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Our Stories


Obligation
“It is the obligation of everyone who lives in a safer room to open the door when someone in danger knocks.” Dina Nayer We send teams, usually headed up by Bashiq, our English teacher, into the camp twice a week. As time goes by, people, families tend to become a tent number or a statistic on a chart on the wall of Camp Management. We go to search for those in need; we are the ones who go to knock on torn tent doors, looking for those who have fallen into a crack that opened
11 hours ago4 min read


Until the Cloud Moves
"Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, (they) would go onwards in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, they did not journey till the day that it was taken up." Exodus 40:34 From time to time, we ask ourselves a kind of accounting of the soul question: Why are we still here? It’s been eleven years. What more can we do? What more can we be? Over the years, we have learned the value, the weightiness of "just being", of the times where there
11 hours ago6 min read


Rewiring
Back in 2016 a large group of us drove in two vehicles to a newly erected camp for the displaced Arabs of Mosul. Saad, who liked to be known as Operations Manager, sat or rather was crunched up in the back of my vehicle, and was, for Saad, unusually quiet as we listened to music. Wondering what was ‘wrong’ with him I asked him if all was ok with him. His reply took me by surprise, as it both broke with protocol and yet was a totally genuine “Saad” answer. “Be quiet, this mus
12 hours ago6 min read


The Dove
“The Dove on Silver Pinions Winged her Peaceful Way” - James Montgomery Several times a week we send teams, usually led by Bashiq, our English teacher into the camp, just to visit, check up on people and “to be”. The importance of presence and a listening ear can not be underestimated. To show someone that he is not just a section and tent number, but a person who we see. I share with you a simple story of one such man this week. A sad story, one that Bashiq heard as he walke
12 hours ago2 min read


Peace in War
We never wanted War City. It was like receiving the Biblical “unloved sister”. Our eyes were on Shariya Camp and the government really wanted to dump War City on us newbies, but we soon both admired and fell in love with this precious community as our stake went deep into the ground. By way of reminder it's a tenement dumping area that somehow got the auspicious title of city when it was never even a village. It’s a home though, a place of refuge, a safe haven to the Syrian
12 hours ago3 min read


Thank You
Thank you to everyone who heard our plea for help to keep our work going and who have given sacrificially this week. We really value and...
Oct 121 min read


The Sowing Seed in Famine
“Now Isaac sowed seed in that land ( in a time of famine ) and the same year reaped a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him.” Genesis...
Oct 124 min read


Our Tribe in Toowoomba
Over the past two years quite a few of our “Kids” were able to immigrate, most to Australia, but also Canada and Germany. It was hard to...
Oct 129 min read


The Best Kept Secret
The Hope Garden, 1400 square meters is located inside Shariya Camp, the only green space inside the weary camp. It's a place where the...
Oct 125 min read


Newroz, Queen of Hearts
As some of you will recall, Newroz was given to us, a noble Arabian mare, but one that, even by three years old, had been overworked and...
Oct 116 min read


A Glimpse of Our Life
Due to Lisa's ongoing medical procedures there will be no update this week. We'll be back next week! In the meantime, we'd love to share...
Oct 111 min read


Preview: Echoes of the Soul
Dear Friends, as you read this we will be hosting an art exhibition in the Mall in Shariya, mall being a cluster of stores in a building,...
Sep 223 min read
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