Day 4: Refugees

Hello everyone,

I used to read a great deal of science fiction. I loved the stories about bold explorers traveling through space and time and performing great feats of endurance and resourcefulness. But the big themes, the themes which served as pivot points for these novels, always led back to the human condition.

In one sci-fi book by Orson Scott Card (Xenocide), the author briefly comments on how humans, unlike other growing things, are able to voluntarily rejoin a community after being severed from it. So unlike a branch broken off a vine or a limb separated from the rest of the body, a person who has broken ties with a group can set out to build those ties back up again. When I think about this idea in the context of the bible, I think about how Jesus came into the world to act as the bridge that reconnects us (fallen and sinful individuals) with the kingdom of heaven. He even made us family members and heirs of God’s kingdom (Titus 3:7).

This idea of regrowth and reconnection is the theme of my email today.

Our work focused on outreach to the refugee community in Edmonds, BC. Edmonds has the highest density of refugees in the greater Vancouver area. As our host and guide Carol explained to us, in this neighborhood there are Syrians, Iranians, Lebanese, and Uzbeks, and most recently a large number of Afghanis (fleeing their country after the Taliban took control last year). In our world right now, one in every 95 people has been forced to relocate due to war or political instability. Carol and her husband have made it their mission in life to care for these people.

We split into several smaller groups and each of these groups worked in a different neighborhood. My group went to a neighborhood where new Afghani families, fleeing the Taliban, have settled. It’s a quiet street dominated by several large low-income housing projects. The buildings were sided with wood, painted gray, and about three stories tall.

Things were quiet in this neighborhood and we only met a few people. We talked to them about God and prayed for them and their families. One of the interactions that stood out to me the most was a young boy we met, perhaps four or five years old. He was standing at an open window when we passed and he waved at us. We waved back and said hello. He said hi and smiled.

His expression was not one of fear, but rather one of curiosity and interest. My teammates (Sarah and Amir) agreed that the entire place had a more hopeful feeling than we expected. These people are not well off but they are going about their daily chores with purpose. Their houses are well ordered and there are signs that they are adapting to their new lives: a Canadian maple leaf decoration in a window, a bird cage with finches in it, and a cluster of well-tended potted plants.

These people are working hard to build a new life here in Vancouver. There are some massive language, cultural, and economic gaps. Indeed, there is no guarantee that they will be successful at what they are trying to do. But seeing how Carol and her husband are working with them gives me hope. Although they have been severed from their home nation and community, they have a chance at new growth in this one.

They are receiving some economic aid and their children are learning English in the local schools. But the thing that is really bonding them to their new nation and community is the body of Christ. Some of them are only just beginning to hear the gospel, others are exploring it, and others are attending church and becoming Christians. In this way, they are becoming our adopted family members.

Arash, an Iranian refugee I met today, is one really powerful example. He was desperately lonely when he first arrived in Vancouver. It was difficult for him to bridge the culture gap even though he spoke English well. But when he met a member of the ENC Vancouver church and started attending services, he found meaningful connections for the first time. As he described it, “These people feel more like family than my actual family back in Iran. This city feels more like my home than my village back in Iran.” He lives in a group house with several other men from the ENC church. And today he was out walking around with us, doing outreach, because he had messaged Carol out of the blue and asked to join us.

The neighborhoods we visited were very poor and, perhaps more importantly, they were haunted by the darkness of the countries that the people had fled. But God is at work in them and he is using Arash, Carol, and my mission group to build new connections. If you’re praying for me on this trip, I’d ask that tonight you pray for the new Afghani refugees and for Arash and Carol who are working to connect them with the church and the broader community here in Vancouver.

Much love from Canada -

Sincerely,

Sam