Today #TeamRefugee took the day to get away from the work and engage in a time of rest, reflection and adventure.
Friday’s are a day when activity in the city we are working stops. Home visits with Refugees would not be happening and shops close throughout the city and country. So the team took the day to engage in some fun Middle Eastern activity. They visited ancient ruins, world wonders and archeological sites that are unique to the country we are visiting. Instead of planes, trains, and automobiles the team experienced riding and traveling on camels, donkey’s, horses and horse pulled carriages. It was a memorable day to say the least. We will let the pictures speak for themselves, but this is one day the whole team won’t forget. Please continue to pray for opportunities for team members to serve Refugee families. Tomorrow our Trauma Therapists will work with a women’s support group and those that work long term with Refugees. Our Medical team will prepare for a first aid/ cpr class they will train workers in on Sunday morning. Saturday is our last day to engage, connect, and serve so many families on a home base level. Thank you for being so faithful to pray for us, we feel it every day.
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Today the team was able to engage Refugees in local home visits and utilize our three Trauma Therapists in an educational setting. Training was practical and applicable. Workers who engage Refugee work for a long long time often struggle to handle and process the complexity of trauma. Many who have served tirelessly for years upon years were given an oasis in the dessert today.
The first training was in English, but by the second training they provided an Arabic translator to speak to the local Arabs desiring to attend. Even one Refugee mother came and brought her baby to learn and grow. It was an incredible opportunity and blessing. Trust Based Relational Intervention Therapy got to be used to empower and train significant workers in the Refugee community. Saturday the team will open up space to allow the Therapists to listen and serve those working in this region for a long time and will serve them by helping them process through potential secondary trauma. Please join us in praying that the Lord would move powerfully through the training. That God would continue to raise up more who would desire to be trained and given such empowering tools to connect to such a vulnerable people. The last few days have been amazing, overwhelming, and heart gripping, all at the same time.
The entire team has felt such honor and privilege to be counted worthy to serve in such a place of so many stories of brokenness and loss. In each home visit team members get opportunities to encourage, engage, and enjoy families battling difficulties they never thought they would face in a foreign land. Sickness, loss, unemployment, disability, coldness, sadness, fear, longing, and loneliness. Today one team set with one family whose only desire was to go back home. Even though they left war and devastation, they longed to be in a place that was familiar, comfortable, and engulfed in their cultural ways. They miss their food, their homes, and their way of life. Life is hard for every Refugee now living in this city we walk. As our team arrived several days ago,they immediately left the bitter cold to enter into a tile & marble like building. Bunk beds for dorms, local food for dinner, and cold showers for cleanliness. At night the temperature drops to freezing and during the day you feel you can never get warm. The language is different, even trying to read a word in Arabic makes the most educated hang their head. We can’t even count in the new language we are being emersed in. - Is this what our fellow Refugee is feeling? You see At the entrance of the church building we are working is what the locals call a humble door. It is a door that is short in size and requires all who enter to bow low. It is placed on the outside of the church gate so that no one enters without first posturing themselves by walking though humility, brokenness, and lowness. Would you pray for us today that as we walk through the humble door that we would be sensitive to the needs of those around us in a way that creates opportunity to encourage and bless them? #Team Refugee had an incredible day participating in home visits with many Refugee families.
On one visit Rachel, a Trauma therapist, set with a widow who had lost her husband in the war in Syria. This beautiful refugee shared the pain, loss, and images that held her soul in bondage. Her broken pieces, gave Rachel an opportunity to speak into her story. We Firmly believe God comforts us in our brokenness, so we can be a comfort to others in their brokenness. So we are continually praying this scripture...”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. “ 2 Cor. 1:3-4 As team members came back from their visits, you could hear the excitement of how purposeful they felt and really knew that not one visit was by accident. As we have made our plans, God has charted our course. In the evening we studied spiritual warfare in our time of discipleship and people began to feel impressed to disclose the broken pieces that the enemy was using to try to prevent them from coming. Each in their own way shared broken pieces of hurts and pains that God is now using to build a bridge with the devastation they encounter in each home. Would you join us in praying that we would be sensitive and present in each home. That the empathy and compassion we have been given we would extended to those hurting so bad. Would you pray that as we make plans, that God would chart our course and take our stories of pain and use them to build a bridge of encouragement and light to those we serve. #TeamRefugee has been having many fun adventures in food and language. From Foul to shawarma sandwiches to Hummas to unlimited pita bread. They are really acclimating well to Middle Eastern life.
Yesterday we were able to go on home visits with Refugees for the first time. The team dispersed and each had their assignment to serve and meet needs. Medical wounds were bound, diseases were treated, and stories of love were told in each home. Lots of kisses and hugs and games were played with the children in each home that was visited. It was a beautiful time of serving, listening, and engaging. Words used last night during team time to describe sitting with Refugee families were blessed, overwhelmed, privileged, honored, grateful, etc. Our hearts were greatly moved as we heard individual stories of struggle, loss, and pain. Will you join us in praying for strength, sensitivity, graciousness, discernment, and opportunity. Today we will visit families again. We will deliver Refugee packages, great medical and emotional needs, and serve each family. #TeamRefugee awoke this morning to their first day of work among Refugee families. Yesterday was a day of preparation physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Because of the time difference when we post a blog, it is in the middle of the night at home and early morning here. The team has worked hard to ‘adjust’ to the new time zone so they can be effective, alert, and attentive to the pressing needs of so many.
Our day yesterday began with a church service with many nationalities ( kinda felt a little what Heaven will be like), then we pulled medical bags and began to organize medications, injections, and wound care supplies they will be used on home visits. ‘Medical backpacks’ were made to go out with providers, other team members organized meals and market runs, others spent time praying and discussing how so many diverse skills in medicine, trauma, mental health providers, and other giftings could reach and serve the Refugees here. We have committed Proverbs 16:9 to our prayers “ A man makes his plans, But God charts his course. “ Will you pray this with us that each of us would be placed in the right group to go visit and that we would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill His purpose for us here. We are having an incredible time and sense the darkness lifting more and more as we pray and worship. Would you join us in asking God to determine our steps and glorify His name in all we do? Everyone has a great night of sleep and ready to begin the day. Please continue to pray for us today! We saw God move incredibly yesterday as we went through customs. Not one bag was inspected and not one team member was stopped. It’s as if God overshadowed our team and blinded our uniquness in the region with all those working.
#TeamRefugee has landed in Germany & doing well. We have 4 hour layover so everyone is trying to move and stay awake before boarding our next flight. Thank you to everyone that has been praying! We are all excited about the journey ahead. We will let you know once we have reached our final destination in the Middle East. Please know because of security issues, we will not be posting our location after Germany. Team members are asked to refrain from social media until the trip is over. We will post updates as frequently as we can but pictures will be limited to protect our contacts in country and the people we will be serving. But we cover your prayers! Here are a few ways you can pray for us:
Pray for favor through customs Divine Encounters in travel and in country Dicernment in ministry Wisdom, Grace & Compassion in conversations with Refugees Empowerment in the Holy Spirit Pray for spiritual strongholds to be demolished and darkness to be pushed back Dreams & Visions of Jesus among the muslims Veil of Islam to be removed Please pray our team walks in the power & sensitivity of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole trip! “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:11-12 |
Ready, Set, Here we go...#TeamRefugee has all arrived at the Dallas Airport! Every one is excited and ready to go. Please pray for us as we begin a long journey of travel today. Will you pray the Lord would give us favor on flights, divine encounters in our seats, and rest so we can hit the road running when we arrive! We will keep you posted as we travel via social media and let you know when we arrive! #JesusLovesRefugees |