Posts Tagged: immigrant

Mothers Are Living Embodiments of God’s Love

In anticipation of Mother’s Day, we hold up strong women from the Bible who trusted that God would deliver their children, even as they embarked on journeys not always of their own choosing. We remember Jochebed, who defied Pharoah’s edict to kill all newborn Hebrew boys by doing the only thing she could think of… Read more »

Exploring Resilience and Service

No one dreams of growing up to become a refugee. The term itself is used to describe what happens to someone—being persecuted or threatened with persecution; being forced to flee one’s home country; at the mercy of other governments and other nations—but it does little to define who someone is. When we hear the word… Read more »

Connecting with Others through Learning

Opportunities to learn about refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. and around the world are numerous as we approach World Refugee Day on June 20th. Knowing where to begin with this complicated subject can be daunting, so we have pulled together some study materials to better educate your congregation about today’s refugees. Learning about… Read more »

A faithful response to the border, refugees, and immigration matters

Every day there is something else in the news about refugees, immigrants, or the border—it is difficult to keep up with it all. And, try as we might, it is too much to really understand after one class or webinar. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it on your own because, whether you are interested… Read more »

Preparing Welcome as a Spiritual Practice

Written by Susan Krehbiel, PDA’s Associate for Refugees and Asylum Awaiting the US election results this past week, I was reminded how difficult it is to wait. In fact, a general observation of predominant American culture shows that waiting is difficult for many of us. Our advertising tells us repeatedly that we live in a… Read more »

Casa Alitas Invited to Reunite a Family

PDA first learned of Casa Alitas back in 2014 when the number of asylum seekers passing through Tucson, AZ were on the rise. Much has changed in the past year following the “remain in Mexico” policy, with further restrictions put in place during the pandemic to severely limit both the number of asylum seekers released… Read more »

Remembering people in immigration detention during this pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across borders and oceans, we have gained a renewed awareness of our shared humanity within the global community. While we are all vulnerable to catching the virus, the impact upon each of those infected—and the impact of government and community actions to protect all of us from it—is different… Read more »

A Family Reunification Story

Minda Schweizer, an ordained Presbyterian minister and pastor to refugees, founded Home for Refugees USA after witnessing the heartfelt impact resettlement partnerships had on both families and volunteers. The nonprofit, which received some initial funding from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), builds collaborative relationships between faith groups, communities, and refugee families, helping to ease the tragedy… Read more »

Reflection from Agua Prieta pt. II

Bill Branch, a retired pastor and Presbytery executive, is also a National Response Team member for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. In July, Bill and his accompaniment partner, Beth Newell, participated in Presbyterian Peace Fellowship’s border accompaniment program in Agua Prieta, Mexico. The following reflection is the second installment detailing their encounters and experiences at the U.S./Mexico… Read more »