There are more refugees today than ever before in recorded history, and for many of them, God is working in the midst of their suffering to accomplish the highest good — His name being proclaimed by every tongue, nation, tribe and people.
Remember back in 2015 when Syria’s refugees were flooding out of the country in record numbers? Thousands died crossing a sea on what should have been a 45-minute boat journey. Rescue and relief organizations were out in record number.
In the years since, many more refugees have filled the news cycle. More than a million Rohingya people have been forced out of their homes in Myanmar, taking shelter in Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand with no hope or plan for the future. Uganda is also hosting more than a million refugees from South Sudan. More than 4 million Venezuelans have left their country in the past 10 years, the largest displacement in Latin America’s history.
Around the world millions of people are in crisis. In these difficult circumstances, believers are finding there are many opportunities to share the love of Christ.
That’s why pastor Bryant Wright said he and his church, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia, have invested heavily in refugee ministry both at home and overseas.
“It’s a humanitarian disaster,” Wright said. “It just makes sense to me to reach out with love and concern to them rather than withdrawing in fear. We are not naive about the dangers; we know they are there. But that doesn’t change our calling to reach out with the love of Christ.”
In the Atlanta area members of Johnson Ferry Baptist are walking alongside nine Syrian Muslim families who are trying to rebuild a life.
“They needed someone to sit with them and pray with them and be with their family,” said an International Mission Board (IMB) worker overseas who partners with Johnson Ferry Baptist. She has experienced the same kind of need in the country where she lives.
‘Lasting imprint’
She and other IMB workers are scattered across the globe to serve as a consistent presence in refugee centers and camps in Europe, Africa and Asia, sharing Christ in their moments of deepest pain.
They, along with volunteers from the United States who have come to partner with them, have heard story after story of devastation and tragedy. They’ve heard about family members lost and long journeys on foot. And as they have listened to refugees’ stories and wept with them, they have also shared hope with them.
“It was so hard,” one volunteer admitted. “These people challenged my narrow view of the world. They aren’t just news headlines anymore. Their faces left a lasting imprint on my heart, and I see them in my dreams. I now pray for them with such compassion and tenderness, just like I pray for my own family.”
Equipped to share
God is moving refugees around the world into places where they might find salvation in Christ. He is also calling missionaries into these places to meet the spiritual and physical needs of these refugees. But training and preparation require funding, and that’s where the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) plays a vital role.
Gifts to the LMCO sustain over 3,500 missionaries. In just the last year IMB missionaries have engaged 811 people groups. To effectively live and work among these groups, missionaries and their families must be trained and prepared for the different languages, cultures and security issues they will face.
Vaccinations needed in the field can cost up to $2,000 per missionary. Training in security issues costs approximately $5,800.
Depending on location, missionaries with children may homeschool, which costs $2,500 annually per child. If a missionary kid attends local international schools, tuition may be thousands per year.
Gifts to LMCO also equip missionaries to share the gospel and make disciples. Last year IMB missionaries reported 108,714 new believers in Christ. Nearly 15,000 national pastors and believers were equipped to share the gospel in their villages, towns and cities. The tools they use include new ways to use technology, such as providing recordings of Scripture and gospel films, along with providing Bibles in local languages and study materials for new believers classes.
LMCO gifts also help missionaries meet physical needs in their communities. In refugee communities, for example, $39 provides one week of meals for a family. A gift of $10 can provide a warm blanket, and $20 can provide a hygiene kit. Just $106 can provide a sewing machine for a class and a teacher to instruct students on how to use it, providing valuable job training to help lift a family out of poverty.
Every dollar given to the LMCO is a vital opportunity to take the gospel to the estimated 2.8 billion worldwide who do not know Jesus.
To learn more about the LMCO and to find resources to use in your church, go to IMB.org/LMCO. (Missions Mosaic, IMB)
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