Sunday Forum for Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minnesota. Nov. 7: Making Room in the Inn: Preparing To Welcome Our First Guest(s) to Room 99—What Does It Mean to Seek Asylum? As preparation of transitional housing space in Room 99 proceeds, and in anticipation of welcoming our first guest(s) before the end of the year, we turn, also, to preparing ourselves for this ministry of hospitality. Rachel Uthmann, director of training with the International Association for Refugees, a faith-based organization headquartered in Minnesota leads us. Rachel began working with asylum seekers and refugees in Greece over twenty years ago, and worked with Afghani refugees in Italy and England before moving to Minnesota five years ago. She holds degrees in theology and global history and has advanced training in caring for survivors of trauma. In this session Rachel will provide grounding in what it means to be an asylum seeker; ways the experience and needs of asylum seekers differ from those of other immigrants; and ways we can be in authentic, helpful relationship and community with our Room 99 guests as they work toward self-sufficiency.

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