Stories
Tim & Terri Traudt
We are so honored to be partners with World Relief and play a small part in impacting people’s lives—even if they’re people we’ll never meet here on earth. It’s hard to describe how much our relationship with World Relief has impacted us. It’s opened our eyes and matured our hearts to the vulnerable.”
– Tim & Terri Traudt
A growing family
The following is a reflection written by Liz Hadley, Employment Specialist at World Relief Seattle. Pulling up to the McGlashan’s house, it seems as though you’re looking at the perfect retirement set up: a lovely house set on a quiet suburban street with two massive golden retrievers bounding out the front door. Their home appears to…
Read MoreWelcoming Refugees is Everyone’s responsibility
The first time I celebrated World Refugee Day was June 20, 1997, along with thousands of others in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, Kigoma, Tanzania. A child at that time, I did not really know what it was for or why people celebrated it. Looking back, I realize that the children’s poems and plays, speeches from the…
Read MoreWhat’s going on at the border?
The following is a reflection written by John Miller, Immigration Specialist at World Relief Seattle. He is accredited by the Department of Justice to practice immigration law. Things have felt a little different for me since I’ve been back from Mexico. It’s hard now to read these ideologically-charged news stories about “The Wall” and “The…
Read MoreA Myth of Scarcity
The following reflection is written by World Relief Seattle intern, Aubrey Payne. Aubrey spends her days with World Relief accompanying people on appointments, helping out in English class, building relationships with newcomers, and otherwise assisting in the resettlement process. Every day that I spend with the participants at World Relief, I am reminded of the…
Read MoreAsylees in Seattle
After spending months in the Immigration Detention Center in Tacoma, Mamadou still had more waiting to do. A federal judge had granted him asylum, and he was now free to start his new life here in America, but his life wasn’t whole. He fled political persecution in Guinea 4 years ago when a gathering at his home was…
Read MoreIf You Plant Early, You Harvest Early
“If You Plant Early, You Harvest Early” The first son of a large family, Daoud’s father raised him implementing the Afghan Proverb that “if you plant early, you harvest early.” Daoud apprenticed in his father’s trade and was entrusted early with responsibilities in his father’s store. He married young, grew the family business, had children,…
Read MoreThe most powerful teacher
The following is a reflection by Beth Watkins, World Relief Seattle Resettlement Intern. I’ve thought a great deal about my hometown lately. Being a fairly recent Seattle transplant, perhaps it’s simply homesickness finally kicking in. Perhaps the stark differences in landscape, the lack of familiar faces, and the infamous “Seattle freeze” are finally beginning to…
Read MoreBeautiful Surprise
“What is friendship to you?” Tigi looks at me for a moment while she thinks about the answer. She seems anxious that she may not be able to express herself fully in English, but she finds the right words. “Friendship means helping each other when it is good news or bad news. [It means] sharing…
Read MoreA New Name
“The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.” Isaiah 62:2 As we enter Volunteer Appreciation Week, we are sharing inspiring stories of relationships between World Relief Memphis volunteers and our refugee and immigrant community. We’re…
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