Blog
Refugee family embraces the joys presented by living in Spokane’s multicultural community.
Hello. مرحبا. That’s how Hilton and Priscilla met their new neighbors, a lively Syrian family sharing their triplex. What followed was a delightful comedy of errors. First, the Syrian family assumed Hilton and Priscilla were from Spain. Then, came the guesses of the U.S. or Mexico. Finally, with a burst of laughter, Priscilla revealed the truth: they were fellow refugees from Nicaragua.
Read MoreJourney To Safety
Daniela discovered welcome in an unfamiliar land Daniela and her family fled Venezuela after her work with the police put them in danger. With two children with disabilities, they endured a grueling journey through the Darién Gap before reaching the U.S., claiming asylum and being bussed to Chicago. World Relief Chicagoland’s Southern Border Arrivals team…
Read MoreHealing In Exile
Willie found hope and medical care in Kakuma refugee camp Willie was just 13 when he fled the Democratic Republic of Congo, escaping an attack on his family. Alone and unsure if his parents survived, he’s spent years navigating life in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. While battling tuberculosis in 2023, he received lifesaving medical treatment…
Read MoreFaith Over Fear
Souzan fled Iran to worship freely with her children Souzan had everything — wealth, security, a future. But she couldn’t worship freely. In Iran, following Jesus put her family in danger. Forced to flee for their lives, they spent 12 years in limbo in Indonesia, waiting for a safe place to call home. In 2023,…
Read MoreThe Joy of Giving with Connie Weaver
Growing up on a farm, Connie Weaver didn’t really like chickens — but she knew how well they could provide for a family. That’s why, when she and her husband, Jack, first connected with World Relief, she got excited about a project helping families in Turkana, Kenya, raise chickens. That personal connection to lives and…
Read MoreUniting U.S. Churches in Welcome and Advocacy
In a year when U.S. headlines were dominated by immigration, an upcoming presidential election and conflicts and disasters causing record-breaking global displacement, U.S. churches wrestled with how to turn their biblical call to welcome the stranger into meaningful action. Fortunately, we’ve been walking hand-in-hand with churches for over 80 years, helping them respond to crises…
Read MoreA Place to Call Home: Chicagoland Churches Step Up to Support Asylum-Seekers
A little over a year ago, Anna* faced an impossible situation. An asylum-seeker from Eastern Europe and young mother to a 7-month-old baby, she had reached the maximum number of nights allowed by the temporary shelter she was staying at in Chicago and had nowhere to go. She had no car, no job and no…
Read MoreA Historic Crisis, A Historic Response
The call to welcome the stranger has never been more urgent. Right now, the world is facing the largest displacement crisis in recorded history — according to the U.N., more than 122 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution and disaster. In FY24, World Relief’s U.S. offices and affiliates…
Read MoreBoldly Engaging the Crisis in Haiti, Here and There
“I had lost everything — my possessions accumulated over 30 years of work, my goods and, above all, my sense of security.” — Adeline, a displaced bookseller in Port-au-Prince “Sometimes we go from 15 to 22 days without finding water.” — Estanis, president of an informal camp hosting displaced persons These are the voices of…
Read MoreCompelled by God’s Love to Respond to Crisis in Sudan
An unimaginable crisis continues to unfold in Sudan. Since war broke out in April 2023, more than 11 million Sudanese people have been forced to flee their homes. Nearly 25 million people face acute malnourishment and do not know where their next meal will come from. The war has resulted in 20,000 documented deaths, though…
Read More