June 21, 2017

As a pleasantly warm room full of smiling Zumba-ers took a break, the instructor asked us how we felt. 

Two feelings instantly came to mind and I shouted them out: Alive and Together.

We don't share a language, but the common appearance of flushed cheeks and big grins told me that we all felt the same. Our mutual feminine humanity, despite the mixture of culture or faith, effervesced via fast heart beats and a Latin dance beat.

Looking back, it occurs to me that Alive and Together best reflect my entire day at Questscope in Za’atari camp in Jordan.

Another memory is Tabouleh. The fresh ingredients, when mixed together by loving hands, create a body of flavor that each single element could not design on it’s own. What each brings becomes an essential part of the whole, and truly feeds anyone lucky enough to taste and see.

These are memories of the family Questscope has created, which hold great virtue and reflect an intentional empowerment model for volunteers and beneficiaries alike.

You are seen and safe here. No one is alone.

Bretta Warren-Kim

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Our friends at Willow Creek Community Church visited our Youth Center in Za'atari Camp last spring. Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some of their reflections and observations.