As we headed to Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, we were anxious to learn how our friends are managing since the UNHCR and many of their partners left the camp at the end of 2025. Many families are struggling to survive without food assistance, or access to clean water, hygiene products, or basic security. The most vulnerable among them - widows, the elderly, child-headed households, and families with members living with disabilities - are suffering profoundly.

A Beautiful Hope in the Lord

One such person is my friend, Precious. She is a refugee, a single mother, a worship leader, a faithful follower of Jesus, and a beacon of hope. She has faced immense hardship in her life, amplified over the last few years by circumstances in the camp beyond her control. On this last trip, she shared with me that when she walks into church, she leaves it all at the altar. You can see the truth of this in the way she sings, dances, and leads others in worship. In that space, she is free.

When she leaves the church, she tells me she is a new creation. She moves through her life, day in and day out, loving her children, serving the church, and believing that God is making all things new. She has a beautiful hope in the Lord to which she holds firmly in the face of despairing circumstances. It is hard for me to imagine being able to do that. Personally, I have never seen that in the church in the West. Here we often live without need of God - many of us have good jobs, beautiful homes, healthy children, and more.

It is hard to reconcile the life I have in the United States with life in Dzaleka, but knowing Precious strengthens my faith. As I watch her life and the beauty and strength of her faith, I ask God, “will you give me eyes to see you, ears to hear you, and a heart to know you?” I am reminded to pause, to allow myself to feel God, and to recognize him calling to me in all things.

CLICK to learn more about the work of IAFR in Dzaleka