One day, while taking a break from studying in the Duke Divinity School library, I got into a conversation that would change the course of my family’s life. As I talked with a stranger, I learned he was the only person in the world with a PhD in New Testament (my field also) who could speak the language of the country where he was training Christians for ministry. This really struck me.
When the International Peacemakers begin their visits this fall in the U.S., churches will have a chance to hear about the life struggles of the people in Sri Lanka. Herman Kumara is a human rights defender who works primarily with food producers, specifically in small scale, marginalized fishing communities.
Michele Hendrix remembers the moment her life changed. Floating above her hospital bed, she saw her beloved pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston, praying for her. She was just 33 years old.
Noor arrived in Europe with two young children and without her husband. She left her home in Aleppo, Syria, two years earlier. Conditions made it impossible to live. Her family felt they had no other choice.
Tony De La Rosa, interim executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA), issued an open letter outlining concerns regarding the thematic emphases and continued work of the Way Forward Commission, especially as it relates to the PMA.
Presbyterian churches across the U.S. will be placing special emphasis on refugees in the coming days. The United Nations recognizes June 20 as World Refugee Day, as a time to lift up the thousands of families who flee their homes and war-torn countries in search of a better life and remember the church’s commitment to provide refugees a safe haven.
Kristen is a Young Adult Volunteer from Hawaii, serving at the Casa del Buen Trato – a home for adolescent survivors of sexual abuse run by our Joining Hands partners in the mountain town of Huanuco. Her gift of music has opened a door to develop trusting relationships with those who have found so little to trust in this world.
