Posts by apearson
Living Outside the Box: A Story of Transformation (VIDEO)
“Thinking outside of the box” is a phrase often used to praise imaginative and bold ideas. When we need to solve a problem but there’s no clear path forward, our minds are stretched and we are forced to imagine a better way. But what would it look like to not just think outside the box, but to LIVE outside of the box as well?
Read MoreChange That Lasts Through Mutual Transformation
by Amber Díaz Pearson // At World Relief Durham, we often talk about mutual transformation as a central goal for relationships within our community: among churches, between volunteers and newcomers, between staff and neighbors. But what does it take to build the kind of authentic friendships that would lead to mutual transformation? While no two…
Read MoreWorld Relief Durham’s Efforts for Immigrant Equity
This summer, Adam Clark, World Relief Durham’s Executive Director, wrote a piece for local nonprofit partner Built2Last Innovations Lab‘s quarterly magazine, Vol. 3. World Relief Durham (WRD) is working towards one main goal in the Triangle region: immigrant equity. For hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who were born in another country, life presents numerous…
Read MoreA Biblical Perspective on Immigration
by Hunter Davis // “According to a LifeWay Research poll in 2022, just 20% of evangelical Christians say their views on the arrival of immigrants are primarily informed by the Bible. That is a shockingly low statistic for people who say the Bible is their highest authority.” Matthew Soerens, World Relief’s Vice President of Policy…
Read MoreWas Jesus a Refugee?
“Jesus Was a Refugee.” Recently, I’ve seen that message all over — on billboards, TV ads, on t-shirts, debated on social media and beyond. Much of this messaging is part of a broader campaign called He Gets Us that aims to help people recognize that Jesus was a human being who can identify with us…
Read MoreCompassion & Advocacy
by Hunter West // Last December I took a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, led by Abara, a nonprofit faith-based organization, alongside pastors and ministry leaders from around the country. There, I gained a first-hand look at an issue often found in our news headlines. However, headlines often do not give the fullest sense of…
Read More7 Ways to Love Your Neighbor
In Rwanda we have a saying — “Ifuni ibagara ubucuti ni akarenge.” This literally means, “a hoe that cultivates friendship is a foot.” In other words, we love our neighbor by visiting them and helping if they need anything. No matter where you live, loving your neighbor is an integral part of our call as…
Read MoreWelcoming the Stranger by Opening their Home and Their Hearts: Q&A with Tim and Gretchen Foley
By Nathan Spencer // How we answer God’s command to welcome the stranger varies from person to person. For Tim and Gretchen Foley, it meant opening the doors of their home on a literal and spiritual level. Tim, who has traveled extensively in the past, said the experience of being welcomed into another’s home left…
Read MorePeace like Breath
These days, peace feels hard to find. International conflicts, ongoing fall-out from COVID-19 and climate disasters can all disrupt our peace and well-being. Yet, at World Relief, we have the privilege of working alongside people who have overcome some of life’s great challenges, finding personal peace even in the midst of difficult circumstances. That’s why,…
Read More20 Ways to Learn More About Refugees
Over the past year, crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine have reminded us of the devastating impacts of war — especially on those forced to flee their homes. Around the world, a record breaking 100 million people have been forcibly displaced. Of those, 26.6 million are considered refugees, having fled across an international border due to…
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