January, 2016: I dream of sharing about Jesus with a refugee family from Iraq.
Fast forward three months.
I arrive in Lesvos, Greece, to help in the massive refugee detention camp, Moria.
I knew new that I would make many new friends from all over the world. I walked through the large metal gate ready for whatever (and whoever) I would encounter during that day shift. I completely forgot about my dream. Until yesterday.
A few days earlier, I had met a very unassuming, friendly Yazidi man and his wife. This couple us from Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. I smile as I greet them, thinking of my many close friends who live in that region now.
The he husband invites me to visit them in their housing unit. He tells me of his wife’s psychological problem. I tell him, I will try my best to visit.
Yesterday, we arrive for our afternoon shift in the camp. I see and hear children practicing their songs for the Pope’s upcoming visit as I make my way through the family compound. Children run up and hug my legs. The women shyly smile at me. I am there for an important reason, remembering my prayer in which I asked to see the Yazidi couple once again.
I eventually find the wife, lying face up on the floor, crying and wailing inconsolably. The other Iraqi and Syrian women are sitting around, pouring water on her face, rubbing her arms and hands, trying to get her to “wake up”. I start to pray for her, asking Jesus to heal her body and mind. Eventually, she wakes up. Her husband comes in and holds her, comforting her. He proceeds to tell me about the difference between our two religions. I smile and listen patiently. I had to get back to my shift post, so he walked me out of their house. I asked him when her “problem” started. He told me “two years ago”-five years after they married each other. He then told me that ISIS came through their village, killing (and probably kidnapping and raping) their children and women. Her crying episodes started then. 2 years ago. A form of PTSD. He told me that I was their sister and I can come visit anytime. I quickly left, not wanting to leave my teammate alone for long. I couldn’t get far before I started crying, realizing the gravity of it all.
Friends, family, and anyone else reading: this refugee situation is serious. The worst evil of humanity is showcased in the stories of these people. These beautiful people each have a story to tell, a burden to shed, a home they left, and a home they long for. When we lay down our rights to comfort and safety, when we remember that this world is not our true home, when we cast our prejudices aside, we find Jesus. The same Jesus who was born to a family not too many miles away from this young couple is the same Jesus who can heal and bind their wounds.
I don’t know what will happen to this couple. I am not a government agent, a doctor, or a religious leader…but I am a friend of Someone who can bring justice, healing, and solace. Pray with me that my new friends, A and S, will find Hope in Christ and will find a free land to settle in on their way to the Promised land.
Sojourning with you,
Lauren
