I don’t know all of the facts regarding the refugees, and I definitely don’t know all of the legal stuff. But I can tell you what I experienced and what stories I heard. These things are what made this weekend the most powerful and faith-deepening experience I have ever had.
We had the opportunity of working with refugees for a couple days here in Bosnia. These refugees are from several different countries in the Middle East. They fled their country due to many reasons: political unrest, war, religious persecution, etc. Most are headed towards countries in western Europe in hopes of freedom and a future.
The road there, however, is long and tough. Most of these people travel on foot the whole way, carrying the few items they have on their backs. They stay in makeshift tents if they’re lucky and usually congregate into camps with other refugees.
One compound that we went to was a huge abandoned building with no windows, completely covered in graffiti. It was not organized in any way but these people had nowhere else to go, so they stayed. There were some tents set up sporadically, blankets and cardboard spread out for makeshift beds, and the floor was wet everywhere. The smell was so wretched, which is to be expected when there are over 750 men, women, and children staying in one building. Even though the local Red Cross was doing what they could to bring in electricity and water and food, it wasn’t nearly enough. Fights broke out nightly, and there was a stabbing that led to a death the night before we arrived.
It was overwhelming and completely devastating. I can’t put it into words how horrendous and shocking the conditions really were.
As I was walking with some of my teammates through the building, silently praying in my head for Jesus to fill the space, we entered one room. There was a group of men sitting along one of the walls. When we walked in they greeted us warmly and invited us over to sit and talk with them. So we sat and began hearing their stories. The men were from Iran and trying to eventually get to Germany. They tried to cross the border into Croatia the day before, but were robbed by the border police and forced to return to this compound in Bosnia.
One man from this group especially stuck out to me.
While we were talking with him, we eventually asked him why he decided to leave Iran. He explained that he used to be a firefighter. One day he saved a lady who was from Italy who was a Christian. To thank him for saving her, she gave him a Bible. Being born in Iran, he was forced into Islam his entire life. However, he did not believe this for himself and was curious about Christianity.
So, this man kept the Bible in his locker at work. He was not evangelizing or preaching the gospel on the streets, and he didn’t even consider himself a Christian at this point. But one day the police came and searched through all of the lockers at the fire station and found the Bible that he had stowed away. He wasn’t even a believer, but because he had been found with a Bible he was told he had to report to court for a hearing.
So he had a choice. He could show up in court and go to jail for 10-20 years (if not be killed). Or he could leave his family and home and everything behind to flee the country. You can see what he chose.
He joined up with other Iranians and traveled with them, which were the other men we sat and talked with. He asked us questions about what we believed and we got to share the gospel with him. Being in a refugee compound, most of the people there were muslims. Because of this we had to be very careful about what we said and how loud we talked so we did not put him or ourselves into a dangerous situation.
He shared with us that all of the people that had ever helped him were Christians. He described them as loving and kind, and stated that they had some type of “magic” about them (this description of the Holy Spirit was so powerful to hear). Those Christians he had met gave him peace and encouragement and sparked curiosity in him. He wanted what they had and truly believed that what they had (a relationship with Jesus) was real.
This man wasn’t even a Christian when he was found with a Bible and forced to flee. But he had enough hope from Christians that he had come in contact with that there is a Jesus, and that He offers true hope and freedom. He was willing to take this risk for something he didn’t even fully commit to yet because just the possibility of something like that was enough.
Then, he asked us the most beautiful question of all, “So, how do I become a Christian?”
We could not openly pray due to the muslims in the room that he claimed were dangerous. However, we walked our new friend through what it looks like to begin a relationship with Christ. Through the midst of our conversations we discovered that one of the other men that was there was a Christian already, so that gave us hope that he has someone to talk with even once we left. Although he did not make that decision then and there, I believe he did begin a relationship with the Lord that day that changed the course of his eternity.
This experience taught me two main things:
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Kind deeds do not go unnoticed. Sometimes it feels like the things we do in our “everyday lives” don’t really bring much to the kingdom. It is easy to get into this mindset when we don’t see direct fruit from our actions (I certainly have felt this this year). However, because we bear the image of Christ, our actions reflect Him, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. You never know when serving that one meal to that one homeless person could spark curiosity in them. What’s different about this person? Why do they have a type of “magic” about them? Why are they so peaceful and hopeful in horrible circumstances? And that curiosity alone can change their life forever. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit and the crazy ways He works.
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God hears our prayers and answers them. Before going out that morning, I was having quiet time with the Lord. Right before leaving, I felt like I was supposed to pray that at least one person would begin a relationship with Jesus today. So I did. But if I am honest, I don’t know how much faith was behind that prayer… Conversations like that don’t just happen everyday and I haven’t experienced it much before. I am growing in boldness but certainly don’t consider myself some impressive evangelist. However, I sat in complete awe as we talked with this man who wanted to give his life to the Lord mere hours after I had prayed that prayer. God truly is omnipotent. Nothing is too big for Him to accomplish. And even when our faith doesn’t seem big enough to change eternities, God’s power certainly is.
