How do you know when you belong? When are you part of a group, rather than merely a face in the crowd? What does it mean to make personal connection? Sociologists give us data to teach us about the scope of our crisis as a lonely society. Psychologists explain how the technological devices we’ve adopted to connect with others end up separating us in unexpected ways. Pastors, at their best, share
$430. That’s how much it would cost me to get to work each week if I had to take an Uber. That’s $22,360 annually. Add in $800/month (if I’m lucky) of rent and that puts me at a grand total of $31,960. I haven’t bought food yet. Or paid for utilities. Or health bills. Just
“I want our kids to be better prepared for school in America”. It was initially an alarming sentiment for me to hear, as we asked our refugee friends what was most important to them in a preschool. But, as the gentleman expounded, it made sense. The children of first generation refugees are often living in
When we opened City Boutique in November 2021, we had lofty dreams about what our Global Artisan Program could look like. We never anticipated how quickly it would take off, but we have been grateful for the opportunity to work with so many refugee women as they launch new careers, get paid their first paycheck, develop a new skill,
When I retired about eight years ago, I wanted to do something different, something unrelated to my career, something that got me out into the community. Volunteer! for… something. I was intrigued by City of Refuge, and they were looking for English Buddies, for one-on-one English tutoring with a refugee. I’ve had plenty of teaching experience, but not with English, and certainly not
Have you ever held a small child for a very long time? Or carried them, for any amount of time? I have an almost 4-year-old, and it’s no easy feat. We try different methods, depending on the distance we must cover. A few weeks ago, we trekked down a quarter mile pier with her riding
Sometimes we step out in faith having to believe that something or someone will catch us. We can plan, we can prepare, we can think through every possible detail or ramification of our actions… but, usually, our preparedness can only get us so far. I’ve learned (am still learning, really) to plan – absolutely plan
Every time I go into our Basic Needs Closet, our toilet paper shelf looks sad. I would guess it’s our most-often depleted item…and I would guess it’s our most needed item. I have a dream where one day I’ll go into the closet and see rolls and rolls of toilet paper… and then rolls and
I sat on the cool pavement of the pavilion, one among hundreds, watching the colors and movement of the Rvwang tribe as they shared one of their native dances with us. It was a hot day, but that didn’t stop them from putting on the thickly woven sweaters and long skirts. They were committed to
Three months after I moved to Namibia, the US war in Afghanistan began. It was 2001 and I, like every other American, was reeling from 9/11 and experiencing plenty of raw emotions. I watched the news with great interest, but I did so safely about 5,000 miles away from the conflict. The truth is, this
