Posts by smsmith

A simple act of love – something akin to the generous young child who gave up his loaves and fish for the crowd – brought Manito Presbyterian Church to the residents of Palouse Trails to help combat food insecurity during the pandemic. Food insecurity has long plagued residents throughout Spokane – an estimated 20 percent of…

Merilee’s faithful leap into volunteering has led to a whirlwind 30 years of friendship, challenges and God’s provision.

Ron Johnson delivered a new batch of his custom-made maple & walnut cutting boards in July. Each of his one-of-a-kind boards will be given to newly arrived refugees as they start their lives in Spokane.   Ron started making cutting boards four years ago. Since then, he’s crafted more than 300 of them, and now…

Last week, we sat down with Denisse Lopez-Arce, a local CNA, medical interpreter and COVID-19 front-line hero working at Sacred Heart Medical Center. She’s also a Dreamer. Denisse arrived in the U.S. with her parents when she was just a year old. Since then, she has committed to serving her community as a stellar student,…

Two years ago I was visiting a refugee camp on Good Friday.  It was my fourth and final day hiking the trails that connected dusty ridges and sandy ravines. The way was lined with unending rows of square bamboo and tarp huts.  I had asked questions, listened to stories, taken photos, and shared hundreds of…

How Justin Kalumuna survived a military attack, brought his family to safety and rebuilt his life in the U.S. Part I: Escaping Violence in the DRC When Justin Kalumuna left for work one morning in 2011, he wasn’t expecting that day to be the first in his 7-year journey as a refugee.  It was on…

As a self-described “tech guy,” it’s no secret that Idris loves computers. With his passion for technology and bachelor’s in computer science in tow, he served the U.S. government in his birthplace, Afghanistan, for more than 10 years. Idris and his wife, Frozan, remember the good years in Afghanistan. Long before landmines littered the picturesque…