I thought you might enjoy these pictures and the stories behind them.

they provided home goods and warm friendly faces. IWC volunteers became friends with Moses’ parents and eventually they invited them to Gracetoberfest.

While standing there Maurice broke out into prayer. He prayed for God to supply the resources needed for the IWC to be built. He prayed for God to bless the IWC, its leaders, and its volunteers. Through the eyes of faith and prayer, he acknowledged the building already existed in God’s plan for His refugee children; we just needed to trust Him.
Maurice and his family have been blessed by God through the ministry of the IWC. They have created friendships and now have ties to their brothers and sisters here at Grace and the IWC. He continues to pray for the IWC and the many volunteers who are showing the love of Christ to refugees in Akron. 
Please join him in praying for the success, influence, and ministry of the IWC.

Blessings,
Pastor Cary Duckett

The goal of the International Welcome Center is to show and explain the love of Christ to refugees and immigrants while following the laws of the land to help them become legal citizens or maintain a legal immigrant status. The goal will be accomplished by providing the following services:

• Legal aid for low-income refugees and immigrants.
• Life skills to promote acclimation into the American culture.
• Transportation
  

The above statement is the official mission statement of the IWC. Grace Bible Church started this new ministry almost one year ago. 

Wonderful things have happened in the first year of the IWC. Please read below and be encouraged. None of this could have been possible without your prayers and support. 

Over the last year, the IWC delivered home goods to 41 refugee families reestablishing their lives in the Akron area. Home goods includes bed frames, sheets, microwaves, kitchen utensils, shower curtains, towels, couches, end tables, kitchen tables, chairs, and bedroom furniture. It is impossible to describe the smiles home goods bring to a family that has been sitting on the floor when they gather for a meal. They are amazed to discover what a shower curtain is, and a microwave always wows. 

The IWC provided cooking classes. The class meets 5 or 6 times and it is in this environment friendships are made and language barriers are overcome. In November, the refugee moms in the class learned how to cook a Thanksgiving meal. The participants cooked a meal at our facility and then ate what they had prepared. Then, each one received all the ingredients needed to prepare the same meal at their home for their family. 

Several IWC volunteers are helping refugees learn how to speak English. For a refugee to thrive and reach the full potential of life in America, they must learn English. It improves job placement, personal confidence, mobility, and general understanding. However, the greatest benefit of understanding and speaking good English is being able to avoid being taken advantage of by dishonest individuals. Every refugee smiles more when they feel understood and are able to understand. 

I could go on, but if you’ve read this far you are probably beginning to wonder when this email is going to end. The important thing to remember: None of this could have been possible if Grace Bible Church had not answered God’s call to start the IWC.

Here are two things you can do:
Pray for the success of the IWC.
Pray for the IWC to gain influence among refugees and immigrants.

As 2020 unfolds, I will be sharing more with you. I promise. The emails will be much shorter.

Blessings,
Pastor Cary

The City of Akron has always been a major hub for immigration. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, there was no shortage of work. However, when the factories began to leave the area, it seemed that the population came to a halt as well. For the first time, the population of Akron began to decrease. That decrease continued until an influx of Nepali refugees settled in Akron almost a decade ago. 
If you drive down Glenwood or Tallmadge Avenue today, you can see where the once closed and boarded up businesses have begun to blossom into new restaurants and markets. When World Relief closed, it left a hole in the heart of Akron. Many volunteers in the area who had been preparing to help incoming families were left with a desire but no outlet. Their dreams were to meet a family at the airport with smiling faces, a sign with the family’s name, and to welcome them to their new homes with open arms. For people whose home countries had forsaken them and forced them to live in camps with only a ten-foot tent for the whole family, they would finally have a real home. ​
During this time, was when the dream of The International Welcome Center began to take form. It started almost a year ago with two incredible young men and a woman who had a heart to become a mother to them. From their friendship, the needs of the refugee population began to be felt and heard by the people of Grace Bible Church. 
What followed can only be described as a miracle. The people of Grace opened their hearts to incoming families. When a family was found to have a need, a person would stand up to help them. And then it happened again, and again, and again. Grace Bible Church helped over 25 families in various capacities in their resettlement effort. And now, as The International Welcome Center has moved from a dream into a reality, that number has risen to 32 families with only a handful of volunteers and donations from a very loving congregation. From things like household goods, to cooking classes, to help with driving training, lives have been changed.
​We at The International Welcome Center believe that every person has the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. When a refugee is placed in a resettlement camp, they are given life. When a refugee is sent to America, they are given their liberty. It is our mission to help refugees pursue happiness; something which has been denied them for far too long.