Posts Tagged ‘Middle East’
Neema’s Plight
In an area known as Mile 46 in the Kajiado District of Kenya, the Elangata Wuas Primary School sits beside a grove of trees. On a seemingly ordinary Friday in July, the whole school — boys and girls, teachers and the headmaster — leave their lessons and gather to welcome visitors outside in the schoolyard.
Read MoreRefugees and Displaced People Around the World
For over 75 years, we’ve been coming alongside families displaced by violence, poverty and injustice — both in the U.S. and across the world.
Read MoreFrontline Report: International Day of the Girl Child
I grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where at the time, my parents were serving as missionaries. My best friends were girls from local families.
Read MoreFrontline Report: Jordan
This past March marked the 7-year anniversary of the war in Syria. It is a grim anniversary, marking seven years of loss, suffering and displacement for millions of people across the Middle East.
Read MoreLove Hopes All Things
What happens when an affluent, conservative, and mostly white church’s neighborhood is suddenly inundated with hundreds of international people? That’s what happened to us. In May of 2016, I was called as senior pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church, a prominent Oklahoma church with strong denominational ties to the Southern Baptist Convention. South Tulsa…
Read MoreAgents of Peace Amid Despair
by Maggie KonstanskiWorld Relief Middle East Programs Technical and Operations Coordinator Last month, I stood in Iraq while looking out over Syria. My heart was heavy. New challenges emerged by the hour and all of our efforts felt insufficient when compared to the immense and ever-growing needs. As I stood in one land and looked…
Read MoreThank God for Women — Defiant Love
Thank God for Women is a blog series rooted in gratitude for the strength, courage, and incredible capacity women demonstrate. Six years ago, I was sitting at a small, unsteady table, in a room that was oppressively hot. Aamiina, a young refugee woman sat across from me. A few months prior to that, the word…
Read MoreIn Remembrance of Alan Kurdi
[WARNING: The blog post below contains images that some readers may find disturbing.] Alan Kurdi died one year ago today. On September 2, 2015, three year old Alan’s lifeless body washed up on a beach in Turkey. The photo of Alan appeared on the homepage of just about every media outlet in the Western world.…
Read MoreThe (Bloody) Face of Violence in Syria
If you haven’t already, take a moment and watch the video below. It’s not easy to watch. It shouldn’t be. It’s horrific, startling and heartbreaking. It feels all too familiar. We are two weeks away from the one year anniversary of young Alan Kurdi’s death. Seeing the photo of Aylan’s lifeless body washed up on…
Read MoreHow You Stand with the Vulnerable
Because of the generosity of donors, World Relief was able to help Preemptive Love provide food and other essential items to 500 families in Fallujah. Two weeks ago, Iraqi military forces began ground operations around the city of Fallujah to reclaim it from ISIS. Within the first week, 500 families were liberated but left without food,…
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