Consistency. It’s something I think about a lot. Am I being consistent in my relationships? Working hard at my job? With exercise? Managing my time? So many parts of our lives will only reap benefits when we do them consistently. If I don’t consistently reach out to friends or family, it’s more difficult to have a close relationship. If I am often double-booking myself or not following through on commitments, others will know that I am unreliable. I don’t just expect and pursue consistency in myself, but I desire it from others. And this didn’t start when I became an adult - it started early. Though they probably couldn’t quite verbalize it, the students at Reading Circle desire consistency, too.

When I first met Par* in the Spring of this year, she was extremely reserved. I would see glimpses of her silly personality as she interacted with her older sister, but as we talked and read together, she remained serious and even a little apprehensive. With Par, consistency was key; however, that consistency was not just me showing up on Tuesdays - it was the consistency and kindness of the Lord, paving the way for trust and a relationship to grow.

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Wow. 2024 has flown by. The holiday season is already here and I find myself chasing my tail more than usual — running to the airport to catch my last minute Thanksgiving flight, looking for gift recommendations for my nieces and nephews, and googling how to cook a ham without burning it (t’was a success, don’t worry). In the midst of the busyness though, I’ve had pockets of time to reflect — and as I think about Reading Circle specifically, I find myself immensely grateful for the love this organization has for refugee students and their families. It has been an absolute privilege to join in under Alysa’s leadership and mission and I have learned so much from these families. To see firsthand how these students and their families view the world is humbling and my hope for this blog is to recount some of my favorite moments that I’m especially thankful for.

I started volunteering with Reading Circle a few years ago and during that time have mentored a few different students. I met my current student, Daniel*, a couple years ago when he was working with one of my good friends as his mentor. When my friend ended up moving out of town though, I had the immense privilege to take over as Daniel’s mentor moving forward. It has now been almost a year and a half and it didn’t take me long to learn that Daniel was basically a 7th-grade genius. 

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I was first introduced to Refugee Resources when moving back to Dallas after college. At the time, I did not know much about the organization, but having served in a similar capacity in college, I found Refugee Resource’s mission inspiring and felt compelled to join! Little did I know what all the Lord had in store for me and how He would use my time for His glory and my good! I have now been serving for a little over three years and over the course of that time have had the opportunity to mentor three different students. Although two of the partnerships were brief, I learned so much from each of these students and the Lord revealed His character to me in mighty ways. Time with these kids has taught me what it looks like to meet people where they are at, to truly and attentively listen, and how the Lord is sovereign in the way His plans unfold in the lives of these students and in mine.

The student I have worked with the longest is named Andrew*. I have had the privilege of working with him for a little over two years now. Reflecting back on the time we have spent together, it is crazy to think that he was quiet and reserved when we were first paired up. Getting to work with Andrew for so long has allowed me to build a genuine relationship with him and as we spend more time together, his vibrant and fun loving personality has begun to show more and more. He loves spending time with his friends and will talk your ear off about all things soccer; all you have to do is give him the chance! Andrew is one of the sharpest, most determined kids I have ever met. He does not back away from a challenge, but rather welcomes them; continually blowing me away with how quickly he picks things up.

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I cannot remember what I expected when I first signed up to be a weekly mentor with Reading Circle, but teaching students to read during a world-wide pandemic was definitely not it. I started my journey with Refugee Resources during the dark days of COVID-19 with many businesses and ministries still closed to the public and human relationships still mediated through social-distancing protocols. I can remember it was a great puzzle figuring out how to minister to students, how to teach them the nuances of English vocabulary and the depths of scripture through germ shields and masks. Especially since almost no student viewed their mask as strictly a mouth-protection device; it was more of a utility instrument to be used as a slingshot or hat as the situation demanded. It was both exhausting and invigorating, heartbreaking and hopeful. It was all that I expected it to be, and more than I expected it to be, and somehow nothing of what I expected it to be all at the same time. If that doesn’t make any sense, all I can say is, well, it’s time to learn more about Reading Circle. 

I’ve been proud this past year to serve as Hakizimana’s* mentor. I’m proud of him for the obstacles he’s overcome and even more proud of him for the obstacles he is still overcoming because no matter how hard the challenges, Haki has never given up. It’s not easy to sacrifice school nights after long days in the classroom to spend time working on vocabulary workbooks and reading comprehension tests. It’s even harder to sacrifice summer nights when friends are out playing soccer, but Haki has made those sacrifices every week. He has committed himself to a discipline of learning that I believe will yield payoffs far surpassing his investment, that will help him establish a foundation from which he can continue building his education and career. 

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In a heartwarming journey of growth and courage, I would like to introduce Esther*, a young lady with a less than easy beginning. Esther was shy when I first met her, navigating the unfamiliarity of her new home in the U.S., the challenges of learning a new language, making new friends and starting a new school. Everything was new. Even more difficult than that, she had recently lost her mother to illness in the refugee camp her and her family were living in prior to traveling to the U.S. 

The loss of a mother and then a move to a new country where the language and culture are new would be a struggle for anyone, least of all a young child. While these challenges could have broken Esther, she never let them and even though she has all the reasons in the world to make excuses, she doesn’t. 

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When I first moved to Dallas in the fall of 2020, serving the refugee community in my new city was not on my radar. While I had participated in different service activities throughout my time in high school and college, I never had the opportunity to serve refugees before. I was also utterly oblivious to the fact that I lived right down the street from Vickery Meadows, a large refugee community in Dallas. God, in His sovereignty, introduced me to Refugee Resources in the spring of 2021 through a friend who asked if I would be interested in filling in as a mentor for a few weeks. What started as a substitute position quickly turned into a permanent role, and I’ve now been serving on Thursday nights for over three years!

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As my journey through high school comes to an end and I begin to turn the page to the next chapter of my life, I cannot help but reflect on the opportunities I have been given and the communities I have been a part of, such as sports teams, student government, and school clubs. My community service through Refugee Resources also comes to mind, as it has been one of the most impactful and eye-opening experiences of my young life. As the editor of my school newspaper, I enjoy telling stories. I believe the best way to convey the impact that serving as a Refugee Resources’ mentor has had on my life is through the stories of the students I have been able to work with. 

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1 Thessalonians 5:14

“And we urge you brother, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak. “

As a volunteer, Tuesday nights hold significance for me. It's a time when I step into a space where ages and cultures collide; amidst the diversity there's a beautiful unity in our shared pursuit of learning and growth.

I'm continually amazed by the determination of these children, many of whom are navigating not just a new language, but also the intricacies of a different culture. Walking into a room and learning in a second or third language can be incredibly intimidating, but it's also a testament to their resilience and tenacity. 

It's not just the students who face challenges; as mentors, we encounter unexpected twists and turns each week. Sometimes, we find ourselves with an extra student or without our assigned mentee. In those moments, we adapt and embrace the opportunity to support whoever crosses our path. 

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Inspired by the following verses:

Titus 3: 4-7

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

John 13: 34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Ephesians 5: 1-2

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Luke 23: 35-36

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

My wife, Lindsey, and I have been serving with Refugee Resources for the past several years and have worked with refugees in Vickery Meadows for roughly a decade.  This past fall, our oldest son, Cohen, began volunteering as a mentor, and the three of us now serve together every Thursday evening.  What began as a “mom and dad thing” has become a “family thing” for our household, with our oldest daughters babysitting our youngest children while we’re away.  In our household with nine children, everyone has a part to play!  In a sense, we serve each other so that we may serve others.⁠

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The purpose of any charitable endeavor is to help people, but the thing that initially drew me to Refugee Resources was how many ways they sought to specifically help kids. From spreading the word of God to kids whose families have relocated to the United States to helping them improve their reading, or in some cases helping them start learning to read altogether; I knew this was an organization that was right for me. I will always be grateful to my wife, Jessica, for introducing me to Refugee Resources and to Alysa for allowing me to be a mentor. That journey began four years ago.

In the ensuing years, I have been blessed with three students, Happy, Mohammod and Ezatulah, all of whom I absolutely adored. Each one was different, but we were always able to bond in our own unique way. As is the nature of this program, whether it be because they age out or any number of other reasons, these amazing kids eventually move along into the next phase of their life. You are always happy for them ... but, selfishly, also a bit sad. I felt particularly heartbroken when Ezatulah left. I had loved all three of my students, sometimes I say, “my kiddos,” but I began thinking that perhaps it was time for me to move along to another endeavor as well. Then, along came Ling Thang.

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On her knees, side by side with her husband, a mother pleads with the Lord on behalf of her children. Sui Tin Par is no stranger to trials and tribulations, but despite all she has gone through in her life, she retains unbending hope for the future. It is this hope that has carried her through all of life’s challenges and continues to do so even now. Let us take you back to 1992 to a little village named Lung Kahin in Myanmar where this incredible story begins. 

From a young age, the Christian faith was important to Sui and her family. She grew up watching her parents attend church in her small village and Jesus was always a part of her life. This upbringing of attending church and Sunday school every week was just the beginning of what would be a lifetime of God’s faithfulness and mercy poured out onto her life. 

When Sui was eighteen, she made the brave decision to leave her home, family, and everything she knew behind to move to Malaysia alone. When recalling this decision, she says that she felt like “she didn’t have a choice.” There were so few opportunities for work or earning an income in Myanmar that Sui felt her best option was to leave for a better future. Little did she know that God was orchestrating her steps to bring her not only a loving husband, but also a family who would become her pride and joy.

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The holiday season is upon us! During this time that can feel so busy and hectic, let us take time to remember the goodness and faithfulness of our God. A God who deeply cares and walks with us through the good and the bad. A God who never leaves our side and desires to draw us closer into a relationship with Him. In honor of this Thanksgiving season, we want to tell you a beautiful story of rescue and provision. 

Juliana was five years old when her parents were resettled in the United States as refugees, but her story actually started many years beforehand with her resilient mother and father. Her mother, Mandalayna, and her father, Shu, were both born in Myanmar (formerly Burma), but they did not know each other at that time. As young adults, both Mandalayna and Shu crossed the border from Myanmar into Thailand. After crossing the border into Thailand, both individuals were processed by the UNHCR, or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and were allowed to stay in the country. 

While living in Thailand, Shu and Mandalayna met, married, and welcomed three beautiful children into their family, one of which was Juliana! After several years of waiting, the couple was chosen to resettle in America. While the exact reasons for why they were chosen are unknown, a refugee must fit into one of the following categories to be eligible for resettlement: persecution or fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so.

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14 years old and absolutely fascinated by the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Rudh Raj is quite the unique high schooler. He loves learning French and telling jokes -- most recently when chatting, he flexed his repertoire of dryly delivered "Chuck Norris" style jokes.  Rudh Raj doesn't sound like the profile of a kid you'd expect at a refugee reading program, but very little is conventional about Rudh Raj.  

I joined Reading Circle as a mentor in January 2021 after chatting with a work colleague who was sharing about volunteer opportunities at a local nonprofit that worked with refugee students.  From the very beginning, I resonated with the mission and manifestation of the service Refugee Resources delivers. I was a Tuesday night regular in no time.

Rudh Raj came to Reading Circle six years ago because of a knock at the door and a nudge from his father. Since then Rudh Raj has blossomed and exceeded expectations academically.  Despite being a literacy stand out, Rudh Raj says he keeps coming to Reading Circle because of the people. He loves being able to connect with his former mentor, Patrick, as well as hang out with friends like Francis, another student, who shares a reading table with us at Northwest Community Center.

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I began serving with Refugee Resources in September 2020 after being convinced to do so by a friend of mine. I was hesitant to begin with, being only seventeen at the time, I felt like I may not even be old enough to really have the knowledge to guide and teach a kid new things. Regardless, I showed up and immediately loved it. The chaos and laughter of the kids running around with each other and their mentors before the teaching began immediately put me at ease. Refugee Resources would quickly become a weekly part of my routine and often the highlight of my week.
 
When I signed up for Refugee Resources Alysa told me there were a lot of boys in need of mentors, so she was really excited to have another male mentor in the mix. The student she assigned me to was a boy named Benneh. Upon first meeting Benneh it became very apparent that he is very shy and does not speak without thinking. I also quickly realized that he was not at all what I expected when I signed up to work with kids, I expected having to spend lots of time keeping things on track or asking him to stay focused. The opposite is true of Benneh, from the start he was all about getting his work done, and not once in my three years with him have I had to ask him to pay attention. If anything, I get more off track than he does!

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We are SO excited for the upcoming North Texas Giving Day on September 21st and Early giving has officially begun! Every year, from this day forward until the final culmination on Thursday, September 21st it is a huge opportunity for us to amass the donations required to keep our organization up and running! We are raising funds for both our general budget and to bring on additional staff members, as the Lord has allowed us to continue growing to influence more and more students and families within the Vickery Meadow community! We praise the Lord for this opportunity that He has given us to love these children! 

 

Our aim at Refugee Resources is to transform lives, one child at a time. By building the capacity of refugee students, their families and communities are enhanced as they are better equipped to build a stable and viable future here in America. The Preschool Circle and Reading Circle equip refugee students to be the next generation of servant leaders by learning to live out the gospel, love their neighbor, and be empowered with literacy skills.

 

We are incredibly grateful for all you do to allow us to continue sharing the love and hope of Christ with this sweet community of students. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

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Showing up was the hardest part for me. Working a job with long hours, sometimes I left the office on Wednesdays knowing I’d have to get back to the grind after Reading Circle. I was hesitant to sign up to be a mentor initially for that very reason. How would I make time for this? I actually went so far as to confirm I would not be returning as a substitute or a full-time mentor, right before God tugged on my heart to remind me that He could multiply my time and would use time sacrificed for His Kingdom for my good and His glory.
 
In January of 2021, I met Parfaite who would be my mentee for the next year and a half. Parfaite had no trouble showing up. In fact, she was one of the first students to arrive each week, always there and always on time. That didn’t mean she would be eager to read, nor did that mean she’d be very keen to talk to me. For the first few weeks, she didn’t share much. She would eye me uncertainly as we read the Bible and worked through vocabulary together, but she always showed up.
 
Admittedly, I was less consistent and timely in my attendance than Parfaite was, but as I kept showing up, she slowly opened up. We’d eventually laugh together as she shared stories about her school days, and she’d tell me about how she wanted to read Harry Potter and how she loved swimming in the summer. We’d learn new English words and practice multiplication, celebrate birthdays and holidays, read Bible stories and pray. Sometimes reading The Jesus Storybook Bible would bring tears to my eyes as we’d learn or be reminded of the simplest and purest truths about our God. He is the Good Shepherd, Good Father, and Lover of our Souls. He wants us to talk to Him every day. He died to know us. He can do more than we can ask for or imagine. He can handle our doubts and questions. He always listens.
 
In those moments, reading aloud these beautiful truths with Parfaite, I never regretted my decision to commit time to Reading Circle. I never wondered if it was worth it, because time with God and time spent getting to know His children always is.
 

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I first started serving with Refugee Resources in September of 2021. My husband and I were attending Eastside Community Church where Refugee Resources had a table set up after service. The Lord had put a desire on my heart to serve and get involved, but I did not know what that would look like until I talked with the mentors at the table. They shared stories about the students they work with every week, and I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of the program. However, I was a little hesitant due to the long commute I would have to make from Frisco to Dallas in the middle of the rush hour every week. Instead of committing to mentor a specific student every week, I signed up to be a substitute mentor as needed. But the Lord had more in store for me than I realized.
 
I graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Education and currently teach 6th-grade math in Frisco. I have a passion for teaching, mentoring, and serving. It is such a rewarding experience to watch students grow and do things they never thought they could do. Throughout college, I volunteered at the local Boys & Girls Club where I read with students after school. I really missed building one-on-one relationships with students outside of the school setting, so finding Refugee Resources was a perfect fit. I had very little knowledge of refugees or that there was a large population of refugees in Dallas. God used this as an opportunity to open my eyes.
 
When I arrived at Refugee Resources for my first day, Alysa said there were a lot of new students who did not have a mentor. She asked if any of the substitute mentors wanted to become weekly mentors. At that moment, I realized my fear of commitment and the unknown was holding me back from what God was calling me to. I took a leap of faith and decided not to just be a substitute, but to invest in the life of a little girl named Nwe Nwe.

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When starting any new chapter, it helps to reflect on the past, in order to understand how to tackle the future. My time as a high school student is ending and this has led me to the same fate.  
One of the most notable aspects of my time in high school has been volunteering at Refugee Resources, in part due to the amount of time I’ve spent with the program. But it’s not only about the time I’ve spent there, it’s about the experiences and people I’ve been given in this time volunteering. As I reminisce and reflect on the past, I believe my time with Refugee Resources can best be explained when broken down into three separate parts. 
 
Happy 
I began participating in this program after my stepmom told me about it. As all new things go, I wasn’t too sure about it, but I’m not adverse to trying new things so I thought, “What can it hurt to try?” So, on my way to my first-ever meeting for Refugee Resources, my stepmom began to tell us about the student we would be working with. She was telling me about his outgoing, loud, and talkative personality, all the while balanced on top of his educational proficiency. 
But, as I mentioned, this was sounding like a little too much for me. I mean, how is a high school freshman qualified to teach a kid how to read and write better? That being said, I pressed on and allowed myself the opportunity to understand how this program works. 

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Even though our annual celebration of Easter has come and gone, I want to be the kind of person who celebrates the joy of Easter every single day. Over the past five years, Easter has come to take on a much deeper meaning for me. It was Easter Sunday 2018 when I found myself, newly married to my husband of two weeks, in a hospital room with Jake lying in a hospital bed, afraid and uncertain of our future. Jake had been diagnosed with leukemia suddenly and unexpectedly, and instead of basking in all of our newlywed glory, we were heartbroken, trying to digest heavy words like chemotherapy, radiation, isolation floor, and blood cancer.
 
Despite our fear, the Holy Spirit met us in that room. Despite our shock, the Spirit of God somehow gave us deep peace and certainty that we could trust Him, even in light the midst of darkness ahead and an unknown future. We knew that in spite of our sorrow and grief, we could still remain joyful and hopeful because of Christ.

This is the hope that the gospel brings to those of us who are in Christ, who are in a relationship with Christ Jesus. Because He died and rose from the grave some 2000 years ago, we can face whatever comes our way in this life knowing that sin, death, and darkness do not get the final say. He has already defeated the power of death, and one day, Jesus promises to come back again and make all things new and heal all that is broken. Just how Jesus rose again, we will rise again in eternity with our Savior (1 John 5:12). This is the hope of Easter—a hope that should change how we live each and every day.

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If you are trying to avoid human suffering and experiencing how dark and broken the world is, I would not recommend spending time with refugees. Within my role as the Administrative Assistant of Refugee Resources and as an RRI volunteer, I’ve been spending a lot of time with people who are really struggling and hurting. Alysa, myself, and other mentors at RRI have had to walk alongside a student through the fallout of family violence and severe mental illness, an Iraqi boy who was completely ostracized and even received threats from his own parents because he converted to Christianity, and now, disappointed students whose parents are no longer letting them attend Reading Circle because they don’t want their children listening to Bible stories. One of those students was being mentored every week by my husband, Connor—who regularly reported to me just how excited he was that his student was improving little by little, week by week, in his reading. The student that I mentor recently confided in me that she wants to play the violin at school but is not able to, as her family cannot afford to buy one.

You can’t be a human for very long before realizing that things are not as they should be. The world is broken—it’s filled with death, pain, loss, violence, hatred, greed, and oppression.

However, even in the midst of all this struggle, pain, sorrow, suffering, and loss, God reminds me that He is actively working in this world.

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