This last week I spent time living in a refugee camp in the mountains of Indonesia, and it was probably one of the most impactful moments of this entire trip for me.
Upon arriving in Indonesia, our host let us know that there was an opportunity for 3 of us to go to a refugee camp during our time here. I felt such a pull on my heart to go. When I started looking at the World Race they were posting pictures and blogs about the Syrian refugees in Greece. That was part of what grabbed my heart for this organization. I didn’t think on my route that I would have an opportunity to work with any refugees. So, when the chance came, I jumped on it. After praying and coming together as a team we decided that myself, Mary Beth, and Sammy (Our exposure girl) would be the ones going. I was so excited.
We weren’t the only World Race team there either. Actually, we were crashing the party. We joined forces with another squad who was helping out with the school there for a few weeks. This team is in the 7th month of their race and it was absolutely fantastic getting to meet up with them and hear about all they’ve done. There really is something special about spending time with people’s who get where we’ve been and what we’ve done. It really rejuvenated me and sparked back up in me a passion to continue on for the last leg of my race.
It didn’t take much time for me to start to figure out what I was supposed to do with my time there. We were supposed to be helping out with a school for refugee children, but the Lord has other plans for me. I was supposed to listen to people’s stories.
I walked into the school at 9:00 and immediately met a man who wanted to share his story with me. Later that afternoon I met another man who also told me about how he ended up in Indonesia. These two stories impacted me so much that I must share them with you. I will do my best to try and do justice to the testimonies of these incredible people. The first story is the story of a teacher.
He fled from Afghanistan about 4 years ago. He worked for an English company in Afghanistan. When the American troops left Afghanistan, there was no one left to keep the Taleban in check. They came back with a vengeance towards anyone who was even associated with foreigners. They started targeting people at his work and he knew he had to leave, but he also knew he had to take his sister with him. His sister was an English teacher and they had started to think she was an informant. They fled Afghanistan into India. Once safe in India, they decided to go to Indonesia because at the time the first world countries were still accepting refugees from Indonesia. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived it didn’t go quite as they had planned. In Indonesia they give refugees two options upon arriving in the country. Either they can go into a camp (which he said is more like a prison than anything. Just a roof over your head and food. Nothing else.) or you can choose to just go into the country and try and survive on your own. The only problem with option number two is the fact that refugees in Indonesia are not able to get jobs. Still, he chose the second option because he had his sister to think of.
They got an apartment and were able to survive for 3 years off the money they had saved from back home. They were doing okay until his sister got sick. They quickly ran out of money to pay the hospital bills and eventually were turned away for treatment because they couldn’t pay.
They tried asking the government for help, but, since they are refugees, they don’t have any rights. They asked for a visa to another country to be able to get medical care and, again, they were denied. As a last resort they asked for her to be deported back to Afghanistan. When the government asked why she would want to go back when it was unsafe they said, “Well, she’s dying here. At least she would have a chance there.”
They granted her deportation and immediately upon arriving in Afghanistan she fled into Iran where she’s now receiving treatment.
That leaves him in Indonesia alone and broke. He eventually was able to get the job teaching at the refugee school and now works there teaching science. He is an incredible person with such a big heart. He shared so much of his knowledge with me in the few talks that we were able to have in my time there. I will forever remember him and his incredible story of determination and sacrifice.
The second story came from a man I met later that same day at an English class we went to. He, too, has been in Indonesia for around 4 years and was kind enough to share his incredible story with myself and Vanessa ( one of the girls from the other World Race team.)
He grew up in Afghanistan with his parents and two brothers. When he was 13 his father passed away and he started working to support the family. He ended up working as a mechanic and fixed cars for a living.
One day the Taleban brought a car to him and asked him to fix the engine. He did and upon his final inspection he found a bomb inside the car. It was 250 kg. He said that is big enough to kill around 100 people. He didn’t know what to do, so he called his brother. His brother said that everything would be okay and that he should turn it into the police. He did just that.
It didn’t take long for the Taleban to find out and call him. They told him to give them back the car or they would kill him and his family. He told them he didn’t have the car. He said that the police had taken it.
Shortly after that conversation, his brothers were attacked on the highway. One brother was killed and the other was injured. He still doesn’t know what happened to his other brother. He hasn’t been seen since that day.
He immediately fled to Iran. Eventually he made it to Indonesia where he has been stuck ever since.
He told us that he still wonders what would have happened if he had made a different decision. He wonders if he hadn’t turned that car in would his brothers still be with them. Would his family still be whole. He worries about his family he had to leave behind. He cannot find peace because their safety is still unsure.
The only thing we could think to do was to encourage his choice. To remind him how courageous he was, and how many lives he saved by his decision. Vanessa told him how what he did reminded her of what Jesus did when he died on the cross for everyone. With that, his eyes lit up. He told us how he thinks of Isa Al Mesih (Jesus) often. We told him how him giving up his life in Afghanistan to save 100 people was like what Jesus did. We then asked if we could pray for him.
I left that encounter asking God why he wanted me here. What was it that I was supposed to see or say or do. I felt so under equipped for this situation. It was then that I realized what the Lord wanted. He wanted to give me a heart for the people of the Middle East.
In Malaysia, the Lord brought up the idea of going into the Middle East to minister there. I thought for a while that was something that I just wanted to do, not something the Lord wanted. Through this experience, He has solidified that desire in me. I know that I am supposed to go. I don’t know when. It could be like the World Race where it takes years to come to fruition, or it may be different. I don’t know, but I do believe the Lord is calling me there.
I ask for you to please be in prayer about this with me. I desire to go where He sends me. Help me pray for direction in this. Until next time…
