WREG | Locals come together to pray for immigrants, refugees

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On a day where immigrants around the country are trying to prove their contribution by staying home, others are coming together through prayer.

They came from different places. but they were all singing the same tune of unity and acceptance.

“Communicate to them that all of these churches wanted to stand with them,” said Pastor Todd Erickson with Second Presbyterian Church.

Also standing with them is Pastor Thi Mitsamphanh of First International Baptist Church whose path to get here hasn’t been easy.

“My family fled a war-torn country and lived in refugee camp for two years. My father was a POW,” he said.

He left Laos in 1986 with the help of World Relief,  a refugee resettlement organization that also provides legal help for immigrants.

“As Christians we look to the Bible for guidance. It says we should love our neighbors. Our neighbors in Memphis are from all different backgrounds, said PJ Moore with World Relief.

One of those neighbors is Pastor Ismail Kunda, a Sudanese immigrant whose native country is now one of seven listed on President Donald Trump`s executive order.

“We want our people to come over here.”

And those who listen said they hope prayer can help.

“We`re here. We see you. Were glad you’re here. We hope you feel safe here. We want to be a place where you can feel safe,” said Moore.

World Relief told WREG it has been able to resettle a few families from Syria in the last few weeks. They are expecting to help more than 300 individuals this year, but with so much uncertainty surrounding immigration, they lowered that number to half that much.

They were expecting to help more than 300 individuals this year, but due to President Trump’s Executive Order that may not happened.with so much uncertainty surrounding immigration, they lowered that number to half that much.

The order cuts the number of refugees from 110,000 to 50,000 for 2017.

Read more at Locals come together to pray for immigrants, refugees.