Syria

Something happened this summer that changed our family’s life. We met and became close friends with an amazing family of Syrian refugees who had just arrived to Texas. They spoke no English. We spoke no Arabic. They had experienced unfathomable violence and upheaval, and came to the U.S. desperately seeking the safety and freedom we take for granted every day. In so many ways we had nothing in common. But a bond was forged and our lives and worldview are changed for good.

So, allow me to step away from my regularly scheduled programming (btw- I promise I will catch up on posting about Christmas and spring break and kid updates and summer vacation soon… I’m behind but I’m not giving up!) and take the opportunity to share about something that has become very near and dear to my heart.

I have to admit that I was very uninformed about what was happening in Syria and the refugee crisis. So I’ve had to play a bit of catch up and want to share what I learned in case anyone else also needs catching up. That’s part 1 of this little Syria series: The Issue. Part 2 will be The Church. That is, how we as God’s people have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility here. Part 3 will be Our Family. Why and how we got involved, and how you and your family can get involved.

I don’t really know how to explain where all this is coming from other than to say that God placed a love for this Syrian family deep within my heart, and it’s driven me to get informed about what forced them (and countless others) to leave their home, to love them, to serve them, and to advocate for them and their fellow Syrians who have faced so much violence and despair and are trying to rebuild their lives in places that have offered them shelter and freedom but sometimes also blast them with some afwul anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric.

Here we go!

Part 1: The Issue

Part 2: The Church

Part 3: Our Family