We're still adjusting to this new season of life in which God has placed us. It's beautiful and it's messy. It's joy and it's hardship. That seems to be true for most everyone's walk of life, though. Especially the Christ follower. We've explained through this blog and through newsletters that we moved to Nashville to serve among refugees. But many of you may wonder what that looks like. What are we actually doing? What exactly is a refugee? We're still trying to determine what in the world we're doing. Most of our ministry just happens as we go about our daily routines. I love that. But to give you a better picture of our surroundings in this seemingly unknown area of Nashville I want to give more insight into the life of a refugee.
A refugee is someone who flees their homeland due to persecution because of religious beliefs, ethnicity, or political involvement. Many of them sneak across borders in very dangerous situations- some dying before they make it to the border. For those who make it to a neighboring country, they typically find themselves in "refugee camps" i.e. guarded holding areas until a new country offers them a new home. The average wait is five long years. Occasionally, if a refugee's language and culture are similar to their host country's they will be permitted to leave the camp and begin a life in this host country. Others wait to interview with the UN. Those who can prove they are escaping persecution are processed and {hopefully} sent to a country of freedom. The U.S. admits tens of thousands of refugees per year (the exact number is determined each year by Congress). Refugees arriving in the U.S. are assigned to volunteer agencies such as World Relief or Catholic Charities here in Nashville who provide a number of services during their first 90 days in America. These agencies do their best to link new refugees with "sponsors" who help them make the difficult adjustment to life in the U.S. (This information was gathered by World Relief).
Please let that paragraph sink in. Think of the stories that each of these refugees must have. Stories that often go untold because they can't communicate well enough. Think of families that are broken during all the moving and escaping. Think of the joy that must come knowing that you and your family are finally safe in a free country but then to hear of the turmoil going on in your homeland or to see news of an awful earthquake that just wrecked your country. Think of how scary it must be when your husband starts his new job and you're alone at home with your kids not knowing a soul around you. Think of the loneliness of this form of life.
If any of you have traveled internationally you know the struggle that is grocery shopping or getting medical care or asking directions. After living in the Philippines I can relate to many of the struggles of acclimation. It's stinking hard. But I just can't relate to some of the stories these men and women and children carry. I've heard stories of brothers who were bombed. Children who were left because they couldn't make the trek to the camp. Friends lost in war. Such sorrow and hardship. Of course these refugees are thrilled to find themselves in a safe haven. They appreciate safety and opportunity. But man, most of all they appreciate friendship and being heard. In all that comes with rebuilding their lives (finding a home, learning English, getting a job, etc.) friendship is invaluable.
So that's where we've found ourselves- trying to stand in the gap of these refugees' long flights to freedom. We're spending time with families, sharing meals with neighbors, giving goldfish crackers to the same kid day after day, offering rides to work, practicing English and attempting Arabic, and praying over the brokenness of these precious ones. Many of them have little to no knowledge of Jesus. Our prayer is that they see Jesus in us and want to know him because of the love they've experienced through His children. We pray that they find peace in the one true God, not in a 'safe' country.
We don't have any official ministry titles and we're still going through a good bit of transition ourselves. Josh is looking for a new teaching job next semester and I am hacking away at a long to-do list while keeping our little one loved and nurtured. It's a good life and we're grateful for all of you walking it with us. Please pray for the refugee population in Nashville made up of peoples from Nepal, Burma/Myanmar, Iraq, Iran, South Sudan, Congo, India, and so many many more places.
If you have any questions or want to be a part of what's going on here in some way, then please email or call us. We could always use a helping heart :) Keep following the blog to see pictures and updates of some teams that Mobilizing Students is sending our way this summer!
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