We went to visit a friend in the camp in the late afternoon. She has a son and a daughter in Minneapolis and she is always hoping to get news from them.

When we dropped by today, she pulled out her chairs and table for us to sit together. Her eldest daughter was helping her neighbor bake a cake over coals in a nearby shed. She called on a friend from Congo to come and translate for us (into Swahili).

She poured us sweet chai and a cool mango drink. When it was ready, her neighbor brought out the cake with a big smile. It was still warm and fluffy.

As we ate, we spoke of family and life in the camp. They asked why the US has cut back its refugee resettlement quotas (from 110,000 to 45,000 this year – of which only about 25,000 refugees will actually be resettled to the US this year). All I could tell them is that I would love for them to be my neighbors.

She welcomed our offer to pray a blessing over her family before we left.

I wish we could have done more.