Posts by apearson
7 Ways to Love Your Neighbor
In Rwanda we have a saying — “Ifuni ibagara ubucuti ni akarenge.” This literally means, “a hoe that cultivates friendship is a foot.” In other words, we love our neighbor by visiting them and helping if they need anything. No matter where you live, loving your neighbor is an integral part of our call as…
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…
Read MoreConfronting our Comfort Zones: Q&A with Victor Wallace
By Nathan Spencer // Sometimes, God pulls his servants in directions they are not expecting, often without warning. In these moments, God insists we put aside our fears and lean on our faith in him to direct our steps. After his home church made the difficult decision to dissolve, Victor Wallace and his wife felt…
Read MoreMoving Forward with World Relief Durham
This fall, a few of World Relief Durham’s partners shared why they serve with World Relief and what it looks like for their community to move forward together. Here are some of their thoughts: Why World Relief? “They not only serve [the international community] well, but they love it well, and they do it from…
Read MoreServant: Caring for the Immigrant and Refugee
This discipleship video from one of our church partners, The Summit Church, discusses the Biblical command to “welcome the stranger” and offers some practical steps believers can take to follow God’s call, including giving, volunteering, and advocating alongside World Relief Durham. “God commands his people to care for strangers and foreigners, along with the poor,…
Read MoreMercy over Judgment
By K.J. Hill and Reema Nasrallah // The tragic fall of Afghanistan’s government has led the international community to rally to assist evacuees fleeing the Taliban. More than 1,000 of these Afghan evacuees are slated for resettlement in North Carolina in the coming months. As a pastor, I have been getting lots of questions about this crisis.…
Read MoreUpdate on Afghan Resettlement
This week, World Relief Durham’s Resettlement Manager, Rebecca Evens, shared about the ongoing resettlement process for Afghan evacuees arriving in the Triangle as humanitarian parolees. At this point, the office has resettled about half of the humanitarian parolees expected, with the remainder of these arrivals anticipated by mid-January. “We did increase our initial capacity by…
Read MoreAn Afghan Neighbor’s Call for Peace
By Adrienne Morton // World Relief Durham had the privilege of welcoming and resettling an Afghan family of seven this past July, providing housing, school enrollment and support for the children, employment services, health care coordination, and other wraparound services that help them begin rebuilding their lives in Durham. Husband and father Shir Khan Shirzad…
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