The refugee and immigration crisis is one that is knocking at nearly every nation’s door. As Christians, our hearts are pricked. Our compassion moves us and our spirit is stirred. We want to do something, anything. The news reports and the haunting faces scrambling across Europe are jarring. They are desperate images with photographers eager to capture the tear, the frightening toddler or the elderly man, wrapped in a blanket. I’ve been trying to simply tell the stories of the refugees from one-on-one interviews. I’ve... Read more

Nearly 25 years ago, I was walking in a crowded street in Panama City, Panama while on assignment with the Air National Guard. It was broad daylight –and safe — so I thought. Suddenly, I saw a figure rushing at me from my peripheral vision, and then another from the opposite side. Before I knew it, two teens had surrounded me, each brandishing a switchblade. One held a knife to my abdomen, while the other cut away the back pocket... Read more

  Her voice wavers when I ask her about her family. “I miss them. Everyday that’s all I think about.” But the 19-year old is in contact with her brother and parents regularly from an undisclosed location in Iraq. She doesn’t want her picture taken so she can protect them. Protection runs both ways. Rita Tamur is still alive and free today because her family wanted to protect her. When Daesh occupied their town near Mosul, Iraq last summer, her family was... Read more

With the terrible news of nearly 150 people killed in the Parisian terrorist attacks last week, the fate of thousands of Christian refugees from Syria and Iraq are further complicated. It’s understandable. Lives are gone and families are changed forever. There is pain and anguish and the natural reaction is to begin to look for those responsible.  Every nation is reviewing how such a thing could happen — and what they need to do to prevent an occurrence within their... Read more

The baby coos and smiles at the kitten that walks into the room. Her cherub face is full of innocence as she glances up at her mother. She squeezes the baby tight to her body. There is no fear in the little one’s eyes, only wonder. She has no idea what her mother went through to be at this point. The mother, Sajaa is just 20 years old, but has already lived a lifetime of danger. She and her two... Read more

I was like a man walking into the desert without a plan. As a writer, it’s hard not to think ahead about plot lines and the twists that lead to the explosive ending. I wanted to develop a lead and an outline before I even boarded an airplane. I wanted to write the story and just fill in the blanks along the way. But I committed to sit back and let God write the story, to prepare the steps and... Read more