Please plan to join us to learn more about Abara from Sami DiPasquale (our World Missions Sunday guest speaker) on Sunday February 23rd at 6:00 pm in the parish hall. Sami will be speaking at all three services that Sunday as well. Sami is the Executive Director of Abara. Sami’s vision for Abara grew out of 15 years of work at Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach. Sami is a global citizen with vast experience in refugee and immigrant communities. He spent the majority of his childhood and young adult years in the Middle East. He's lived in Jordan, Cyprus, Egypt and then India - before completing college in the United States.
Sami engages groups worldwide with profound insights on global migration, peace building, embodied faith, and narrative change. He explores the forces driving migration, the impact of living one's beliefs, and the power of storytelling to shift perceptions and foster social transformation. Abara is a ministry rooted on the U.S./Mexico border. As a peace-building center, Abara hosts educational border trips and offers holistic support alongside displaced communities, fostering connection and understanding in a polarized world.
Abara is linked with 32+ migrant shelters on both sides of the Rio Grande. They partner with local leaders to facilitate connections through hospitality, advocacy, and friendship. They collaborate with faith networks, NGOs, and residents who accompany asylum seekers. Team Abara is resourcing shelter leaders, welcoming new arrivals, and assisting migrant entrepreneurs daily. St. Peter’s is planning a future educational trip to Abara to learn more about life on the border from asylum seekers, border patrol agents, and several partnered organizations that provide support on both sides of the border as well as do some hands-on mission work while we are there. Please come on Sunday night to learn more about this opportunity.