Can God use
me to help
refugees?
The numbers are staggering: 60 million displaced people
worldwide, 1.3 million asylum applications to the EU in 2015,
over 136,000 arriving by sea into Europe so far this year. The
pictures can be even more discouraging: tent cities stretching
for miles, victims lost on sea journeys, families devastated by
grief.
Calvary Church has sensed God’s leading to step out in faith
and do our part to help these vulnerable people. Partnering with
Greater Europe Mission (GEM) and Euro-Relief (a humanitarian
work of the evangelical church in Greece), Calvary is sending
teams to work alongside others in welcoming refugees crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands.
Feedback From the January Team
The process of helping refugees can use any spiritual gift.
Here’s how God used a few of the people on the January/
February team:
My gift of compassion was used in a mighty way. Even
though down deep inside my heart I was hurting seeing these
families with young children, fathers, mothers so scared and
fearful because of the unknown, I was given strength to
show compassion through a smile, and through action and
deeds. I was able to reflect a face of peace and calm through
the power of the Holy Spirit working in me.
The Lord was particularly gracious in giving me opportunities
to come alongside even team members, as a pastorshepherd, to help them in the processing of this trip as well
as encouraging and building relationships with some of the
refugees I was able to sit down and talk with.
When it comes to refugee ministry, mercy rises to the surface.
There were several opportunities to connect, without words,
to the hearts of the refugee fathers as we played with their
children and handed out treats to them, and they responded
in heart-felt handshakes.
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