Devotions

During the early years of our ministry among refugees, we saw how difficult it was for them to trust anybody. And they had good reason! In the countries they had left behind, there were plenty of people trying to take advantage of them—corrupt police, government officials looking for bribes.

New Americans may ask: Where would they live? What work would they find? Would they have enough food, clothing, money? At home they had family and friends who would help them if they needed it; but who would help in the new country?

Refugee and immigrant children face everyday unknowns, as they start school in America this month or next. Think of what it’s like to have to understand, to work hard, to achieve—when you already feel like your world is upside down.

Refugees and immigrants to the U.S. aren’t used to this kind of care. They are living with a system where numbers mean everything—how many people are being admitted from your country this year? How many months or years must you wait to get an answer on your application? How much support can you find to sponsor a loved one? Their humanity gets lost in the numbers—but not to God.

Rejection is something new immigrants face every day. It happens at school, at work, or with next-door neighbors. God forgive us, it sometimes happens even in the church! People turn their backs; they say hurtful things; they refuse the kind of courtesy and care that everyone else gets naturally. And every time it happens, it hurts.