God Hears Our Prayer

I first heard of Refugee Resources from mentors and roommates over the years, and it didn’t take long for God to place on my heart to serve. I knew Refugee Resources was different because it beautifully pairs the two hands of the gospel; physical and spiritual needs. Literacy and learning English for a child new to America is vital to their growth and success, but a relationship with Jesus is vital for life to the fullest. The beautiful intersection of these two approaches have been my experience with Refugee Resources.

Leading up to my first week serving with Reading Circle, I prayed God would bond my student and me together and break down any barriers so that the child I was paired with would feel safe enough to want to learn. As always, God answered my prayers the night I met Sarah* in December 2023. She walked in, we sat down together, introduced ourselves and I noticed how nervous she was for her first time in Reading Circle. Almost immediately we both noticed we had large and defined dimples when we smile. I told her it was so cool that we both have dimples when we smiled, and she lit up! In that moment, God gave us a very simple bond and since, has given us a sweet friendship. 

Throughout the past year and a half of reading with Sarah*, I have seen her grow tremendously in her literacy. She is the hardest and most diligent worker I know, and she refuses to give up. She has gone up so many reading levels, and I can tell she is going to do amazing things one day. She is also the most joyful person I have ever met, and brings that spirit to Reading Circle every single week without fail. Her joy, laughter, and goofiness are contagious! 

Something so profound I have noticed about Sarah is that she has a deep spiritual maturity for someone so young. She is a deep thinker and has a strong faith that is genuinely her own. The Holy Spirit has revealed deep biblical concepts to her and every week we have wonderful conversations about God and the Bible. I can tell Sarah deeply understands God’s love for her, and teaches me every week what it looks like to have a childlike faith. Experiencing how deeply she understands God challenges me every week I am with her. When life has brought me through seasons of suffering or pain, and I’ve struggled to understand God’s plans, I am reminded of who God is when I am with Sarah. I am reminded of how God treasures each of us. It humbles me so much to see Sarah easily understand her identity in Christ as she exemplifies the essence of having ‘child-like faith’.

My favorite week with Sarah happened just a few months ago. We pray together every week, and normally she asks me to pray because she is shy; however, this particular week I challenged her to pray. She asked me if God hears her when she prays in her own language, or if she had to speak English for God to hear her. I was beyond thrilled to share with her that God always hears her, no matter what language she is speaking when she prays. I explained that God speaks and understands every language in the world, and He hears everyone that prays because He created each of us and knows us deeply. She was so excited to learn that God speaks her native language. Now, every week when we pray together, she prays confidently for both of us in her language, and then translates her prayers for me. Every week in her prayers, she thanks God for her teacher, Kelsey, who teaches her about Him. Every week, I’m so humbled that God allows me to be a part of Sarah’s discipleship journey. 

One of the things we do every week is discuss God’s rescue plan for us. Sarah can easily explain to anyone how God sent His only son to die for the sins of all people, and anyone can receive forgiveness and love from Jesus. My prayer for Sarah is that God’s word will continue to root deeply in her heart, and one day she will be a witness of God’s love and faithfulness to all people in the same way she is to me. 

Sarah is incredibly resilient, a great big sister and daughter, and a faithful friend. I’m confident my relationship with Sarah is one that will last, and I hope to work with her until I see her graduate high school one day! 

Written by: Kelsey Whaley
Edited by: Emily Thompson

*Student’s name has been changed to protect privacy.