“Just over two years ago, God began stirring our hearts to take bigger risks for Him, and to follow Him wherever He might lead us. Through a crazy journey, we found ourselves as foster parents in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor program. In October and November of 2012, we welcomed three Somali teenage boys into our family, making us a family of SEVEN teenagers! The boys had all been on epic journeys from Somalia to Libya and eventually to Choucha Refugee Camp in Tunisia. This is where the boys met and became good friends. They spent a year and a half in the camp, before finally being resettled in the U.S. and arriving in our home. Before our boys joined our family, we knew very little about Somalia. Like most Americans, we had heard of Black Hawk Down and the Somali pirates. As the boys began sharing their stories and we read everything we could find on Somali history, culture and its people, we began to fall in love with the people, while our hearts broke over all that they had to endure. In my research of different organizations involved in Somalia, I stumbled upon Arc Solutions, and was so excited to find an organization that was courageously serving people in desperate situations. I am very aware of just how dangerous the conditions continue to be in Somalia, particularly in Mogadishu, and I know there are very few organizations willing to take such a risk to love people and find ways to meet their needs. We are honored as a family to support Arc Solutions, knowing that we are helping our sons? families and friends in very tangible ways. We love Arc Solution’s mission and their heart! Thank you, Arc Solutions for serving the Somali people and allowing us to join you!”
-Laura Schwarz, Arc Solutions Partner