As we continued building pallets of supplies to be shipped to the Congo, the hot topic of the day was the Food & Hope Forum that was sponsored by Global Samaritan and broadcast on KTAB-TV on Thursday evening. The forum served as a prelude to their big event on March 22 when the public will be invited to Global Samaritan Resources’ warehouses to purchase a food box for $50 (this will feed a family of six for a month!). In addition, the family will be encouraged to provide messages of hope and love for refugees in northern Iraq by writing supportive words and drawings on the boxes of food to be shipped out.
During the televised forum Thursday night, Global Samaritan Resources CEO, Danny Sims, moderated a panel discussion centered around why we should help refugees. Former Dyess Air Force Base wing commander Michael Bob Starr, the expert in the group on national security, made what I thought was the most poignant comment of the forum when he said, “it’s true that terrorists vow to exploit refugees fleeing to other countries, and that’s happening. It’s in our security interests, though, to help refugees abroad because most refugees don’t want to become immigrants.” He also added, “a presence abroad, too, allows the West to tell its story — that we are not modern crusaders bent on plundering.” I thought this was a great perspective. The panel explained that the radical Islam movement preys on the idea that the U.S. wants to conquer everyone. (Are you listening, President Trump?)
I have seen first hand this week, how Global Samaritan is helping to spread peace in distant lands, while breaking down cultural barriers. As I head into my final day of volunteering at Global Samaritan Resources, my eyes have been opened to the phenomenal work that this Christian-based organization is doing all over the world!