The Nations Have Come to Us!

Since coming to training in the Atlanta area, I have been blessed to meet many peoples from different countries- in fact, in the last five months I have probably met more internationals from more countries than I have met in my whole life. Below are the countries they are from represented also by their national flags.

Uzbekistan- A couple of us have shared the Gospel with Slava (his easier to pronounce name) who is Jewish and the maintenance worker at our apartments. Another couple who lives in our complex is also from here. We have spent some time with them, and their daughter has literally been playing with the kids of one of the team families and ours.

Uruguay- Met some kids playing a soccer-type game in the park the other day from here.

Thailand- The young guy at the Thai Food restaurant is from here. He will be back in Bangkok this summer and we are looking forward to seeing him there when we get there later this year.

Somalia- We shared the Gospel with a man named Abdi. He is a refugee and has not seen his son in 8 years. Separated by division among Muslims over 9/11. He told us when he saw the planes crash into the towers, he said to everyone around, "This is of the devil." He has been persecuted and separated from wife and child since, and has recently come to America.

Pakistan- Brief encounter with a man from here.

Nepal- Attended a worship that was full of people from Nepal.

Myanmar (Burma)- Many refugees have been sent to this area, and I have been working with a local missionary who is living in their apartment complex and developing relationships with them for Kingdom purposes. Have not been able to share the Gospel much with them due to language difficulties. However, most of them are learning English and doing very well at it. They have been ousted from their native land by the government/mafia to make way for drug trafficking in and out of neighboring countries.

Mexico- Pretty big area for Mexican Nationals all over the U.S., but a lot of Mexican businesses and churches all over this area.

Kosovo- Was blessed to hear the testimony of a Muslim background Believer from Kosovo at church one Sunday. Powerful stuff.

Iraq- Had a conversation with Akram- a young man whose entire family are refugees because of their Christianity. I asked him why his family had to come to America, and he said- "It is very dangerous to be Christian in Iraq." Maybe he'll be a future evangelist for his people one day! Many Kurdish people have come here also.

Iran- Met one family from Iran. They run a local business in the area.

India- Met many Indian nationals here. One Christian family, a local pastor and had a talk with one of the volunteers at the local Hindu temple just around the corner- one of the largest Hindu temples outside of India.

Honduras- Some of the kids that come to Kidz Club at our building are from here.

Ethiopia- Briefly met some folks from here.

Dominican Republic- My son and I went on an adventure looking for a cheap haircut. We found a local Dominican barber shop. Tough conversation, but great haircuts!

Colombia- Couple of kids in our complex from here also.

China- One of the ladies at the checkout counter in the local international farmers market grocery store is from here.

Burundi- The neighbors of one of the families we have been sharing Christ with are from Burundi. They are Christian which is one of the reasons they are here.

Brazil- One of the local leaders being raised up in Sao Palo was able to come and visit us in Atlanta. He has a great testimony and is a great speaker. He was given a tour of the local Hindu temple, and as some of the monks were feeding the statues, he was sad because they were wasting his favorite meal- rice and beans- on dead statues.

Bhutan- Most of the refugees from Bhutan are ethnically Nepali. Generations ago, they migrated from Nepal to Bhutan. The monarchy there had sent them out, so they tried to return to their native land of Nepal. However, the Nepali government did not recognize them as Nepali, and the Indian government did not want refugees, so Nepal kept them in refugee camps until a nation would take them. Most are Hindu, some Buddhist, and some Christian. We have adopted one family through World Relief Organization who helps them and other refugees get placed and integrate into American Society. God has opened some doors for us to share Christ with some of them, and with the local church leadership, hopefully they can be discipled into small churches that will reach out to their refugee community and grow the Kingdom here in this area.

Afghanistan- Many Afghani refugees have come to America in the past 10 years since 9/11.

There are many other nationalities that have settled here that we have not met yet, and since our time is running down here, we may not get to meet. We see signs in Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Laotian- especially signs on local churches. Amazing that we are plopped right down in the middle of the nations here outside of Atlanta.

How much do you know of your hometown? You may be living nearby an international refugee area. Most likely, there are organizations around you like World Relief Organization, and Friends of Refugees who work hard to place people that have been abandoned by the only country they know. All they want to do is adapt and integrate into the local society. Sadly, many will never make any American friends, because we are not aware or are too wrapped up in our busy lives to welcome those people who have been rejected. Think about it though- a refugee is someone who has been persecuted and removed from their homeland because of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, language, political views or simply their government wants them off the land. Refugees usually do not get any respect by their host country. Can you think of any refugees you might know? I can think of one-

There were many children born around the time Jesus was born and were persecuted by Herod. All boys under the age of two years were put to death because of the fear that Jesus would overthrow Herod's kingdom and restore it to the Jews. His family fled to Egypt, and that is where he grew up until Herod's death. Jesus and his family were refugees.