Update From Atlanta and Mission Training

One month left until our time in Atlanta is finished. We have been studying hard and preparing as a team for Bangkok later this year. Even with the experience I have gained in South Asia, I have picked up even more tools and knowledge for application in Thailand.

In addition to class time and reading 2 books per week, I have had a lot of fun going into the local refugee community outside of Atlanta in Clarkston, GA. This is the most diverse international place I have seen or even heard of in all of America. There are refugees from many places that are placed right here. People from Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar and many others are relocated right here through World Relief- a refugee relief organization that helps people acclimate into the U.S. These refugees are different from immigrants- immigrants have come to this country of their own free will. Refugees have been removed from their country because of their ethnicity, their religious beliefs or simply because they occupy land that the government wants to use. They spend time in refugee camps, sometimes 15-20 YEARS before going to a country that will accept them. We have met some young people 18-25 that were born in the refugee camps and have no concept of their own home country. Many of the children were born in the camps. Can you imagine? Not being able to call anyplace home, and then being placed in America where you do not know the language, you have no money and are totally dependent upon others to survive. The Bhutanese are ethnically Nepali people who migrated generations ago into Bhutan, but since they are not really Bhutanese, the government sent them out of the country. They tried to settle in India, but were sent away. They tried to settle in their native country of Nepal, but were not recognized as Nepali, so were put into refugee camps that are not too far removed from prison accommodations. This is a holding place where they live and apply to live in other countries, but are forced to remain (they cannot go outside the walls of the camp) and survive in these refugee camps until they are accepted by another country. Most likely, that country is a European country or the USA- either way, they move into a culture completely opposite of their own.

Through World Relief, my family and I have adopted a Bhutanese family, and spend one day per week in their home being friends to them by just hanging out with them. Others on our team have also adopted refugee families, and have been spending time with them, even picking them up to go to the hospital for doctor visits. One visit we were able to meet the entire family that has been slowly relocated here from Nepal, and were served dinner. When we left, one of the men of the family said- "you are part of our family." Sadly, we will leave them soon, but hopefully the impact of our love and friendship toward them will be felt for some time. Another sad fact about many other refugee families is that they never have any significant relationships with any American families. We are privileged to have the opportunity to spend time with these families and show the love of Christ, even being able to share our faith with them.

In one of the apartment complexes, the majority of people that live there are refugee families from many different countries. I met a missionary that is living and working among them, and have been spending a lot time with him visiting families that he has developed relationships. We have had many opportunities to share the Gospel, and have found several houses of peace within the complex. We were talking with a Nepali man who spoke very good English (he learned while in the refugee camp for 20 years). The conversation never lagged, he initiated dialog during our conversation, which eventually turned to spiritual topics. He is Hindu, but does not believe many of the Hindu traditional beliefs, like reincarnation- he believes we live once and then die, but from there go to the good place or bad place. We asked him who decides where we go, and how. He said the more good we do, we go to the good place (heaven) but if we do bad, then we go to hell (This is a very common belief among people from South Asia). We then shared the Gospel, to which he is open to hearing more because he said that it was good teaching. Another day, we sat outside and shared the Gospel with a group of Nepali women and an older Nepali man who helped us explain it, since he was a Christian. We were sitting with another family we had built a relationship with, and asking questions about Hindu beliefs. The wife then handed us a Jehovah Witness tract they had received, written in the Nepali language. Fortunately, they did not understand what it was, but unfortunately, understood it as Christian. The opportunity presented itself for us to share the REAL Gospel, and with a Nepali Bible, we explained salvation through Christ in the Book of Romans, with the Romans Road passages (verses 3:10-12, 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10, and 10:13). We stopped at each passage and explained, and had them read and re-read them and tell us what they thought. They have not accepted yet, but they have a better understanding of Jesus, that will hopefully lead to their becoming a follower of Christ.

It has been a great time here in Atlanta, not only gaining a lot of knowledge, but to be able to apply many of the principles right away and plug into the local community. Keep praying for these refugee families that we have all encountered- that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives & the knowledge that they have been given to change their lives. And pray about befriending a refugee family in your city. There are many. Make a difference in their lives.