 Executive Director Rev. Vy Nguyen has been traveling the past few weeks, visiting our ministry partners in the Middle East--partners who are working to meet the needs of refugees in temporary settlements. This is his reflection on yesterday's announcement that the U.S. will reduce its refugee admissions cap to an all-time low in the coming year.
In 1990, I was one of 125,000 refugees who were lucky enough to be resettled in the United States. My time in those refugee camps throughout Southeast Asia lasted only four years. As I woke up this morning to leave Morocco for home, I heard the news that the administration set refugee admissions for 2020 at a devastating 18,000--reducing entries to an unprecedented low and further decimating the refugee resettlement program. I am heartbroken. This policy will have a ripple effect all over the world and impact millions of lives. Maria: Two Years Later9/24/2019
Working Together To Help Refugees9/17/2019  Earlier this month, a delegation of Disciples leaders traveled to D.C. to help protect refugees. Rev. Dr. Ike Nicholson, Senior Pastor of South Suburban Christian Church in Littleton, Colorado, was part of that delegation and has this reflection to share. We are grateful for this congregation’s faithful support of Week of Compassion, and for Dr. Nicholson’s powerful story of welcome and compassion. The work that we do to together is more important now than ever.
Sanctuary: A Hurricane Dorian Update9/6/2019  Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. When we see the devastation, our hearts break for our brothers and sisters. On September 1, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas. By the time the storm had passed a day later, the destruction was immense. As of today, September 6, approximately 13,000 homes have been destroyed. An unknown number of lives have been lost, as search and rescue efforts are ongoing. The need is great, and in the wake of such terrible loss, many feel compelled to help. However, knowing how to help can be difficult.  Josh Baird, Disciples Volunteering; and Caroline Hamilton Arnold, Week of Compassion, training the Oregon and SW Idaho Region in Preparedness Even as we enter September--National Disaster Preparedness Month-- we are monitoring Hurricane Dorian and preparing to respond to needs that arise in its wake. The storm has already caused significant damage in the Bahamas, and remains a dangerous storm as it approaches the U.S. Please continue to pray for those who have already been affected, and those who wait in the storm’s path. We will continue to share updates on responses as they are available. In the meantime, here is a story about how local churches and regions are taking part in disaster preparedness training through Week of Compassion-- and why preparedness is such a vital part of ministry in the local community.
 Photo credit, Church World Service Kristina moved to Belgrade as a child after her parents’ divorce. When her mother remarried, Kristina and her siblings moved into a two room house with their stepfather and his children. Due to extremely difficult living conditions, the family was unable to pursue education for the children.
Response To Crisis In Lake Chad Basin8/20/2019 The Lake Chad Basin area-- which includes parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon-- is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time. Already impoverished, the region has been struggling under the negative impact that shifting climate has on living conditions and livelihoods. In addition to the environmental factors that make life challenging, escalating violence in the area has reached a tipping point. To date, at least 2.5 million people in the region have been displaced because of protracted conflict.
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