Phoenix Refugee Community 2022

During my sophomore year of high school, I had the privilege of serving with a group of students from my High School Ministry (HSM) in a local refugee ministry. Every other week, we spent time loving on African refugee children—playing games, listening to their stories, sharing Bible truths, and simply showing them the love of Jesus.

It was in this ministry that God began to give me a heart for children, a heart that was deeply shaped by one sweet girl in particular. Every time we arrived, she would come running to me, overflowing with joy. Her radiant smile and laughter stood in stark contrast to the hardships I knew she faced—her story was full of unknowns, struggles, and challenges no child should endure. Yet, her joy remained.

Her joy reminded me of Jesus and His love for us, especially as seen in the story of the Prodigal Son. In that parable, the Father runs to meet His lost son with arms wide open, full of joy and love, regardless of his past mistakes or brokenness. That’s the same way God, our Father, runs to meet us—overflowing with joy, welcoming us into His love no matter what we’ve been through.

This sweet girl’s joy was a glimpse of the joy we can all have in Christ. No matter our circumstances, no matter our struggles, His joy is available to us. Her life, her smile, and her spirit reminded me that Jesus meets us where we are, and His love restores us.

Serving in this ministry taught me so much more than I could ever give. It revealed God’s heart for the vulnerable and reminded me that, as followers of Christ, we are called to share His love wherever we go. Whether in big ways or small, we are called to reflect His joy and remind others of the truth: that no matter what we’ve done or where we’ve come from, our Father is always running toward us with open arms.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." – Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV)