Mt. Lebanon resident to work with Syrian refugees in Germany
Grace Killian gathers with some of the Syrian children with whom she worked in Jordan.
Grace Killian worked in Jordan for part of her 2014 mission trip.
Syrian children with whom Grace Killian worked in Jordan
Syrian children with whom Grace Killian worked in Jordan
Mafraq, Jordan
While some Americans tend to view victims of the Syrian civil war with suspicion, Grace Killian prefers compassion.
“Refugees aren’t an issue or statistics, but they’re people who have encountered incredible tragedy,” the Mt. Lebanon resident said. “Many of the people I met and lived with have seen more relatives die than I can imagine. They’re just seeking to provide for their children, to live as normal lives as possible.”
Having worked directly with displaced Syrians during a service mission to the Middle East, Killian plans to continue her efforts in Germany, the nation that has accepted more asylum seekers than any other European country. She is scheduled to leave March 1 and will be based primarily in Chemnitz, a city of about 250,000 that was called Karl-Marx-Stadt while it was part of the former East Germany.
Her church, Mt. Lebanon United Methodist, has a long-standing partnership with the church of the same denomination in Zwickau, about 20 miles east of Chemnitz in the German state of Saxony. Congregations in the region are combining resources to provide services to those in need.
“This is a really exciting opportunity for us to do work together, to be able to support the work that they’re doing as they reach out to the refugees in their communities,” Killian said.
In 2014, during her two-year tenure as a United Methodist Global Mission Fellow in Israel and Palestine, she spent a couple of months in Mafraq, Jordan, which is less than 10 miles from the Syrian border and home to the massive Zaatari refugee camp.
“At that point, refugees outnumbered Jordanian citizens five to one, so there were many refugees in this town without a lot of infrastructure,” she recalled.
While there, Killian worked primarily with a small school for Syrians ages 6 to 12.
“All these children had to leave school at different times and leave Syria different times, so all different kinds of skills and abilities and education levels,” she said. “There were some behavioral issues of children being very withdrawn and displaced aggression. It was incredible to see the way that children would learn how to play with each other, and seeing children who were very withdrawn at the beginning of my time coming out of their shell and engaging.”
She had the opportunity to meet many of the students’ family members.
“All of the refugees whom I encountered and worked with were incredibly gracious, hospitable people,” she said.
A 2009 graduate of Seton-La Salle High School, Killian earned her bachelor’s degree in international and global studies, along with vocal music, from Brandeis University in Massachusetts. After returning from Germany, she plans to pursue a dual master’s, of divinity and in public policy and international affairs, while also seeking ordination within the United Methodist Church.
“The church has such a strong potential and responsibility to be a source of good and change and transformation in the world,” she said. “We need people who are skilled in international policy and those areas as well to really lead the church in those kinds of decisions and policies.”