Dear friends and family 

These past couple of years I have been really drawn to Iraq and the people that live there. I had always said to myself how I just wanted to be there and sit with people, to experience a taste of what their world was like. This last year my church small group had the privilege of adopting a refugee family from Iraq. It has been incredibly beautiful to befriend such wonderful people, yet hard to watch a family have to create a new life. With this new relationship in my life and the current refugee crisis in our world I felt it was vital to go visit myself. 

My heart for this crisis goes back to the beginning, even before my story began. I come from a deep history of refugees, stories of perseverance and hard work. I am adopted from South Korea, but placed in a beautiful home of parents who immigrated from Estonia when it was under Russia's governmental oppression. My parents, their parents, and many other family members sought refuge in the states, had to wait in displaced person camps, and ventured to becoming citizens of the United States. We are a melting pot of culture, stories, history, and it's what makes my family beautiful. My family and I believe strongly that everyone deserves a home. 

In April my team and I will be traveling to Soran, which is in Northern Kurdish. This trip is highly relational. We will be spending most of our time simply living with people, learning their current state of life, and entering into their story. We will be volunteering in the school teaching english, music and also assisting with after school programs. Most of our days will be spent in the refugee camps, drinking tea and listening to countless stories of things I could never imagine. My intent behind going is to listen, learn, and seek to build a deeper relationship with those who are oppressed, in hopes to bring a greater understanding to those in the states. 

I have seen a side of the story of refugees from my family and the Iraq family I am friends with, but I haven't seen what the temporary life looks like. Most refugees, wait years before they can travel to a place they can call home again. After waiting in hopes to return to their home, they soon learn this temporary home will have to do. I hope to gain a wider perspective of the life of a refugee and what the before and after looks like. It is vital for us to aid those who are seeking refuge, but we cannot forget about those who haven't yet found a home. I hope to gain a greater understanding of the entire process of becoming a refugee, living a temporary life, and finding a home again. No one should feel forgotten or with out a home. 

I feel that it is vital, during this day in age, to stand with my brothers and sisters who have been oppressed for their ethnicity, religious background, or gender. I want to go to Iraq to see the faces of those who many don't understand and possibly fear.  Fear comes from the unknown, my hope is to bridge the unknownness of refugees and the people of Iraq and bring it to a place where fear does not with hold us from loving everyone equally. I have no intent to go and change anything that is happening their, change only happens when the two parties met and realize they aren't that different from each other. I believe listening to people, hearing their stories, and learning from each other brings about lasting change that unifies us. 

There is an urgent need for the human race to learn to care for each other. I ask you to please join me in furthering this, and bringing a greater perspective to our community, that love is what unifies us. I am going to Iraq, to empathize and attempt to understand the incredible hurt and oppression that the refugee community is experiencing. My hope is to bring back stories of real people, so that our country will begin to realize that we must extend love to each other. 

I cannot express how deeply I appreciate your support. Your support, I believe is a step to being people that will change how we care and love for those who are in need. Thank you for your love and support. Please reach out if you have any questions or want to grab coffee to chat more about this. 

your friend,

Suvi Kyung Orav Mirka