The Alkhwaja boys were the first to meet the new neighbors.
"Our dogs, of course, were interested in the boys and the boys were interested in the dogs," said Jeff Rogers, who lives behind the family of six. Soon after, he and his wife Cindi met Ibraheem and Enis, the boys' parents.
Ibraheem described what they lost in Syria. "Everything. Everything. No work, no school." The bombing was nonstop. The family ran from Syria to Jordan, looking for safety.
It took 7 months and 10 interviews, many of them hours long, before they were able to come to America. "What can I say? Indescribable feeling," Ibraheem said.
It's been four months since they arrived here in America. It didn't take long for them get much more from the people right next door. "The bottom line is we can either help them succeed or we can turn our backs and hope they fail," said Scott Lininger, their next door neighbor.
Jeff, Cindi and Scott are a small part of the community that's helped welcome the Alkhwajas, helping them with everything from getting their sons in school to a job for Ibraheem and a car for the family. Here's the twist, these neighbors have different political views, even when it comes to President Trump's controversial Syrian refugee and visa policy.
"Well aren't we all different in many realms of our life," Jeff asked.
Scott added, "I understand both sides of it, but in respect to them the bottom line for us no matter what our political views are, they needed help and we were there. Politically, that really doesn't make a difference. You've got to look at the human, Godly thing to do."
The Alkhwajas call them all one family, a gift they didn't expect when they landed here in Kansas City.
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