Today we sat through our first earthquake in Nepal. It was small. It just felt like the house jumped. My squad was together worshipping and we all looked around in confusion. The staff said we were fine but if it happened again we were told we should run outside. I'll admit, I was a little scared.
I looked around to see what areas I should try to avoid if the roof collapsed on me and what my best escape route would be if that were the case.
An hour later we were talking with our ministry contact for the week who is a Pakistani refugee. He told us his life story of his escape route out of a Pakistani prison last April….
Our friend was a street evangelist in Pakistan and was arrested for his Christian beliefs. He was held in a prison cell and was to be beaten day after day until he converted back to Islam.
He showed us just some of his scars.
He wouldn't give in to his captors and the beatings were getting progressively worse. He felt he would be killed the next day. So he staged an elaborate escape from the prison, made it out a window, ran for his life, got to his family, said a quick goodbye, and took the next flight out of Pakistan to Nepal. It is an absolute miracle he got out of there alive.
His story is incredible! I wish I could tell you all of it in this blog. What I can tell you, is that being a refugee trying to start over in a new country sounds completely impossible.
Finding a job and a place to live is extremely difficult for refugees and sometimes illegal. There are so many obstacles and unending red tape. We are listening to stories all week from Pakistani refugees and it is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. And here we are, a bunch of American suburbia girls, trying to figure out how to serve these people who have lost so much. We are in way over our heads! We are great listeners, but I believe God has more for us this week. I just don't know what.
So please pray for us, that God would give us practical and helpful ways to bless these people and pour into them. But more importantly, pray for these people who have lost everything to be hidden away in this shaky little country. Pray for these people who are living in faith, standing firm in their convictions, being true to what they believe, trusting God, and trying to start over in a strange new country with no resources.
They are so incredibly determined and strong. Its an honor to be with them this week. If you have an ideas or thoughts on what a refugee needs that I can give them, I would love to hear them.
And I have one last request to ask of you my friends…if you ever have the privilege of knowing a refugee, please shower them with true friendship, kindness, and the love of God.
God bless these people.
