Hello all! First off sorry for the lack of communication. Wifi has been very limited recently. About a week and a half ago I left Lesvos, Greece and traveled to South Africa! Before I jump into what ministry looks here, let me catch you up on what I did and learned while ministering to the refugees.
On Lesvos, my team and I assisted at a refugee transition point camp. In essence, our camp worked as a bus stop to get the refugees to a larger camp for registration but we also provided food, clothing, and medical aid. My role changed daily which gave me many opportunities to interact with the refugees on a variety of different levels. At first I wasn’t sure what to think or how to interact with the people coming through the gates of our camp. Eventually I was told the simple answer and that was to love them. Through prayer and my interactions with these people God has given me eyes to see them the way He does.
While I was praying through my time in Lesvos, the song “Jesus Loves the Little Children” kept coming into my head. If you don’t know the song the first few lines are, “Jesus loves the little children, ALL the children of the WORLD”. As I sang through the song, God was teaching me that He sees each and every refugee as His child no matter how old they are. I had a vision of myself walking by different children and I was bursting with a deep caring love for each one of them. I felt as if my heart was going to burst from the love that filled it. This gave me a deeper understanding for God’s love towards not just the refugees but His love for me and everyone else as well. His love is so vast we will never comprehend it fully but I am standing in awe in this new understanding of His love.
In John 15:12 Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Loving people can look a variety of different ways because God shows His love to us in countless ways. At the refugee camp I was able to see and hear about the fruit that comes from showing that love. At the camp there have been many encounters of muslim refugees asking about Jesus and saying that they want know Jesus!! PRAISE MOMENT!
These refugees have been living under a religion and a nation that forbid them from worshiping Jesus and from even owning a Bible. That oppression has kept them from experiencing our Great and Awesome God. Seeing that oppression being lifted as they come onto European soil makes me think that this is more than a crisis but an opportunity for many to experience the love of their Father in Heaven!
Here are a few other highlight moments from my time spent at the refugee camp:
• Their Smiles.
• Cheering while coming in from the boats.
• Holding babies while moms changed into dry clothes.
• Flying paper airplanes with 5 year old, Amir.
• Coloring with the kids while they wait for the bus.
• Refugees selflessly helping with clean up.
• Being offered cigarettes (I didn’t accept these but it was a kind gesture) and food from the refugees. They have so little and they don’t know where their next meal is coming from but they still offer what they have out of gratitude.
• Hugs and Kisses from the elderly women.
• People inquiring about Jesus.
• A whole family accepting Jesus in the midst of Chaos.
Leaving Greece was a little difficult but I was really looking forward to starting ministry in South Africa! This month we are teaming up with Manna Family Church and Children in Distress. We are putting on Christmas parties for children in neighboring villages, helping with various tasks the church, and taking part in their Christmas production!
