How We Began
I dipped my toe into the rushing river of refugee volunteer work last October and it has carried me away. I am a different person than I was those few months ago. Working with and among these beautiful, derailed, uprooted and tossed about people has been incredibly rewarding. And I have never felt so closely nor seen more clearly the Hand of Deity as I have in their midst. I so want to share this with others! I want to share their incredible stories, their humanity, their situation and I want to share the experience of making their story yours.
Through a series of truly incredible, disjointed but weirdly related events, a group of very talented artists from across the globe who share a common, deep-rooted, soul-felt pull to share the stories of Europe’s refugees have come together to do just that...to record and share the refugee story. This is without a doubt Divine Choreography!
In May of 2016 a photographer in London, a filmmaker in Seattle, and an artist in Utah independently felt impressed to find a way to put their talents to work for the refugees flooding into Europe. Meanwhile, two refugee volunteers in Frankfurt, Germany were discussing a media project which would share the stories of the displaced people they worked with. Through a series of unrelated but incredibly interwoven events, these five individuals came together through social media, and within six weeks had formed an NPO called Their Story is Our Story: Giving Voice to Refugees. By July 2016 the group had raised $10,000, arrangements had been made, and this divinely choreographed team met each other for the first time in the Frankfurt airport for a week of filming, photographing and drawing refugees and their stories in Greece and Frankfurt. The plan was to capture 15-20 refugee stories in that week; the team of TSOS recorded over 70 stories encompassing nearly 200 people. Time after time in the development of the project the next step became clear, the team petitioned heaven, and the next stepping stone appeared. Divine intervention has not only been incredibly apparent, it is a tangible testimony to all involved that our Heavenly Father is paying special attention to these brothers and sisters who have been forced to leave their countries in order to survive; and it has confirmed to us the need for these stories to be given a voice.
Photographer Lindsay Allen Silsby, Portrait artist Elizabeth Benson Thayer, Filmmaker Garrett Wesley Gibbons and writer Melissa Dalton-Bradford are joining their formidable talents to bring these stories to you and the world. I feel like a very lucky tag-a-long!
Since then, the team has expanded to include a book designer, a web designer and a graphic designer. Volunteers from around the world have stepped forward to help in various ways. Artwork has been created and won recognition. Short videos have been edited and posted on YouTube. Each week TSOS posts new refugee stories on this website, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Official Statement on the Detention of Refugees and Ongoing Community Violence
With another death in Minnesota and continued violence toward individuals and groups standing up for their communities, we acknowledge the profound fear and uncertainty people are feeling--not just locally, but across the country.
On top of this, there are reports that refugees invited and admitted to our country through the U.S. Refugee Admission Program are now being detained, meaning that our new friends and neighbors feel that fear most acutely.
Refugees have already fled violence and persecution once. They came here legally, seeking safety. In moments like these, we reaffirm our commitment to building communities where refugees and immigrants can live without fear. Where they can go to work, send their children to school, and build lives of dignity and belonging.
We call for due process, accountability, and humanity in all immigration enforcement operations. We call upon our leaders to demand the demilitarization of our neighborhoods and cities. And we call on all of us to continue the work of welcoming and protecting those who have been forcibly displaced from their homes.