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Seeing that so many people in the world are afraid of refugees, and are filled with misconceptions about what they represent, I jumped at the opportunity to work with other artists and tell these stories to the world. I wish that everyone could see themselves in these refugees’ faces.

I had so many questions… Why would someone leave their country, travel this far, only to end up homeless?

It then dawned on me that some of these people had been forced to leave their homes because of war, terrorism and other atrocities. Atrocities that my own country was perhaps contributing to. I felt an urge to help people and set off on a series of volunteer trips abroad.

Today, when I read and hear the stories of current refugees, I think of how their experiences parallel my history. To me, their story is my story.

For me, the refugee crisis of the last several years has closely coincided with a growing knowledge of and a strong sense of connection to my forebearers. My ancestors’ life experiences echo the stories of so many whose stories we’ve shared over the last two years.

Children are the first to see magic, the last to lose hope. Long after adults have given in to despair and cynicism, a child believes in that which is good and right. That is why in the middle of a dusty, abandoned factory-turned-refugee-camp in Greece, you can still hear laughs and cries, hear the patter of feet on the cement floor and feel a tiny hand slip into yours. Despite all that has happened in their short lives, they are willing to trust, to make a new friend, to hope for love returned.

Trisha Leimer was raising her family in Frankfurt, Germany when the global refugee crisis hit a tipping point in 2015. As she volunteered in and out of camps and continued to work with refugees, she developed personal relationships and realized how intertwined their stories are with our own. Together with five other people, she co-founded Their Story is Our Story: Giving Voice to Refugees, a group of artists and writers committed to sharing refugees’ stories in words and images. She talks about the “divine choreography” that pulled them together, as well as personal and gospel insights she has gained while befriending refugees and inviting them into her life.

My experience in meeting Bolaji, understanding the life of a refugee deeper, and knowing how I can help has completely transformed my world. It’s healed me in ways I didn’t realize it could. It’s opened my eyes to struggles in the world at large. And ultimately, it’s motivated me to seek ways that I can assist and light the world in my own unique and valuable way.

The question keeps coming to my mind: "Who will I give my life jacket to?"

In today’s refugee children, I see my grandmother. I see in their eyes the rich legacies of hard work and achievement that they will pass on to their families and communities, if they are given a chance to do so. At this moment, they need us. And we need them.

Now it’s my turn to give back. A few years ago, when I read accounts of the flood of refugees flowing towards Europe, I realized their security and dreams had been shattered by forces beyond their control like mine had been decades ago. Their individual stories touched me and helped move me to action.