Love always hopes, always perseveres.

Love in action brings hope to the hurting and shines light in the darkest hours. Whether it’s a church welcoming a vulnerable refugee fleeing violence, an organization providing agricultural training to help a mother feed her children, or a single volunteer coming alongside someone who is alone and uncertain, love never fails.

With your help, World Relief served more than 6.6 million people last year. Here are a few of their stories:

Meet Odette

Odette, a determined single mother, fled the ongoing violence of the Congo to keep her children safe. She and her children were welcomed to the U.S. by a World Relief partner church that provided them with a home and cared for Odette as she recovered from intense medical procedures. Odette is now healthy and financially independent, and her children are thriving and making plans for the future.

Meet Rose

Rose worked hard to feed her six children in Rwanda. She attempted farming, but nothing grew. Then a World Relief agronomist taught her new farming techniques, how to use fertilizer and make compost. Rose now grows enough to feed her family, with a surplus to sell at market. She progressed from struggling farmer to blossoming entrepreneur, and she shares what she’s learned with her neighbors.

Meet Lizbeth

Lizbeth moved to the U.S. at the age of seven—before she knew what it meant to be illegal. As an adult, some bad choices landed her in an immigration detention center awaiting deportation. Ruth, a retired missionary and World Relief volunteer, befriended Lizbeth and connected her with a church community in Tijuana. With Ruth’s help, Lizbeth, once hopeless, is now finding her way in Mexico.

*Some information has been changed to protect the individual’s identity.