Refugee Stories

This past weekend my family had the privilege of participating in the Ride for Refugees. Sometimes in the USA it is difficult to fully grasp the reality of the situations refugees face. The following is a podcast from the BBC sharing the stories of several refugees. These are very powerful and very touching real life stories.



Organizations that are working with refugees:
World Relief- Partner with churches and connect them with refugees who seek asylum in the USA.
Crossing Borders- Serving refugees and orphans who have fled from North Korea.
World Vision- Serving and helping the poor world wide
Ride for the Refugees- Want to serve refugees and not sure where to start? Join the ride for the refugee with some friends to raise awareness and funds for refugee ministries.

Related L=M Articles
Don't Forget the North Korean Refugees
Human Trafficking
The Mission Field: Coming to a City Near You
God Grew Tired of Us
How do you see the World?

The Ride for Refugees: Family Practice Video

Visit the Ride for Refugees site to find out more.

World Refugee Day: June 20, 2009

I just saw Angelina Jolie talking about the worldwide crisis of refugees on CNN. I first learned about the plight of refugees during my time working with International Teams. The Refugee Highway (a site dedicated to serving refugees around the world) has an interesting article which lists people from the Bible who would fall under the definition of refugee.

Organizations that are working with refugees:
World Relief- Partner with churches and connect them with refugees who seek asylum in the USA.
Crossing Borders- Serving refugees and orphans who have fled from North Korea.
World Vision- Serving and helping the poor world wide
Ride for the Refugees- Want to serve refugees and not sure where to start? Join the ride for the refugee with some friends to raise awareness and funds for refugee ministries.

Related L=M Articles
Don't Forget the North Korean Refugees
Human Trafficking
The Mission Field: Coming to a City Near You
God Grew Tired of Us
How do you see the World?

Don't Forget the North Korean Refugees

We just watch this Korean drama called The Crossing which follows the story of one refugee family from North Korea. The movie was very well done and a powerful illustration of the plight of North Koreans.

One of the Blogs I follow called The Big Picture focused on North Korea this week and had some amazing photos. Click on the Picture to see the album.


Related L.I.M. articles
Human Trafficking
NK Women Being Trafficked
The Mission Field: Coming to a City Near You
TED video gives Glimpse inside of NK

Human Trafficking

This past weekend I went to an event that talked about sex trafficking and how one Christian organization is working to rescue women. We heard the stories of three different women who left their home in a tier 3 country with the promise of a new job in a nearby country. Once they arrive they realize that there is no job, but instead they are sold as a "wife" to the highest bidder and left to a life of abuse and servitude.

Sex trafficking has, unfortunately, become more lucrative in the black market than drugs and is a form of modern day slavery. The reason for this is that there is very little overhead required to entrap someone but they can bring in an income for years to come. Often those who are trafficked are put into a system where they have to pay back their "travel and living expenses" to those who have trafficked them.

While no country appears to be immune to human trafficking some are working harder against it than others. According to the US State Department countries have been divided into to tiers based on the way that they respond to trafficking.

• Tier 1: Countries that fully comply with the act’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
• Tier 2: Countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.
• Tier 2 Watch List: Countries on Tier 2 requiring special scrutiny because of a high or significantly increasing number of victims; failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons; or an assessment as Tier 2 based on commitments to take action over the next year.
• Tier 3: Countries that neither satisfy the minimum standards nor demonstrate a significant effort to come into compliance. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.

If you would like to know more about how you can fight against human trafficking either visit stop the traffic, the refugee highway or write to me and I will tell you more specific ways that you can oppose this injustice.

NK Women Being Trafficked

Please pray for the people of North Korea. This article comes from a prominent South Korean paper.

The Mission Field: Coming to a City Near You

One of the most well know and quoted verses by those going into going into foreign missions is "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Matthew 28:19) One interesting thing about this verse is that it can also be read, "Therefore as you are going, make disciples of all nations..."

We live in a unique time in history. There is a large influx of immigrants into our country from all over the world. Often the best and brightest from other countries are sent here to study at our universities before returning back to their home culture to lead their country in business or politics. Sometimes, people come here out of desperation hearing about the "American Dream" and hoping that they can work hard and improve their situation, if not for themselves then for their children. How will both of these groups be received by the church?

No longer do we have to think of foreign missions solely in the traditional paradigm of sending families or individuals to far off lands to share the gospel (This is important, but not the only doorway to missions). The mission field is here in our own towns, cities and suburbs.

I am not advocating huge programs or campaigns in this post. What am I am hoping is that we will open our eyes and look around to see ways that we can be loving neighbors to the foreigners and aliens in our own proximity. We never know what far reaching effects our obedient actions may have. I would like to leave you with some statements that I recently read about some of the people that World Relief works with:

Some observations about these newcomers:
• Fewer than 10% will be befriended by an American—let alone a Christian
• They are truly hidden from the life and ministry of most believers
• They come believing the United States to be a “Christian” country
• From their heritage, many have no concept of the separation of religion and government
• Many are perplexed by the lifestyle displayed by the “Christians” around them
• Unless pressured, most are quite open to discussing spiritual things
• The Christian faith tends to be defined by the media, our schools and the general population

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9-10)

God Grew Tired of Us

This weekend I watched the documentary God Grew Tired of Us. It is the amazing story of the "lost boys" in Sudan who fled their country because of civil war and systematic killings and follows the story of a handful that made it to the USA. It was very well done and shows not only their struggle to live in a foreign culture (the USA), but is inspiring to see them live their lives with a passionate and untiring desire to serve others. This is definitely a must see.

Lectio Divina

10 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. 11 Stay outside and let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. 12 If the man is poor, do not go to sleep with his pledge in your possession. 13 Return his cloak to him by sunset so that he may sleep in it. Then he will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the LORD your God.

14 Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. 15 Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.

17 Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

Deuteronomy 24

How do you see the World?

This is an interesting collection of globes that takes a look at the world through various lenses. The one that you see above shows refugee movement.