Wardell, a 12-year-old Syrian refugee who attended a 3-day soccer clinic in Kurdistan hosted by World Compassion and More Than A Game, told us, “In the last three days I forgot why I was here. I forgot I was a refugee.”

The love Wardell experienced through our team allowed him to open the door of his heart to hope. Even if only for a few days, his heart was not troubled. He no longer saw himself as a victim of violence, loneliness or hunger. As you can see in the video, he was soaring – laughing, making friends, and enjoying life.

This clinic, made possible by World Compassion partners, could change the trajectory of Wardell’s life forever. He told us his dream is to become a doctor, and when we asked him why, he told us – “to heal my country and heal my people.” The love of Christ has empowered this young boy to see himself differently through the lens of hope.

250,000 people from Syria and 500,000 from Iraq have fled to the federal region of Kurdistan for safe haven leaving approximately 750,000 refugees in Kurdistan from Syria and Iraq needing immediate help.

There are various relief packs that are essential items every family needs to get on their feet during their first weeks in a refugee camp. Each pack helps meet the immediate needs of a family, and are supplemented by monthly distributions of food and necessities from World Compassion through local churches on the ground. Your gift towards one or more of these relief packs can give a family the hope they need to get through times of crisis.