Stories
If 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…
Read MoreMarianna’s Story: From hardship to happiness
Intern Stephen Sneed shares the powerful story of Marianna*, part of our #ThankGodForWomen series. We are grateful for her willingness to share, and hope that by telling it, we increase awareness of global hurdles that prevent many women and girls from living out the full potential God has placed within them. (*Names have been changed)…
Read More3 Ways to Meet Transportation Needs in Memphis
If you’ve been involved with refugees in Memphis, you already know that transportation is one of the greatest challenges facing these new Memphians. The WRM team has seen first hand how successfully refugees overcome this challenge and found these two articles interesting when considering difficulties with transportation. In an article entitled The 7 biggest challenges facing…
Read MoreSyrian refugees find new hope in Memphis
So far 19 Syrians have taken refuge in Memphis, and Mahmoud Al Hazaz is just one. He left his home country of Syria behind and took his family to Jordan after the government shelled his successful restaurant. But life is rarely easy for a refugee. Mahmoud has now found safety in the Bluff City for his wife and four…
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