Refugee Resettlement meeting

This morning I had a great meeting with the refugee resettlement office in Mobile. I gave the director my card. Under my name it says “Refugee Ministries”. She looked at it for a moment and shook her head in disbelief. She said, “Yes, I had heard you were coming to help, but that a church would put so much effort into working with refugees. That’s just not very common.” She couldn’t believe that my main focus is on refugees.

The director explained more about the process refugees go through to get here. Did you know that only about 2% of refugees are resettled? (By “resettled” I mean given a chance to have a new home in a new country.) Most of them spend their life in refugee camps or move on from there on their own. What a life. I can’t imagine.

This meeting helped me to understand the bigger picture and gave me a glimpse of some people from the community that God might be bringing together to help refugees here in Mobile.  I am excited to be working in this community and with people who value refugees and their stories.

Stay tuned for more…

Only 2% of refugees get resettled.

The Power of Presence

A few months ago, to gain some insight into how to love refugees effectively, I met with a woman who has worked with refugees seven years.  One of the most insightful things she said: “Don’t underestimate the ministry of presence.”  Meaning: By just being with someone, you are able to offer something. This was a good reminder as I often get caught up in trying to fix things for people and forget to be present in the moment with them (whether that moment is joyful or painful).

Over this last month as I have met refugees and people who help them, I have struggled with just being in the moment.  I already see all of these needs and am tempted to just jump in and try to meet them without much thought or prayer.  I forgot about the power of being present with someone, whether they are happy or sad or excited or fearful.  This is what will make me able to help them…being with them.

Today as I was thinking about this idea of presence, I realized that that’s what God offers to us.  He is always present with us.  In each moment whether we are happy or sad or excited or scared,  He is there in that exact place with us.  He doesn’t always “fix” our situation, but he always endures with us, rejoices with us, and stays with us.  Do we realize what a gift this is?  Our Father isn’t distracted by a to-do list.  He’s not too busy planning a strategy to most effectively help us that He can’t be with us.  And it’s just that, His presence, that is so powerful.

Trust, Listen, Tell

Recently a friend wrote me a note about the importance of our stories.  Each person has a unique story, but many people never get the chance to tell it.  Stories are powerful.  They connect us to one another and bring validity to our experiences.  Stories are also very personal.  One of the most valuable things we have as people are our stories.  They speak to who we are and how we view life.  In some ways, they define our reality.  As I have learned and thought about refugees, I wonder who they are telling their stories to, or they are telling their stories at all.  I wonder if anyone is listening to the stories they are trying to tell.

My friend’s challenge to me regarding stories is to “trust, listen and tell.”  Over the past month, I have realized how relevant each this challenge is.  I am entering into a time of listening.  I’m building relationships with refugees, all of whom have a story, and I would guess that most have a heartbreaking story.  But, before I can listen, I have to trust.  I’ve noticed that part of me wants to jump over the listening phase and just start trying to meet the needs that I see right now in the refugee community.  As I’ve thought about why that is, I’ve realized that it’s because listening takes trust.  In order to be available to listen well to refugees’ stories, I have to trust that the heartbreak of these stories won’t overwhelm me.  I have to trust that God is good, no matter how much I hear evidence that seems to indicate otherwise.  To do this, I have to be honest with God about how I feel when I hear these stories.  And being honest on any level requires trust.  I have no doubt that my relationship with God will grow deeper as I hear stories of refugees.  I also have no doubt that hearing these stories and being honest to God about them will be very difficult.

As I listen, the stories I hear will enrich my life and my own story.  In the same way, my story will enrich the lives of those I am building relationships with.  Eventually, when the time is right, I hope to tell the stories I hear because I believe they have the power to enrich the lives of any who will listen.

Hello Again

As is often true with blogs (or more specifically, with my blogs) I haven’t maintained this one consistently at all.  I look back at my last post and realize it was four months ago.  A third of a year!  Needless to say, so many things have changed over the past four months.  I have been able to raise almost all of my support (thanks to many of you) and have now been in Alabama for a month.  To summarize my fundraising experience so far: God is more faithful than I thought He was and I am more capable than I thought I was.  God has been faithful to put on my heart (and yours) what He desires.  In this case, he put refugees on my heart and he has led me to a place where I can serve them.  I was faithful to put my needs before God and before many of you.  And you have been faithful to respond as God has led you.  Thank you for your faithfulness!  You have enabled me to be here!

As I’ve thought about the faithfulness of God and the capabilities He has given us, I have been continually amazed at how much God trusts us—oftentimes more than we trust ourselves.  He has given us so much freedom.  Dallas Willard defines freedom in this way: the capacity to originate things and events that would not otherwise occur, the power to do what is good (or evil).  Why does God give us this freedom?  One reason I think that God has given us freedom is because He is free.  He is creative.  He has the ability to originate things.  And He wants us to be able to relate to him. So, He made us like himself.  Amazing.

Originally I started this blog because I wanted to keep you updated about what I’m learning about refugees.  So far, I’ve learned a lot, but this blog does not yet reflect that.  This is my “public” renewed commitment to post here about my experiences as I learn about and try to help refugees.  That’s right folks, you read it here first!

Coming Soon to a City Near You

I recently returned from my first fundraising trip–to the City of Fountains (or Kansas City for those of you who aren’t up on your Kansas trivia).  It was too cold to experience any of the beautiful fountains in KC, but I did experience some great connections with old and new friends.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to meet with me, listen to  my vision, and dream with me about helping refugees!   I gained greater vision and understanding of the needs of refugees. 

I’m looking forward to another trip there soon as well as some trips to other Kansas and nonKansas cities.  (Because what other categories are there for cities: “Kansas”, “nonKansas” and coming soon, “Alabama”.)  So, if you know of a few people who might be interested in what I’m doing (or if you just want to see my smiling face), let me know, I may be able to swing by your neck of the woods!

A New Way

I’ve been living life a new way recently.  I’ve been living by faith on a deeper level than I have before.  March 5 was the last day of my job, and since then I have been fundraising full time.  There have been ups and downs, but the word that captures it all for me: different.  I have no doubt that this is how I want to live, trusting God to provide for me.  However, it is difficult to give up the “safety” that I have created for myself over the past several years.  The safety of a pay check, the safety of measureable outcomes, the safety of knowing how to accomplish the things that need to be accomplished.

A few weeks ago I came across a (rather long) quote that summarizes what I am feeling and the reasons I want to live this way:  “Without the ability to imagine, even just for a few moments, what life looks like seen through another’s eyes, without the capacity to empathize with the pain or delight of another, to know that there have I been, and there I am, without the courage to go beyond the boundaries of our own self-interest, prejudices, cares, needs, and meet others without defences, how can we affirm, with Paul, that ‘if one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the others share its happiness’ (1 Cor. 12.26)?  It is not just that we have bodies, we are a body, in which the divisions are the illusion and the barriers and the disease.  Of all the divisions, the most damaging is that of one part of ourself from another part of ourself.  As long as we are strangers to ourselves, then we will be deeply strangers to others.  Sometimes it may be our experience of being deeply loved by another that will bring us home.  Life is kinder than we let it be, for there are so many occasions for love, if we don’t let fear overpower us.  So many opportunities for healing, for wholeness, and all of them signs of the grace of God that desires to go on loving us and healing us and calling us home to ourselves and to each other.  But without the facing of fear, even stumbling, even trembling, even sick to the pit of our stomachs, without these abandonments of jumping off the cliff into the arms of God, then we can only armour, repeat, retrench, self-protect, and whine at anyone who is different from us.  And face lives without passion, without sap, without grace.“ 

 –Kathy Galloway, Getting Personal: Sermons and Meditations

Read that again if you need to, there’s so much there.

I have jumped off the cliff.  There are many moments that I am unsure if His arms are there.  I have determined that I am going to live those moments just as much as I live the moments that I am sure of His arms.  I haven’t let the presence of fear deter me from jumping.  That has been my victory recently.  I am amazed at the strength He’s given me so far and I am trusting Him for even more.

A New Reality (or The Oldest Reality of All Time)

I’m seeing a new reality.  I’m seeing with a new clarity how bent Satan is on our destruction.  I see how he is always waiting, ready with another lie to try to deceive us with.  He’s tricky.  He’ll do all he can to keep us from experiencing the truth of our freedom in Christ because the truth is that we belong to God, our heavenly Father.  And God will protect us, we are His beloved children.

While the reality of who Satan is is sobering, along with that reality comes an increased awareness that Satan has been defeated.  He is on the losing side.  God has won.  He purchased us through Christ’s blood and we will not be destroyed!  So, while we should be aware of how Satan works and how he can tempt us, we also have nothing to fear because Satan cannot destroy us. 

Maybe this is how growth works.  Life puts us in a place where we experience and understand more of the reality of this fallen world.  But, at the same time, God shows up.  And the greatest truth is that he has conquered the world, so we can have peace.   We are disrupted as we try to get our hearts and minds around the new reality (or the greater depth of the old reality), but in that new reality is greater truth and peace than we have known before.

Childlike Maturity

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:1-4

When I think about child-like qualities, the words trusting, adventuresome and creative come to mind. At their best, children have not yet become cynical; they are open and trusting. Children also have the wonderful ability to live in the moment, in awe of the world around them. They are ready to explore the world, to get their hands dirty, to dream, create, and make life better. Isn’t this how we are all invited to be – open and trusting in our relationship with God; present in the moment and in awe of the world God has created for us; ready to dream big and then roll up our sleeves and help create the world God envisions? Perhaps Peter Pan was right; maybe we should never grow up!– Tracy Hartman

In many ways, the process I am going through right now is one of growing up.  It’s an opportunity to become more of who God created me to be.  It’s new community.  It’s new responsibilities.  It’s new work.  In many ways, it’s a new life.  As I’ve been thinking about this over the past months, I can’t help but think that I have tried to take on responsibilities (and worry about things) that are not mine.  I’ve tried to take responsibility for things that it are my Father’s responsibility (and joy) to provide me.  A child trusts her father to provide for her.  And I have an amazing Father who wants to provide all that I need.  He is providing all I need right now.  So, I hope that through this process, I can grow up into a child who trusts her Father for all that she needs and joyfully takes the responsibilities that He has given to her.

Why Refugees?

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

As I’ve been thinking about why I’ve made the decision to quit my job in the middle of one of the worst economic downturns in recent history and begin working in a field that seems less secure, the first part of Isaiah 61 has come to mind numerous times.  Jesus read these words from Isaiah as he began his ministry—he defined his ministry with these words.  His ministry was about proclaiming favor, liberty, sight, freedom, good news.  To who?  To the poor, the captives, those who are blind, the oppressed.  As I’ve pondered these words, I realize that I am poor, I can be blind, I am oppressed, I am held captive by things.  Jesus came to set me free, to give me sight—to help me see what is true.  He came that I might have liberty.  He came to show me favor.  He came to do these things for me and for you and for people from all over the world.

Isaiah goes on to explain what will happen as the poor receive God’s good news and freedom.  They will be beautiful.  They will praise.  They will be as sturdy and secure as oaks.  They will be agents through whom God is known.  They will build up that which has been destroyed.  They will repair what has been ruined for generations.

So, why refugees?  Because Jesus has given me freedom and I want others to know that freedom too.  Because the Father has a beautiful headdress just waiting for them and they don’t have to wear the ashes of mourning anymore.  Because I believe that they are looking for comfort and freedom.  And because God is offering it.

Refugee Fact of the Day

Part of this new adventure of mine is to learn about a unique population of people: refugees.  As I learn, I will share.  So, you get to learn too!  As I’ve read a little about refugees, a recurring question comes to mind: How much does the average person know about refugees?  A year ago, the only thing I knew about refugees were the images the word conjured: crowded camps of people living in tents in some far corner of the world.  Recently I’ve been asking: Who are these people?  What has their journey been like?  What are some things they need as they settle into a new home?

But first things first:

Q: What is a refugee?

A: Basically, a refugees are people who have to flee their home because of a legitimate fear of persecution.  The persecution is usually based on religious or political beliefs, race or ethnicity, their cultural affiliation, or their geographic location.  The main thing that makes refugees different from immigrants is that refugees leave their homes because they have to, and immigrants leave because they choose to.  Refugees are seeking freedom and will endure much suffering to reach it.

Q: How many refugees are there?

A: According to the United Nations Refugees Agency, in 2009 there are 16 million refugees worldwide.  This is equivalent to the combined population of Kansas, Alabama, Missouri and Oklahoma.  (This number is taking me a while to get my mind around–it’s rather large.)