On the weekend, a group of more than ten Townshend students and staff headed south across the Austrian border to visit with several refugee families from Syria and Afghanistan who are temporarily housed in the area. The families were very happy to receive us, and despite their limited resources, humbled us with their hospitality. Townshend staff and students who speak Arabic and Persian were able to speak at length with the families, and several of our German-speaking students came to help the refugees learn German. Regular ongoing visits are being planned. Although we went with the purpose of being of some service to them, we came away feeling as if we were the ones deeply enriched by the experience of hearing their stories, and the difficulties they have faced in seeking a better life.
(Graphic courtesy of CNN).