Patricia Heaton travels to Jordan to meet with Syrian refugees

Heaton and her co-star from "The Middle" spent time at a refugee camp.

ByABC News
May 25, 2017, 3:01 PM
Patricia Heaton arrives for the 2017 Winter TCA Tour for Disney/ABC at The Langham Hotel, Jan. 10, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif.
Patricia Heaton arrives for the 2017 Winter TCA Tour for Disney/ABC at The Langham Hotel, Jan. 10, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif.
Greg Doherty/Getty Images

— -- Patricia Heaton and her co-star Beau Wirick on "The Middle" recently took a trip to Jordan where they met with Syrian refugees.

Traveling earlier this month with the Christian humanitarian organization World Vision, the two stars toured one of the world's largest refugee camps in Azraq, Jordan, with 36,000 residents.

There, they visited a kindergarten, soccer fields and the temporary homes of displaced families.

"It was really moving to see these families, who are just like any of us, torn out of their village and away from their families and they're really struggling," Heaton, 59, said in a Facebook video posted by World Vision. "They're grateful, but they're struggling."

"Time and time again we were just hearing, 'We're so happy we're safe, we're so happy that our family is together, that we can live in peace,'" Wirick added. "That's what they want."

Heaton and Wirick also visited a child-safe space created by the aid organization, where they celebrated the birthdays of some of the refugee children with songs and cake. They also watched the children perform plays about war and child marriage and later spoke with their mothers about how the six-year-long conflict has affected them and their families.

"They (the kids) are getting a lot of social work and a lot of psychological help and they are most importantly having fun," Heaton said in a second Facebook video. "Kids are kids everywhere and they just like to have some fun."

Heaton, who is open about her Christian faith, posted pictures from the trip on her Instagram.

She even came across an "Everybody Loves Raymond" fan. "You can find #everybodylovesraymond fans like Alham even in #Jordan!" the "Raymond" star wrote.

And she met a woman who reminded her of her TV mother-in-law Marie Barone, played by the late Doris Roberts.

"My new Syrian grandma! I love this woman -- we don't speak the same language but I understood everything she said! Has a bit of Marie Barone in her!" she wrote.