World Relief Spokane

"Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it's like to live inside somebody else's skin. "It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too." -- Frederick Buechner

Do you understand the idea of ethnic cleansing? How would you define it? What would you do if you faced it? Even if you escaped it, how do you think it might go on affecting your life? In this blog post, Ahmat tells the tale of escaping Sudan, first to Chad, and then to the United States. #ethniccleansing #refugees #refugeeswelcome #sudan #chad #spokane https://lnkd.in/gKSAmJ5k

“I would say that I was not very attuned to?the refugee story," said former Olympian Susie Luby. "I had not really been connected with that at all.” And then... she sat next to a family from Rwanda in the Los Angeles airport. She made eye contact with the baby and smiled. She started talking with the dad. The connection was so immediate that Susie decided she needed to volunteer with World Relief just to stay connected. “I will always be connected with them. I’m kind of part of their family now. My ultimate goal is to see them be super successful on their own.” #Olympics2024 #ParisOlympics #Olympians #volunteers #StrongerTogether https://lnkd.in/gQbBtKzc

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that we have not one – but two – former Olympians serving as volunteers for World Relief Spokane. Susie Luby won a bronze medal in downhill skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Amanda Banta finished 15th in rifle shooting at the 2012 Olympics in London. What does being a world-class athlete have to do with volunteering at World Relief? As it turns out, way more than we expected. The Olympic motto in Latin “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter” means “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” in English. #Olympians #volunteers https://lnkd.in/gP5TY2Mn

“Without education, even a cup of water you cannot find to drink.” Abdulazak never forgot his grandmother's words. Today, he is working towards his master's degree in African Diaspora Studies and a PhD in International Relations. He has also started a nonprofit to help other Sudanese refugees pursue higher education. “If they can articulate their stories well and write and put in the effort, they can get more support… Because of what they went through, they have a lot more resilience.” #Resilience. It's just one of the many character traits refugees have to offer the world. https://lnkd.in/gtnMffEZ