" My heart stays here"... a refugee comes home

I have had the unparalleled privilege of helping a family who had been in a refugee camp for 18 years before coming to the USA, find their first home to buy!

In order to conceal their identity, I am not going to give alot of details about their story, but it is truly unimaginable.

They have worked so hard to become home owners in just 18 months! They managed to save money, even while having to navigate so many challenges.

They are looking at very modest homes, and yet when we found the one they made an offer on, the wife looked at me and said " My heart stays here..."

Realizing they had come from less than nothing, I was moved to tears.

It is a story of triumph and extreme perseverance. Untold loss and heart break, coupled with determination, pride and the will to build a new life from the ground up for future generations.

I am so proud to be apart of this journey with them. It has made me examine my own life, and built in me a new gratitude for the sheltered life I have lived.

I wonder how many of us comfortable Americans would be able to start over if we were reduced to the humiliation and suffering many refugees have undergone.

I am humbled and changed by this beautiful family ~ and hope to be apart of their lives for years to come!