Tag: refugees

Refugees cross imposing physical barriers, like the Rio Grande River; I crossed a mountain range. I don’t know what it’s like to live as a persecuted minority, but now I have some appreciation for what someone must endure to take on such a challenging journey.

One unavoidable difference between my ride and the journey of a refugee is that I’m sure I’m going to get home. But I’m not certain I’m going to complete the whole ride. When a refugee leaves home, they have no guarantee they will make it.

One of the many reasons I love cycling is that it forces you to observe your surroundings carefully. You learn to look farther ahead for dangers and obstacles, keep a mental map of what’s behind you and use the sense of feel to guide you through changing terrain and windy conditions.

What strikes most people who begin volunteering with refugees, certainly what struck me, is how joyful they tend to be. As a group, refugees are optimistic, affable and prone to invite you to large gatherings where they give you food and treat you as an honored guest.

For a handful of parishioners, the next journey would be the five-day, over 400-mile trek starting in Kent passing through the Tri-Cities and ending in Spokane.

When World Relief Spokane resettlement specialist Jackson Lino first came to the U.S. in 2000, he was only a teenager and had to reacclimate from his native South Sudan. However, thanks to the love and care he received, he now works to help refugees and bring attention to what is happening around the world.

Ten Talents Ministry is a for-profit organization that invests in housing units for refugee families or people in need of affordable housing. Usually incoming refugees move to Spokane because of a family member located nearby, but the change may be difficult.