in-law who loves you is more to you than seven sons.”
Reimagining the Future
Today, we know that this grandson is in the lineage of Jesus. Naomi’s reimagined life connected her to the story of the salvation of all humankind. Change reimagines, not just Naomi’s life but yours and mine.
God worked in Naomi’s life through means that were entirely unexpected — like a phoenix, Naomi rose from the ashes of her scorched life. As the Psalmist says… Naomi got to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
We don’t know what will happen this new year, but we know who will be with us through it — our good and loving God, the one who can do more than we could ever ask for or imagine. Change is God’s vehicle to renew and reimagine our lives.
As the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20 & 21: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever!”
Friends, expect a miracle.
Karen Gonzalez serves as the Director of Human Services at World Relief and is the author of the new book The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible and the Journey to Belong.
4 Ways to Read, Watch, and Listen to Powerful Immigrant and Refugee Stories
At World Relief, we love to bring you inspiring and meaningful stories about the immigrants and refugees arriving in Chicagoland. Yet we are all part of an even bigger story – of migration, change, poverty, and global factors that impact all of us. To give you insight into this bigger story, we put together this list of four resources in varying formats – podcasts, a film documentary, a book and articles. Each one gives the audience the chance to see the bigger picture through the eyes of immigrants and refugees. We hope these stories move your heart and that you feel inspired to join the work needed to create a better future.
Podcasts
This American Life, “693: Abdi the American”
What is it? This podcast episode from This American Life returns to a story from years prior of Abdi, a Somali refugee living in Kenya, who won a visa lottery to come to the U.S. as a refugee. And before he can make it to the United States, the police start raiding his neighborhood and targeting refugees. This story picks up three weeks after Abdi finally became a U.S. citizen in Maine. Take some time to listen to his account from years before of winning a visa lottery and then facing incredible obstacles before making it to the United States.
NPR’s Code Switch Podcast, “What Does It Mean to Be A ‘Nation of Immigrants’?”
What is it? NPR’s Code Switch Podcast specialized in sharing stories about culture and race that are rooted in current events. Although the events that inspired this podcast occurred in 2018, this episode remains relevant because it also explores the bigger picture of how immigrants fit into the U.S. as a country – and the challenges many face after arrival. Through an interview with refugee and immigration law expert Hiroshi Motomura, this episode dives into topics like family-based immigration, the history of how immigrants have been treated, and how it feels to be an immigrant in the United States.
Beyond Soundbites Podcast, Episodes 17 and 18 “The Reason I’m Here” in the “Searching for the Personhood of Refugees” Series
What is it? The Beyond Soundbites podcast takes a faith-informed approach to exploring the complex refugee experience. Episodes 17 and 18 explore the story of Trang Tran, who arrived to the U.S. from Vietnam as a baby thanks to the Refugee Act of 1980. Trang invites listeners to join her as she pieces her story together and seeks to understand her own family’s story. Also, many of the creators and contributors to the Beyond Soundbites podcast have long-term connections with World Relief. And they apply their own passion for welcoming immigrants and refugees to every aspect of the podcast.
Movie
Human Flow by Ai Wei Wei
What is it? Human Flow is a stunning and epic documentary film by Ai Wei Wei, an internationally renowned artist who applies his creativity to visualizing global mass displacement. Ai Wei Wei explores the tension between the enormous scale of displacement and the poignance of individual stories. And since the film was released in 2017, the global displacement crisis has only grown, which makes the film’s mission to understand the experience of displaces people and promote a belief in everyone’s unique value more relevant than ever. And through powerful visuals, interviews and stories, the film makes the global refugee crisis feel real in a very personal way.
Book
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil
What is it? This autobiography tells the story of a young woman who is a refugee and whose family fled their home when she was only six years old. Spanning years, the book traces her family’s journey through refugee camps in seven African countries until Wamariya eventually makes it to the United States as a refugee. However, the story doesn’t end there…
“It’s strange, how you go from being a person who is away from home to a person with no home at all. You are unwanted, by everyone.”
Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil
The Girl Who Smiled Beads describes a family’s struggle to hold onto their dignity. Their fight to stay together. And the lingering trauma that lasts far past the actual violence they experienced. Even after arriving safely in the U.S., Wamariya describes wanting to challenge stereotypes and throughout the book, she pushes back. Should you see her as a poor, grateful, exotic refugee? No, she is a person of agency, feelings, and unique experience.
Article
NPR’s Goats and Soda, Stunning Photos Depict Migrants ‘As They’d Rather Be Seen’ by Malaka Gharib
What is it? We have all seen heart-wrenching images of refugees and immigrants suffering, as oppressed and victims of violence. And in contrast, this article profiles a photo exhibit called Another Way Home. The art show provides a different narrative. It shows people how they want to be seen. And it does so by featuring 13 immigrant, migrant, and refugee photographers, artists, and storytellers and showcasing their works of art.
What will you learn next?
We hope that these resources help you connect to the stories of refugees and immigrants: people who come from different backgrounds, places, and stories but have dreams and goals for their lives. Ultimately, this is a launchpad. There are countless stories out there of people who overcame obstacles, faced incredible challenges, and are rebuilding their lives after loss and displacement. Because of that, we hope you will think of this as a starting place. Whose story will you hear next?
Continue reading:
Abdul and Yao: Story of Impact
Holiday Gift Guide 2021
Welcome to World Relief Chicagoland’s first annual holiday gift guide! We’ve created a holiday gift guide that creates change with every gift you buy.
When you purchase a gift from the holiday gift guide, you’ll be a part of building welcoming communities for refugees and immigrants.
So, what are you waiting for? This holiday season, give a gift that gives back.
World Relief Box from Anchor of Hope Box
Send hope to a loved-one’s doorstep (or your own!) with our exclusive World Relief gift box. We’ve partnered with Anchor of Hope Box to create a unique gift featuring beautiful, handmade items crafted by refugees, survivors of trafficking and people experiencing displacement around the world. Each box provides hope in the form of dignified and sustainable employment to people in vulnerable situations.
Order by December 14th for boxes to arrive by Christmas.
Re:new
Shop beautifully created bags, accessories, and more at Re:new. Re:new offers free sewing classes to refugee women in Chicagoland and then whenever possible, hires the graduates of the program to work in their studio and sell their items through their store.
Endiro Coffee
For the coffee aficionado in your life, locally based Endiro Coffee have a coffee subscription that your loved one is sure to enjoy.
Whitney Winkler Calendar
Bring some art into the everyday with this limited-edition calendar from Memphis-based artist Whitney Winkler. 100% of profits support local World Relief efforts.
The Happy Givers Collection
A gift that does good and looks good. The Happy Givers World Relief Collection is quality apparel with a purpose — perfect for the person in your life who likes to make a statement.
Refugee Bath Co.
Love. Energy. Nourish. Soothe. These are just a few of the words used to describe the bath bombs from Refugee Bath Co. whose mission is to provide opportunities for refugees in Washington to thrive.
prettyinside. Facial Masks
For the woman (or man!) in your life who wants their outside to shine as brightly as their inside, pick up a few face masks from Musee Bath’s newest line.
Hawa Images
Mark a special moment in your life with a photo package from Hawa Images. Studio owner Roxanne Engstrom believes in the power of story to inspire people to empathy and action.
Pen + Pillar Stationary
For the writer and kind-hearted giver in your life, shop owners Taylor and Justin have created a series of notebooks, greeting cards and art prints that your loved one is sure to enjoy.
Give the gift that keeps giving.
For the person in your life who is passionate about building welcoming communities for refugees and immigrants, gift a membership to Monthly Partners – World Relief Chicagoland’s monthly giving community.
Through their gifts each month, Monthly Partners partner with World Relief to create lasting change in Chicagoland for refugees and immigrants. Together, we equip immigrants and refugees to overcome barriers, achieve sustainable livelihoods, and seize a brighter future as they rebuild their lives in the United States.
Right now, their full first year will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000!
Gift Monthly Partners and spread the gift of lasting change.
Advent Prayer Guide: Taking Heart
We dwell in a world still racked with extreme poverty, violence, mass displacement, and suffering. Covid-19 continues to expose these realities of injustice in new and overwhelming ways, and it feels debilitating. Advent is a moment to enter in, hold these realities, bring the grief we carry, sit in the brokenness, and long together for restoration.
For those of us who follow the Christian faith, Advent reminds us of the hope we have. In the aching, longing, and waiting we are reminded that,
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5
That’s why this Advent season, we want to invite those of you who share our faith to pray with us. Let us pray for the heaviness we carry and the brokenness we see in our own lives and in the world around us.
Through this guide, you will join others in the World Relief community in daily prayer for our refugee and immigrant neighbors. Let this Advent season be filled with renewal, rest, and restoration as we offer up our prayers.
Advent Week One: November 28
Read: Isaiah 9:2-7
Reflect & Pray: Christmas time is full of lights. There are houses with lights on their roof or your Christmas tree that is filled with little light bulbs and sparkle. Could these lights be a reminder this Christmas season of the light that broke into the darkness? God sent the One who is light to come into the darkness so that we could live in a relationship with him. The light has come!
Advent Week Two: December 5
Read: Ephesian 2:14-18
Reflect & Pray: In the midst of chaos, Jesus entered into our midst. He would live the life we could not live, fulfilling God’s requirement. When he entered, he brought with him perfect peace. Peace that heals, peace that reconciles, peace that invites, peace that challenges, and peace that brings hope.
Advent Week Three: December 12
Read: John 13:34-35
Reflect & Pray: The distinguishing mark of Christ’s followers is love. We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). Our love compels us to serve sacrificially and welcome our neighbors whether they be natural-born or foreign-born.
Advent Week Four: December 19
Read: Luke 1:46-56
Reflect & Pray: Mary’s song is a hymn of praise. She expresses her confidence that God will be true to his promises to his people. We can have this same confidence that God will be faithful to what he is doing in us, in our communities, and in our world.
Continuing in Prayer: December 26
Read: Psalm 27:13-14
Reflect & Pray: We have celebrated the arrival of God’s Son coming into the world. This is how we know hope, peace, love, and joy. And now we remain in the Lord. We will see his goodness, we will wait, and we will take heart.
More ways to pray with World Relief:
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Today, we’re recommending gifts from three of our favorite shops and books from three of our favorite women authors. Inspire the moms in your life and let them know they’re loved by giving them a gift from our Mother’s Day gift guide!
Anchor of Hope Box
Give the gift that keeps on giving with an Anchor of Hope subscription box or shop their online market for jewelry, household items and more. Anchor of Hope employs survivors of human trafficking, refugees and others who are in vulnerable situations, bringing hope and dignity to those who have experienced poverty and injustice.
prettyinside.
Pamper the moms in your life with a gift box of face masks from PrettyInside!
PrettyInside is built on the belief that all women are beautiful, that they are created in the image of God and that beauty is more than skin deep. Empower the women in your life to take a look in the mirror and channel their inner strength, courage and beauty. All PrettyInside products are sourced with the best plant-based ingredients for your skin. The packaging is 100% recyclable, and a portion of all sales go to support refugee women through the work of World Relief.
InSenseUSA
This collection of candles, soaps and bath bombs are sure to make the moms in your life feel loved and cared for. Shopowner Al Alsaadi and his parents fled their home in Iraq several years ago and were eventually resettled in the U.S. They got connected with World Relief, and with hard work and a resilient spirit, they rebuilt their life in the Chicago suburbs. Al is now a design engineer, part-time college professor and small business owner. All items are crafted with love and handmade for you.
For the people in your life who need to indulge in a little self-care, InSenseUSA is your go-to shop. This collection of candles, soaps and bath bombs are all handcrafted with love in Wheaton, Illinois.
All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living by Morgan Harper Nichols
Invite the moms in your life to embrace the beauty of living fully, right here, right now with this beautiful collection of art and poetry. In this book, Morgan Harper Nichols reminds you that light will always find you, even when the sun sets and you sit awaiting the dawn. This is a book to nourish your soul.
The Very Good Gospel by Lisa Sharon Harper
It’s easy to forget that in the beginning, God once declared everything created as very good. For the mom who needs a fresh encounter with a familiar passage (Genesis 1), this book from Lisa Sharon Harper guides readers to discover God’s desire to restore all broken relationships and God’s vision of wholeness for a fragmented world and peace for a hurting soul.
Chasing Vines by Beth Moore
All of life’s concerns — both the delights and the trials — matter to God. In this book, Beth Moore takes readers on a journey to study biblical teachings on the Vine, vineyards, vine dressing and fruitfulness. Give this book to remind the moms in your life that God can use anything to produce fruitfulness and flourishing.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and children’s ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
6 Books to Read in 2021
As you make your way into 2021 and prepare to hunker down for winter, you might also find yourself searching for a new book to read. Well…look no further! Whether you’re looking to learn more about immigration, deepen your spiritual life or explore the intersections of faith and politics, we’ve got you covered with this list of staff recommended books to read in 2021.
After the Last Border by Jessica Goudeau
Follow the stories of two women — Mu Naw from Myanmar and Hasna from Syria — as they flee their homes and resettle as refugees in the United States. In this book, you’ll explore how “America’s changing attitudes toward refugees influences policies and laws, [and] also the profound effect on human lives.”
The God Who Sees by Karen Gonzalez
World Relief’s own Karen Gonzalez takes readers on an epic journey as she recounts her own migration story, weaving together the stories of Abraham, Hagar, Joseph and Ruth — immigrants and refugees in the Bible who “witnessed God’s liberating power…and became grafted onto God’s family tree.”
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
There comes a time in nearly everyone’s spiritual life when our relationships with God seem to shift. We long for something more but often aren’t sure how to get there. In this book, Ruth Haley Barton introduces readers to a set of spiritual practices “that open us to God’s transforming love and [bring] the changes that only God can bring about in our lives.”
Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison
In this book, speaker, author, reconciler and bridge-builder, Latasha Morrison, “helps readers deepen their understanding of historical factors and present realities” of race and equips them to be active participants in reconciliation and transformation. (*For a preview of Latasha’s amazing work, check out her podcast interview with World Relief’s Jenny Yang.)
Refuge Reimagined by Mark Glanville and Luke Glanville
In this soon-to-be-released book, Mark and Luke Glanville invite readers to approach the issues of displacement and refugee resettlement through the lens of biblical kinship. With a forward written by World Relief’s Matthew Soerens, Refuge Reimagined “envisions a more generous, creative, and hopeful way forward.”
For more staff book recommendations, check out our World Relief Book Club board on Pinterest!
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and children’s ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
Made for Change Gift Guide
At World Relief, we believe that every single one of us is made for change — both in our own lives and in communities across the globe. This holiday season, we’ve created a list of companies and products that embody our commitment to change in our Made for Change Gift Guide.
Each of these companies is committed to serving those in vulnerable situations by partnering with World Relief. When you purchase a gift from this gift guide, you’ll not only support the work of World Relief, but you’ll be investing in small businesses across the U.S as well.
So what are you waiting for? Shop the gift guide, and create the change you know you were made for.
prettyinside.
For the woman (or man!) in your life that wants their outside to shine as brightly as their inside, pick up a few face masks from Musee Bath’s newest line, prettyinside.
Prettyinside is built on the belief that all women are beautiful, that they are created in the image of God and that beauty is more than skin deep. Empower the women in your life to take a look in the mirror and channel their inner strength, courage and beauty. All prettyinside products are sourced with the best plant-based ingredients for your skin. The packaging is 100% recyclable, and a portion of all sales go to support refugee women through the work of World Relief.
“World Relief is one of the foremost organizations addressing the needs [of refugees], and because this is a beauty brand and it’s targeted to women, I wanted to work with somebody that worked a lot with women and children. We are incredibly excited to be partnering with World Relief are so thankful for the work they do that makes a difference in the lives of so many women around the world.” – Leisha Pickering, founder
Pen + Pillar
For the writer and kind-hearted giver in your life, shop owners Taylor and Justin have created a series of notebooks, greeting cards and art prints that your loved one is sure to enjoy. Each gift is inspired by Taylor and Justin’s love of nature, travel, community and warmth. A portion of each purchase goes to support World Relief!
InSenseUSA
For the people in your life who need to indulge in a little self-care, InSenseUSA is your go-to shop. This collection of candles, soaps and bath bombs are all handcrafted with love in Wheaton, Illinois.
Shopowner Al Alsaadi and his parents fled their home in Iraq several years ago and were eventually resettled in the U.S. They got connected with World Relief, and with hard work and a resilient spirit, they rebuilt their live in the Chicago suburbs. Al is now a design engineer, part-time college professor and small business owner. He’s excited to give back to World Relief because of how much he feels World Relief has given to him.
“I am excited to give to World Relief simply because I wouldn’t be here, and I would not succeed in my life without World Relief. From the first day I came to the States up until to this moment — of having my own small business — Word Relief is on my side helping me. We are in this life to change someone’s life. We might be planning on doing it or not, but if we stop for a minute and think through it, we might have changed someone’s life just by smiling and saying good morning.” -Al Alsaadi
When You Can’t Go Home
This beautiful book is perfect for the avid reader and art lover in your life. Seattle-based artist Karisa Keasey spent two years interviewing refugees and painting portraits to accompany their stories. She combined the artwork and stories in this stunning book you can purchase on her website. 50% of the profits will be donated to World Relief.
“These are tough times right now and we are all in need of healing. Healing happens in community, and community happens by pouring into others. World Relief embodies this community and knows what it is like to walk alongside some of the most vulnerable.” – Karisa Keasey
Refugee Bath Co.
Love. Energy. Nourish. Soothe. These are just a few of the words used to describe the bath bombs from Refugee Bath Co. whose mission is to provide opportunities for refugees in Washington to thrive.
Give the gift of fun and indulgence to a special friend or family member in your life, and why not throw an extra bath bomb set in the cart for yourself? When you enjoy these products, you make a difference in the lives of refugee women and men in the United States, as a portion of their profits are donated to refugee support services.
Hawa Images
Not sure what to get your parents or grandparents? How about a family photoshoot? Mark a special moment in your life with a photo package from Illinois-based photography studio, Hawa Images. Studio owner Roxanne Engstrom believes in the power of story to inspire people to empathy and action and donates a portion of her proceeds to World Relief. Roxanne is now booking for 2021.
“I believe welcome is part of who God intends His people to be and partnering with World Relief continues to expand my view of the world and our interconnectedness with one another. We are made to be molded and changed by God and one another. I see a clearer and fuller picture of the kingdom of God from my friends who have been on the immigrant and refugee journey, and I am so thankful to learn from and with them. “
– Roxanne Engstrom
The Path Membership
Give the gift that keeps on giving. For the person in your life who is passionate about advocacy, justice and fighting back against poverty, violence and oppression, gift a membership to The Path — World Relief’s monthly giving community.
The Path community is committed to advocating for people in vulnerable situations and doing whatever it takes to see our world transformed. Through their gifts each month, Pathmakers create welcoming communities and provide vital services for refugees and other immigrants; they reduce early marriages and support women’s empowerment initiatives across the globe; they build resilience and create lasting change in communities around the world, and so much more.
Gift The Path and spread the gift of lasting change.
Amazon Smile
Did you know your Amazon purchases can support World Relief? They can through Amazon Smile! Every time an Amazon Smile customer makes a purchase, 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for from one of the amazing businesses in this gift guide, or if you’re already shopping on Amazon, then follow the steps below to shop on Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate to World Relief on your behalf:
Visit smile.amazon.com and sign in to/register for your account
Type World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals as your selected charity
As you shop, be sure you’re using smile.amazon.com to make purchases (the same products are available on smile.amazon.com as on amazon.com or the mobile app).
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and children’s ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.