Try to Imagine
Imagine living in a one-room house with your siblings and parents. You are HIV positive along with your father and stepmother. Your parents struggle to provide for your family’s basic needs as neither one has a stable source of income. Your parents don’t seem to be...
Avoiding the Gangs
Six months ago, the family of two of our Samaritan Scholars here in Guatemala City (a brother and a sister) were victims of gang violence. The family received threats not to return to their home unless the son, 13-year-old Samuel,* joined the gang. Samuel wants a...
Why We Do What We Do
Wondemeneh’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. For the past nine years, he has been a shining star in our scholarship program here in Ethiopia. Wondemeneh’s story began when he was just six months old. He suffered a fall that led to serious health issues. For...
Running to Rebuild
We organized a 5K run as our first large event last year, and there was an awesome turnout! This event raised resources for our community that saved lives. We will be running again this year. But we are running even faster and with more purpose than before. A few...
Still Shocking
This past June was my second time standing in a dumpsite. I never expected it would be so long before I returned on a trip with International Samaritan, but work, family, and life just never seemed to provide the opportunity. My wife and I had just taken our two young...
Awe and Wonder
In the midst of anguish and despair, I’m struck by the mountain-moving power of God and the love of friends and strangers. More than 50 people died in the landslide in Uganda two Saturdays ago, and more than 100 homes were destroyed. When David Kafambe reached out to...
You Are There
When a landslide tore through the Kiteezi dumpsite in Uganda last weekend, the team you support through your giving was there to comfort those who lost loved ones. Twenty-six people died and more than a hundred homes were destroyed. By Monday, David Kafambe and our...
The Victorious One
There was a swift knock on our car window. A beautiful young girl was standing firmly by the car. Her presence was instantaneously captivating so anyone would have stopped and acknowledged her. "I want to give you this letter," she demanded while looking straight into...
30 Large
I’ve been with International Samaritan for six years now, or a mere 20% of our history, and I want to share with you 30 reasons that make this 30-year-old organization the most exceptional investment you can make in others. Here they are, and they are large! 1. Our...
Picking for School Supplies
This is Nayeli (pictured above), or “Naye” as we affectionately call her. She lives in the Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan) community in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with her aunt and almost 4-year-old son, Jasiel. This community is located right next to the municipal...
America, Remember Who You Are
At the top of my emails this past Monday was this message to Andrew Pawuk, our vice president, and me from Selam Terefe, the leader of our mission in East Africa: I am writing this email with a heavy heart following the news of the recent shooting incident. Like many...
Growing Together
In early May, 12 of us from St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor traveled to Honduras to spend a week with the local International Samaritan team learning, serving, and growing as children of God. What unfolded over the next five and a half days touched every one of...
