Stories of Hope

When recently donated dolls were delivered to three Congolese girls who arrived in Minnesota earlier this summer, laughter erupted when they saw the accessories that the dolls were wearing. “The girls were delighted when they saw that the dolls were wearing neon pink and bright white sunglasses

How do you measure seasons of friendship? Is it through life changing events like weddings and the birth of babies? Or common celebrations like birthday parties and backyard barbecues? For Boe Boe and Jeff, their friendship often revolves around the seasons of the church garden. “I have

Bhutanese Gardeners Enjoy Refugee Church Garden Program Before any soil was tilled. With just stakes in the ground. Community members ran to what would soon become a garden on the grounds of Mosaic Christian Community in St. Paul, to claim their spaces. “Their smiles and enthusiasm were

Serving in Uncertainty One of the greatest joys of working with local churches is seeing them respond to needs and opportunities as they arise. Stepping into unknown circumstances or shifting your expectations from what was originally communicated can be challenging. However, when working with our refugee and

  Lifelong Connections Made through Willmar Sports Camp “Whoa!”  Ziham learns the command to say to slow down the horse she’s riding. Ziham and her siblings are taking their first spin on horseback, while their mom Madina proudly films each of their rides; all the while laughing

A Home Where She Belongs Recently I attended the interview for U.S. citizenship of one of my clients. It was actually the second interview attempt for her; the first time she had been denied due to a technicality. The officer had been more than a bit unreasonable,

Life Transformation for Refugees and the Church   Last summer, Refugee Life Ministries (RLM) staff met a Congolese family through a community organization working with secondary arrivals in Minneapolis. This family had recently moved to Minnesota after being resettled as refugees in Massachusetts. When we met them,

Reflection On One Man’s Journey From War-torn Laos to America and From Darkness to Light in Jesus Christ. Arrive Ministries Board Member, T. Cher Moua arrived in the USA 40 years ago.  He says, “Only heaven will tell your part in impacting people’s lives for eternity.”   By

New Friends, New Life On January 30, 2019, Minnesota received temperatures approaching -30 degrees on what turned out to be the coldest day of winter. That same night, Arrive Ministries welcomed Lah, his pregnant wife, Tra, and their three-year old daughter, Lian, who had spent the majority

A “funny story” from a refugee survivor of his long journey to America It has been one year now since I am in touch, day by day, with refugees from all over the world through Arrive Ministries, my employer. Though refugees are recovering from trauma and hardship,