This guest blog is written by Basma Outhman, staff member at World Relief Chicagoland
Have you ever wondered what a refugee’s journey truly looks like?
The simple answer is: hard, long, and complicated. But if you look closer, you’ll see that no two stories are alike. Every refugee has a unique tale to tell—one marked by both shared struggles and deeply personal moments. While there may be common threads, each journey is its own narrative, shaped by individual dreams, fears, and resilience.
Before the Journey:
The journey of a refugee begins long before they pack a bag or leave their home. It starts the moment danger becomes a reality—when the place they once called home is no longer safe. The decision to seek refuge is not made lightly. It’s a choice born out of fear, uncertainty, and hope for a safer future.
The initial stages are filled with countless questions: Where will we go? Will we be safe? How long will this take? The fears and hesitations are real and overwhelming. Then comes the waiting—a seemingly endless period of proving one’s worthiness to be granted refugee status. These long months, sometimes even years, are marked by hunger, persecution, and the constant threat of danger. Yet through all the hardship, one thought carries them forward: This journey is worth it. A better life awaits.
After the Approval:
Receiving approval to resettle is not the end of the journey—it’s the beginning of a new chapter. The transition to a new home is both exciting and daunting. A new language, unfamiliar customs, and neighbors who look and sound different—everything feels new and strange. It’s a journey of learning to embrace the unfamiliar, to build trust, and to make sacrifices. It’s about slowly finding your place in a community that once felt worlds away.
For refugees, this stage is filled with both hope and fear. It’s about learning to love a new home, stumbling through new words, and building friendships with new neighbors. It’s about carrying the weight of the past while daring to dream about the future.
Our Prayers:
As we welcome our new neighbors this year, these are the prayers we pray. We pray for safe journeys and for healing from the pain of the past. We pray for the courage to navigate this new chapter, and for the strength to embrace a life that is still unfolding. Most of all, we pray for our community to open its heart—to greet each new arrival with kindness, understanding, and friendship.
May we all join in this prayer of welcome, appreciating the remarkable journeys that have brought our new neighbors to us.