World Refugee Week 2020
Is there anything we can really do? Yes.
Through increased awareness of what’s happening with refugees, in our churches, our communities, and the world, you can discover the needs and opportunities, and the resources we each have, to experience the hope Jesus is demonstrating with and through refugees lives.
Our Stories
For World Refugee Day, 2020, World Partners caught up with some of our own EMCC people involved in relationship with refugees. Let's learn together from those who are walking in step with God, with refugees, and others.
Part 1: How anything less than including the ones seeking refuge is less that God's best ⇩
An invitation, and an opening word.
Part 2: Seeing our Near Neighbours ⇩
The Gambles & David Benjamin.
Part 3: Hospitality and Love ⇩
The Fullers & Jim McDowell and Scott Fisher, part of Sponsorship Team for Bethany EMC, Kitchener.
Part 4: Friends, Advocates and Allies ⇩
Lucy Chaimiti.
Part 5: Changemakers ⇩
Aynsley Persad.
Part 1: How anything less than including the ones seeking refuge is less that God's best.
"You don't belong here."
This sentiment fuels a range of behaviours in our world, from segregation to racial prejudice, and from avoidance to hatred. When we exclude people from our lives, especially those made vulnerable by circumstances beyond themselves, humanity suffers, and our faith suffers.
This week, we have a chance to consider how Jesus is calling us to be in step with Him, with those seeking refuge. Have you noticed that when Jesus saw people, he saw them equally? What if our lives carried that same spirit, that same aroma? To be a Christian is to proclaim, "Jesus is LORD". What if we extended this value of Jesus' leadership in His community (our deeper citizenship), to the migration patterns of the world? What if we saw the arrival of those "different from us" as an invitation from the Spirit of God to love, to include, to value, and to learn from?
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28, New International Version
As followers of Jesus, we are called to compassionately respond to people made vulnerable by circumstances. As we journey together this week, we will hear from some of our own people who have been walking in step with refugees, and the ways Jesus has been at work in their experiences.
Part 2: Seeing our Near Neighbours
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-2
We have seen each of our neighbourhoods, cities, regions, and nation changing with more people choosing Canada as a second or third home country. What if these movements of people were what God has intended for the activation of the Canadian church? What if our unique opportunity to interact with the nations was through long-held practices of hospitality and neighbouring?
“God is orchestrating people movements so that people will find Him everywhere and glorify Him. What is our part in that?” - David Benjamin
These verse in Hebrews show that hospitality to strangers is a key part of our call to love one another and, through the stories today, a meaningful place for friendship and mutual learning to grow.
Today, we invite you into the story of the Gambles, David Benjamin, and Yeshu Mandali who have seen the near neighbours in their Calgary communities and are learning how to extend neighbourliness and friendship to New (or newer) Canadians, or people seeking refuge.
The Gambles
The Gambles, from Calgary, on thinking outside the box and opening their pantries to friends who are re-establishing their lives in the city.
Eldon and Ruth Gamble are serving with Christar , seeking to create community and foster spiritual conversations with Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists in North America. Eldon grew up in India, fluent in a few languages, including Bengali. After their service of twelve years in Bangladesh, Eldon and Ruth came back to Canada and continued their work with the Bangladeshi diaspora in Calgary.
Asking them about their day to day experience, Eldon shares the following:
“There’s never a dull moment..Life is pretty exciting. I think a lot of Canadians miss out [by not] opening their homes to people from other countries. It important to just get past that fear factor.
New Canadians were just as afraid to come into our home as we were to have them. Once that connection was made, we could all relax; we entered a place of mutual blessing. Canadians are blessed by learning more about other cultures, other people and even other faiths. It’s opening up your whole life to a new dimension of excitement, I think. It just shows you how great God is. That God can make people so differently, and countries so different and yet He can bring them all together.
I think that the Church should really be at the forefront of having people in their homes, reaching out to these people no matter what they are doing in the community. Starting with food banks is always great but it should get past that – from the food banks into our own pantries, our own kitchen tables, our own basements and dens. We can open up our lives to them. They can learn so much from us. In fact they learn more from being in a Canadian home in a week than they would at any ESL class or cultural class."
Their experience ranges from exploring the Bible together, Easter egg hunts, preparing meals collaboratively, helping friends secure work, having their basement full of furniture in the midst of moves, and grocery runs in the time of Covid-19. Through it all, Ruth points to a few important reflections.
“You just have to think a little bit outside the church walls…I’m not an extrovert by nature so it doesn’t matter your personality. Any personality can do this. If you just see this as a way you can bring Jesus into the lives of other people and serve the Lord.
It helps to recruit, either another couple to do this with you. If you’re afraid to do this yourself talk a friend into doing this with you. [It helps] reduce the fear. You have a sidekick you can pull in if you need to, if you need some help or need reassurance.”
They share an encouragement to us all as members of our local expressions of churches and broader community.
“I do think churches need to work together…That’s a really good testimony for the refugees and immigrant [communities]. Because they value the coming together of their people a lot. If they could see churches coming together, somehow visibly, caring for one another and those in their neighbourhoods, I think that would speak volumes.”
Part 3: Hospitality and Love
"I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in."
These words of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 24:35, are a call to action. Jesus equates Himself with the vulnerable person - the one needed compassion, hospitality and love. And He says to us, 'This is who I was, and this is what you did (or didn't do) for me". How is God's Spirit speaking to you about your mindset, and your actions?
Today, we invite you into the story of some practitioners who have been changed because they opened their lives to New Canadians, or people seeking refuge.
The Fullers, From Liberia to Kitchener, a journey of loving internationally.
Jim McDowell and Scott Fisher of Bethany EMC's Sponsorship Team, on Learning to Care about Afghan Followers of Jesus who fled for safety.
Joel Zantingh recently caught up with Jim McDowell and Scott Fisher, members of the Bethany EMC Refugee Sponsorship team, about their experience and journey with the Ghaljaee family, who are now settled into Kitchener. Asking them about how a connection with refugees began, Jim shared, “Some of my earliest stirrings happened with those seeking refuge in Nigeria in the 1980s. And when we came to Canada in 1991, we became friends with many newcomers, including refugees.”
For Scott, it only began when Jim asked him to be a part of the sponsorship committee. “A real connection came when a close family member of the Ghaljaees came along and told us about Ahmad, and the danger he was in. This kept the family’s situation before us.”
The three-year sponsorship journey that Bethany took pales in comparison with the journey to Canada that the Ghaljaees took. They had to flee Afghanistan, and ended up in India for five years, among thousands of Afghan people. With only a short-term welcome extended to them in India, they pleaded their case and applied to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and eventually were accepted. Their words were so powerful for the people of Bethany.
“All throughout this season, we were carried along by God. We loved others in Jesus’ name, we shared our lives and the Scriptures with others. It gave them hope! Our future was uncertain, and we didn’t know what was going to happen with us in India. We were susceptible to being kicked out, and could not return to Afghanistan.” – Ahmad Ghaljaee
I asked Jim and Scott how they grew in love for these people, who were strangers to them. Jim remarked, “We recalled how God cares for refugees, and the promises to those who welcome the foreigners are very clear in Scripture. The sweetness of this family’s spirit was something that I learned to appreciate. They had such deep faith. Such hope.” Scott, always practical, added, “As we got more information and pictures of these new friend that we were talking about, it became more real. You don’t want it to become just a bunch of names on a sheet.” Jim, again: “The Ghaljaees brought such kindness and appreciation. They brought love and a vision for people of the world that we need to learn from and adopt and support. They brought a connection to a global network of Middle-Eastern followers of Jesus.”
For Bethany, the act of loving and sponsoring was possible because people worked together. In the end, there were resources and supports from Elgin Church in Stratford, Ontario, and from the Markham EMC. Scott addressed that this mobilized many people, in Bethany and beyond.
“You know what it did? It brought out the richness of God’s people in the church. There were so many people that didn’t know that they could help. But they helped and they shone. It wasn’t just two or three; there were many people that came aboard. And we also got to learn about each other as well. God enabled people to find a connection which became significant in helping the Ghaljaees to get here, and to support them as friends after they arrived.”
Bethany EMC continues to give well beyond the mandated commitment, and with miraculous, just-in-time provision. Even now, coming up to the end of year one that the Ghalgaee family have settled here, some of them have lost jobs, alongside so many other Canadians, due to Covid-19. But their resolve to continue, to live a vibrant life, to experience the freedom to live as followers of Jesus, and to share hope with many in the Afghan community around the world, is such an encouragement. Jim and Scott expressed how blessed they are by the flourishing of the lives of the Ghaljaee family.
Jim added this encouragement to the EMCC community:
“God brought a Christian family to us. He might have brought a family from another religious group to us and we would have had a very different experience, a different learning curve, and maybe even a totally different direction. No matter what experience we have walking with refugees, when we embrace the nations as a calling of our life with Jesus, it’s amazing how our lives are enriched."
NOTE: Jim and Scott have offered to connect with you, if you have further questions for them. Email WP and we will make the connection.
Part 4: Friends, Advocates and Allies
"This feels like family."
Most cultures around the world have a strong notion of family. Children refer to adults as "Aunt" or "Uncle", and an invitation to eat together is natural. Today, our story takes us to Toronto, where Lucy Chaimiti and her team create that bond of family with Refugee Claimants, and walk with them on the pathway to becoming landed immigrants.
Lucy Chaimiti's story. I never planned on staying in Canada: A journey of mutual friendship.
Lucy Chaimiti (nee Hill) has roots in Lion's Head, Ontario, was inspired by her grandma's example of hospitality, read biographies of Missionaries, and planned to work in North Africa. Instead, God directed her to assist Refugee Claimants in Canada.
Try Their Cookbook: Tastes of Adam House
Adam House is a place that 2500 refugee claimants have called home — their first home in Canada.
Refugees have already lost so much; they have fled their homes, left family and friends and have abandoned nearly all of their earthly possessions... But it is in food that we find comfort.
Part of making Adam House “home” is giving refugee claimants control over their food — to eat food that is familiar and comforting. So at Adam House, our residents make their own meals. They can cook and eat food that reminds them of home according to their own schedule.
We hope that you love trying these recipes as much as we did, that you will enjoy them with family and friends, old and new. And we hope that they may help you start a conversation with someone from a different part of the world, perhaps even a refugee!
Get it here.
Part 5: Changemakers
“They are the ones who know what they need.”
We are thankful for the stories this week of those who are participating with God and with their communities to extend hospitality, friendship, and help to our global and near neighbours.
In discerning how God might be prompting you to respond, may you consider the starting point as your own perspective and posture? Today’s interview with Aynsley Persad gives a chance to reflect more deeply on how, in every effort, we can recognize the resource, leadership, and gifting of those seeking refuge. We can walk in step with their hopes and plans for the future, expecting to be changed in our own journey with Jesus.
“How can we change refugees from being viewed as passive objects of pity to being viewed as people who have power, leadership, and good ideas. How can they be active agents in their own change and future life?”-Aynsley Persad
As you consider how God may be prompting you to participate with Him, we we hope this interview will help guide each of our heart postures in engaging with near and global neighbours.
4 Ways You Can Continue to be Fitted Together.
How has God been speaking to you through this week’s reflections? Here are 4 possibilities. Which one is God drawing your attention to?
1 Learn.
Participate in #stepwithrefugees conversations on World Refugee Day, June 20.
Review and share the stories from this week, and start a conversation within your church community.
2 Pray.
Being mindful of refugees' gifts, not just their needs.
3 Serve in your Community.
Offer and receive hospitality and friendship with new neighbours,
Join a Friendship Circle, volunteer as a mentor, or get involved in ESL, with Immigration Services or New Canadian Agencies,
Sponsor refugees through your church, or together with other churches. What's involved? Read this guide.
4 Give.
to EMCC’s Refugee Fund (assisting refugees and the churches sponsoring them).