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Welcoming the stranger: working with global communities, locally.
"...when did we see you a stranger and welcome you in? Truly, i say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me." Matthew 25:38, 40
10 Years of War in Syria
Last week Nick and Laura spent some time with some dear friends who are originally from Syria. During that discussion we talked about their lives here in Boise but as always, our discussion traveled to their worries about family members living in Syria, the reality of 10 years of war and the extreme suffering that is going on because of inflation and lack of jobs. In light of this conversation, I asked one of our Friendship Partners, Jenny Lundberg, to talk about her family's friendship with Hanaa and Ahmad to give a bit of background to their lives here.
From Jenny (her kids and Hanaa's youngest pictured above): My family and I met Hanaa and her family a little over five years ago when they first came to the U.S. She and her husband, Ahmad, journeyed to a refugee camp in Jordan with their six children after being displaced from their home in Syria due to the Syrian civil war. After four years there, they were selected to come to Boise and reestablish their lives here in our community. In the time I have known Hanaa and Ahmad, I have seen them display tremendous courage, ambition, resilience, and a work ethic that has shone in all that they do. They have overcome many obstacles and have recently obtained their U.S. citizenship after lots of studying and preparation. Not only do they strive to be good citizens, but they are also loving neighbors to all they meet. Hanaa continues to teach me about generous hospitality as she always opens her home with warmth and the finest treats for her guests. They have a heart to help those coming to Boise as refugees and use what they have learned to help others navigate the process. I am so honored to be called their friend and am encouraged that they are trying to help their family and other families that still experience suffering and hardship in Syria and Jordan.
What we have found time and again, with most of the families we get to know, is that while they are trying to make their way here in the U.S., they are also thinking of home and what their families are facing there. The last 10 years of civil war and violent conflict in Syria has forced 14 million Syrians to be displaced from their homes and communities. More than 5 million of those were forced to to seek refuge in neighboring countries. Hanaa and Ahmad are worried and wanting to help support their families who remain in Syria and face dire circumstances. To give you a picture of Syria now, The Center of Strategic and International Studies reported in February, 2021, "Due to this economic collapse, sanctions regimes, and a limited national budget to subsidize commodities such as bread and fuel, displaced families and other vulnerable households are caught in the middle of a financial crisis caused by a rapidly depreciating currency and lack of available jobs. This means it is incredibly hard for Syrian families to provide for themselves, particularly amid growing food insecurity. Reports from December 2020 describe families waiting for hours in bread lines, causing children to miss school or caregivers to miss work in order to find loaves of bread." (https://www.csis.org/analysis/syrias-economic-collapse-and-its-impact-most-vulnerable)
Glocal has been asked through the years to help relatives either in camps or their home countries financially. Many times it is to help people get through the winter months or to cover costs so they might buy a sewing machine as a means of making a living, all of which was made possible by the generous donations Glocal has received. Some of the Syrian families we know in Boise who have family in Syria who are unable to buy for some of their basic needs, such as food and fuel for cooking. These families would like to send money to Syria to help their families to help them to cover the costs of some some of their basic needs. So, we are humbly asking, if you feel led, to give to help many of these families. It will go through our Glocal Fellowship Fund and will be distributed to families here to help their families at home. We will ask for receipts to make sure the money was sent across the ocean. Thank you for considering this need.
To Give: Click on the Donate to Glocal button below. Write in the amount and click on the first line to find Give to Glocal Fellowship Fund #6680. On the next page, in comments, please write Syria so we know that this money is designated for this project. Thank you!
Compost!! An exciting part of any garden. Click on the link above to see it being delivered and to hear from Carolyn!
Spring, such a beautiful time of year and with it brings the hope of new life and change. After a year of CoVid 19 restrictions, I know we are ready to get back to normal. But, I think we are all learning that "normal" may be different from now on. May we all find the grace and patience to get keep moving forward, while still being careful and showing love for our neighbors by masking and still being careful.
The garden is up and running as you can tell from video, compost has arrived. According to Carolyn, who directs the Glocal garden, it has already made its way to the garden plots and is enriching the soil. They had their annual garden meeting on March 27. All went well and Carolyn was also able to arrange someone to come and explain about the Covid Vaccine which was a big help.
Also, thank you to the amazing generosity of so many, over $9000 was raised for the water. That will be enough for 3 summers worth of water. We are amazed and feel so blessed. Please pray for all the gardeners to have fruitful plots this year.
Glocal's Prayers and Praises
Prayer Needs:
Please pray for John and Nancy Hook, staff with Glocal, whose son, Tom, passed away suddenly in February. Pray for Tom's wife, Fitri, as well.
Pray for wisdom for resettlement agencies waiting for President Biden to sign the Presidential Determination (PD) which would allow more refugees to come to the U.S. Agencies are hoping to begin ramping up services to meet the needs of those coming into the U.S. but can't until the PD is signed. We are hopeful but waiting.
Please pray for the need for more FRIENDSHIP PARTNERS to be raised up as we anticipate new families arriving.
Praise God for His provision for the garden as well as funding for food and hygiene needs during the pandemic as well as the abundant donations for baby showers!! (see the picture below)
