Back in September, I somehow ended up with a postcard advertisement for a 5k race in Moline. World Relief was hosting the race, but I'd never really heard of the organization. A few weeks later, I sat in church, reading through a brochure that was advertising ways to get involved in the community and in the world. I read the description of the World Relief organization and felt compelled to get involved with them. I made a phone call and a few weeks later, I found myself sitting in a room with a handful of people, listening to a WR employee share more information about the organization. My heart felt alive and connected to the purpose and vision. I was excited.
From their website:
"World Relief Moline is a not-for-profit agency providing services to refugees and immigrants in Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa. World Relief’s mission is to serve vulnerable populations in and through partnership with local churches, agencies, and the community-at-large. Our programs provide financial, emotional, cultural, and spiritual support to refugees – victims of war and persecution around the world – who are being placed in the Quad Cities."
Something about working with non-Americans intrigued me. My experience of living in Brazil is not even comparable to the life a refugee has experienced and yet, through our time in another country, I believe God has opened my heart and mind to an awareness of others' lives and their stories.
Around the same time as my initial involvement with World Relief, Kevin came home from church and said he was signing up for a trip to Africa. He had come to a realization that every year we spend his vacation days on our family and our pleasures. This year he felt led to give of his time and money in a way that would serve others. At the end of February, he'll be going with a team of other men to Swaziland to do construction work for the people living there. He is so excited!
Back to WR. Shortly after I went through the volunteer orientation, I remembered the 5K race. I officially signed up and then signed up as a volunteer to help. This was the inaugural year for the WR 5K so the number of participants wasn't very high. I was excited to run in a smaller race, though, because most of my races during 2013 had seen several thousand runners. I arrived at the office early that morning (Oct.19th) and helped set up for the race. At 8:30, there was a 1-mile fun run/walk. I cheered on the participants and then prepared for my 5K at 9am. It was an incredibly chilly morning but perfect for a quick race! The gun sounded and we were off - less than 200 runners! I found myself near the front of the pack during the first half mile, which was really strange. I figured it was just because there were so few runners. Then I looked at my GPS and realized I was running a 6:55 pace. I know my body well enough to know that I couldn't keep that pace for 3 miles so I backed off a little. My first mile was 7:30, one of my fastest miles ever! It was such a peaceful run. We were in Moline and most of the race was along River Drive. Around the halfway point, I looked up to see a group of people in traditional, bright clothing, singing in a foreign language. I'm not sure where they were from, but I knew they were refugees living in the QC. They were so happy and it encouraged me to keep running well. I was running for them. I was running to raise money for an agency that stands for the vulnerable and works to provide support for incoming refugees. I felt like I was running for a purpose bigger than just another good time. I came across the finish line as the fourth female and actually received an award as the top runner in my age group! I ran my best time ever, a 24:20, which happened to be a minute and a half better than my previous best!
Running toward the finish was inspiring. The flags lining the finish represented the many countries from which the refugees had come.
After everyone had finished, there was an awards ceremony and then we began the cleanup process. I had a great time getting to know some of the other volunteers. I recognized a few people from my church, but most of the faces were new and it was exciting to engage in conversation with them as well as the refugees.
As I was preparing to leave, I struck up a conversation with an American woman and an Iraqi woman. After chatting for fifteen minutes, I realized they were waiting for a ride home but their ride was late. Because I was alone, I offered to take everyone home. The American woman, the Iraqi woman, and the children of the Iraqi woman jumped in my van and I drove them to the Iraqi woman's house. She was so grateful for the ride and kept thanking me over and over. When we pulled up to her house, she invited us in. The American woman I was with knew her well and decided to wait for her husband at the Iraqi woman's home. I had time, so I decided to take her up on her offer. I realized it didn't bother me in the least that she didn't know English very well. Her English was better than my Arabic, in fact:) We entered her home and my new Middle East friend immediately went to her kitchen to prepare tea and dessert for me. Her children, ages 15, 13, and 11 sat with me on the couch, absorbing every word I spoke. They attempted to teach me Arabic and laughed at my pronunciation of words that are so familiar to them and yet so foreign to me. Memories of learning Portuguese came flooding back to me and I just smiled. I loved the moment. It felt so familiar and not nearly as uncomfortable as when I was living in Brazil. We talked about cultural differences and differences in food and drink. Her 13-year old son commented several times on my blue eyes. "They are so beautiful, so bright and blue!" he said. It hit me later that blue eyes probably aren't very common where they came from! One unique cultural norm from their area of the country is that the women give massages. My new friend said, "A good woman can give a good massage!" Before I knew it, her 11-year old daughter was practicing her massage skills on my back. What a way to treat a first-time guest! Shortly after, my friend took over and worked out the knots in my back and neck. I ended up with a 20-minute massage during my visit! Finally, after spending an incredibly pleasant hour and a half with my new friends, I decided it was time to get home to my family. We hugged and I said goodbye, already looking forward to our next visit!
I called Kevin on my drive home and felt so excited and alive! I'm finding that I really enjoy other cultures and nationalities and I'm drawn to them in a way I wasn't five years ago. I can't wait to see what God does through these new friendships. I want to know their stories. I want to learn about their lives. I want to help them acclimate to life here in the U.S. I want to serve them and love them and be a part of something bigger than me. I believe God loves these people and cares so much about their lives. I haven't the slightest clue as to the suffering they've experienced, but the definition of a refugee is "a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster." Knowing this is why they've come to my country makes me want to give them love and peace and safety. I'm hoping to learn more and serve more and love more in the days to come. As I write this, I can't seem to find the words to describe where my heart is at the moment, but something is stirring inside me and it feels good.
It's difficult to see what I'm holding, but in my right home is a giraffe made of soapstone. It was my award for placing in the race and it was donated by SIS International, a fair-trade store in Davenport. The giraffe was made by someone in Africa and it now sits in my kitchen as a small reminder of a great big God and the awesomely diverse world He has created.
More to come on World Relief. Since October, our involvement with them has increased and our family is being challenged to grow and change in so many different ways! Love it!!
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