{"id":15181,"date":"2017-04-19T11:53:14","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T18:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=15181"},"modified":"2017-04-20T11:32:59","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T18:32:59","slug":"lenten-stories-of-pain-and-hope-recognize-diversity-within","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/lenten-stories-of-pain-and-hope-recognize-diversity-within\/","title":{"rendered":"Lenten stories of \u201cPain and Hope\u201d recognize diversity within"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Jamal Gabobe (second from left) enjoys the soup supper before his presentation about Somalia and his life as a Somali immigrant to the U.S. For<\/span>\u00a0more photos, click here<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Jesse N. Love<\/strong> and Mary L. Walker <\/strong>|\u00a0<\/strong>Additional photos by Ken Free<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ann and Steve Mayer listen and ask questions at Stories of Pain and Hope at Federal Way UMC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt was a real eye-opener to hear their stories and to get acquainted with them,\u201d shares Blythe Stanton \u201cGreat story. (It) evoked images of Stalinism and persecution. The song they sang was painful and heartwarming at the same time,\u201d shares Jim Rowley. \u201cMy favorite of course was the Chinese presentation. Inspiring!\u201d exclaims Sandra Shinbo.<\/p>\n

These are reactions from members of Federal Way United Methodist Church<\/a><\/strong><\/span> after experiencing \u201cStories of Pain and Hope\u201d, a weekly Lenten speaker series offering a glimpse into the lives of different cultures and faiths – with a specific focus on the challenges of immigrant life. Around 50 visitors joined in fellowship for each of these speaking events. This is the second year Federal Way has shared \u201cStories\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe were inspired to know and understand our neighbors by hearing about their history and immigrant experience in our area,\u201d shares Mary L. Walker. She served as the chair FWUMC\u2019s Adult Faith Formation Team, which was responsible for this series. Guest speakers this year included:<\/p>\n