I first met Taddee in 5th grade. His family had just been resettled from an African refugee camp to Clarkston, GA. One of the biggest challenges for him and his four sisters was getting settled in their new school. Their time in formalized school up to this point had been fragmented and inconsistent, a reality of both life on the run and life in an under-resourced refugee camp.

We met in an after-school tutoring program, and very early on in our friendship, I decided that I needed to visit his parents to get to know them, too. As I built a relationship with Thaddee's parents, I asked one week if I could take Thaddee and his sisters with me to church. I started picking up all 5 of the kids for church regularly and invited them to different youth group activities.

Over time, their parents began to trust their kids with me because they told me they could "see a change in their attitude and mindset."

Thaddee eventually attended Clarkston High School and was a standout runner on the Track and Field team. His parents often asked if I could take his sisters to watch him compete because they were always working second and third-shift jobs and could not attend his meets. It was painful for them to miss his meets, but I was always happy to help however I could. Even though it was a multiple-hour commitment, I could see how much it meant to his sisters, his parents, and to Thaddee himself.

Thaddee is now helping kids like himself.

Thaddee is now in college at the University of Georgia, a couple of hours away from Clarkston. But one of my biggest joys is that he comes back to Clarkston whenever he can to volunteer at the local youth group he used to attend, where he now helps kids just like himself. He is also actively involved in several campus ministries at UGA. Seeing him grow physically, spiritually, and emotionally since we first met reminds me of God's faithful work in all of our lives.

The best part of my job

It is the best part of my job to be able to invest in the lives of refugee families in Clarkston. This investment is long-term; it's weekends and holidays, it's sporting events and church functions, it's birthdays and funerals and hospital visits, and everything else. And so many times, it's seeing young people just like Thaddee turn around and give back to the community that welcomed and encouraged him.

As a partner who supports IAFR missionaries like Sharon, you make it possible for us to provide friendship and vital ministry assistance to refugee kids like Thaddee, empowering them to build a brighter future.

GIVE TODAY!

When God decided to rescue the world, God did so by becoming human and living among us. That's what we celebrate at Christmas. As the Body of Christ, we are called to be a tangible expression of God With Us in the world today. That's why relationship is core to everything we do as we pursue our mission. And that is why our IAFR teammates are our most valuable asset.