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“Know your cause. Know your vision. Nail it to your sternum and stride out there again and again and again” with Author Melissa Dalton-Bradford

Instead of a natural disaster like a fire, imagine you are attacked with bombs or threats by your own government or corrupt fellow citizens.

Their tone shifts the instant they get to the part about crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece. The part about WATER. Many of our refugee friends grew up in landlocked regions. Water activities are nowhere part of their culture. No one we have interviewed knew how to swim.

Since I started learning from refugees, I haven’t been able to travel (as I’m doing right now) without thinking of my refugee friends.

THIS FRIDAY, August 3rd from 6-9pm, Liz will be greeting exhibit-goers at a reception for her exhibit. You won't want to miss this exhibit - it's soul-stirring and powerful! And, to meet Liz in person, to hear her experiences behind the paintings makes them really come to life.

Our family had just settled in Frankfurt. I was ready to finally write my series of historical novels, a project I’d been researching for over two decades on the global road. Then the world tipped on its axis. Into our cozy German town skidded trainloads and busloads of refugees.... The hour I stepped into that gym to teach,... I was consumed with a spirit I had never before felt. My heart swelled with love and compassion. How could I go home and write historical fiction in the face of such current reality? My life—our lives—were profoundly redirected.

These drawings and paintings represent an effort to bring you into another’s story. They are glimpses into the lives of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. They are only a few of millions who feel rejected, ignored, and forgotten. They want to tell their story. I want to show who they are. If you cannot stand literally face to face, I hope you will take this opportunity to look into their eyes and listen. Discover that their stories are actually all a part of our Story.

These beautiful, majestic giants gain strength from being connected to each other. Their roots intertwine and merge into a connectedness that allows them to nourish each other and hold each other up. When winds and storms, floods and earthquakes come, these trees stand firm and tall because of the connected community their roots have created.

Our talented and award-winning portrait artist, Liz Thayer, will have an art show going up June 26 through August 27 at the Covey Center in Provo, Utah. There will be two receptions: July 6 and August 3. These will be in conjunction with Provo’s First Friday Gallery Stroll events.

We look forward to meeting you at the TSOS booth to share heroic refugee stories and opportunities of hope for refugees. Saturday, June 23rd, at the Fairmont Park, 2100 South 1071 East in Salt Lake City. Bring the entire family to bask in the warmth of humanitarian fellowship and support which will be evident at this notable event. Come with questions or a willingness to help.