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Joseph Givens
Dec 25, 20244 min read
A Christmas of Joy and Sorrow at Maria Skobtsova House
Merry Christmas, my friends! I wish you all the blessings of the peace of Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate on this day. It’s a day...
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Joseph Givens
Dec 6, 20241 min read
A Threat to Society
After that night A spark of police flairs And teargas Bombs, The night lit up Like midday. Another “migrant,” Helpless, Is harmed By The...
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Joseph Givens
Nov 30, 20243 min read
A Thanksgiving Welcome
These are the words I shared at the Thanksgiving celebration in Calais tonight: Good evening, my friends, Before we begin the...
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Joseph Givens
Oct 31, 20244 min read
A Journey of Hope: The Unseen Impact of Kindness on Refugees
Well, it’s that time of year again. Over the last two weeks we’ve taken our annual trip to the United Kingdom to visit former guests from...
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Joseph Givens
Sep 10, 20242 min read
Let it Break You
I’ve only been back a week. In that time, I’ve seen people leave, some to take the train in relative safety to other parts of Europe,...
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Joseph Givens
Sep 4, 20243 min read
Their Only Crime Was Seeking Safety: Why Policy Must Change
I attended another commemoration tonight. Two days ago a small boat sank in the English Channel again. This time twelve people died and...
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Joseph Givens
Aug 19, 20245 min read
From Calais to El Paso: Discovering Kindred Spirits at the Border
“I’m so happy to finally meet you!” The woman says as she throws her arms around Rachel. Rachel really likes hugs, so she reciprocates...
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Joseph Givens
Jul 26, 20243 min read
The Good Kind of Mennonites: Stories of Faith and Generosity
Hi, my friends, I’m in our pop-up camper in a state park in Texas at the moment. Thankfully we had the foresight to rent a T-Mobile...
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Joseph Givens
Jul 15, 20243 min read
Calais in My Heart: A Missionary’s Story
Well, here I am again. Back across the Atlantic Ocean, sitting in a camper on a hot, humid day in Indiana. So far, we’ve had the chance...
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Joseph Givens
Jun 7, 20243 min read
Bad Weather, Beautiful People
This morning’s interactions weren’t unusual. I walked the boys to school. On the way back, I decided to walk by our local bakery and get...
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Joseph Givens
Apr 25, 20243 min read
In the Wake of Tragedy: How Privilege Shapes Our Response to the Migrant Crisis
What more can I say? What can I add to the conversation that I haven't already mentioned countless times? I feel now like whatever I say...
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Joseph Givens
Mar 30, 20242 min read
From Calais to Easter: Embracing Hope in the In-Between
Easter is here. Today is the day between Good Friday, when we remember our Lord's death and Easter, when we celebrate his resurrection....
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Joseph Givens
Mar 10, 20247 min read
A Little Girl is Dead
We will be returning to the USA for the end of our first term in June. We’ll be staying there through August. While there, we’ll be...
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Joseph Givens
Feb 14, 20244 min read
I'm dying (and so are you)
My friends, the season of Lent is upon us. And with it comes a general repentance among most Christian denominations. Indeed, today is...
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Joseph Givens
Jan 26, 20243 min read
Speaking Through an Ass
I realize it’s easy for me to speak negatively about the churches I grew up in. After all, there are many, many problems in the way that...
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Joseph Givens
Jan 19, 20243 min read
Don't Have Sex
Loving our neighbors at Orthodox Christmas!
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Joseph Givens
Dec 24, 20232 min read
Conversations from Christmas
It is Christmas Eve. I sit at the dining room table, surrounded by people from four different countries who are communicating with each...
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Joseph Givens
Dec 11, 20233 min read
A Refugee from Heaven
Merry Christmas, my friends. We enter the Christmas season with an expectation. It’s an expectant waiting for the Son of God to make his...
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Joseph Givens
Oct 6, 20233 min read
Solidarity Amidst Diversity
I saw a beautiful display of solidarity today. I can’t share too many of the details, but a woman who came to stay at the Maria Skobtsova...
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Joseph Givens
Aug 25, 20233 min read
With no Pretense
Recently I received a video of an Iranian woman being baptised. She was at the Maria Skobtsova House (MSH) for several months at the end...
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