John
As is usual for me these days, I awoke with my mind full of ways I can better help my new friends; Burmese refugees. I spent the morning on the Internet, educating myself about their plight. Where have I been my whole life? Have I been so caught up in my small world that I missed what was going on all around me? I admit that my life before coming to Christ was all about me, but I have been a Christian for 23 years now. I have come to feel so shallow in the last few months as I am seeing more and more how blessed I have been in my life and how little I have given. I use to feel good when I gave my tithe. And especially when my offering came out of my account every month! Now I am sickened as I realize how much of that really went for the spreading of the gospel (the good news!), and how much went to continue in the building of our monuments to what man can accomplish. I want to build the kingdom with people, not use people to build kingdoms! OK, I’ve said enough about that. I want you to meet one of my new friends.
John (not his real name of course) is 25 and has been in this country for about five months. He was able to learn a good deal of English before coming and is eager to learn all he can. I am still not sure how people are chosen to be able to come to America, but he came, even though it meant leaving behind his entire family! He hopes they will come soon, but in the mean time he works and saves, awaiting their arrival. He shares an apartment with another single man. They both work entry level jobs, which means hard labor for minimum pay. But I have yet to hear him complain. He is grateful for the opportunity to have a future! Since John knows the way to have what he needs is to work and save he has chosen to forgo the bus fare card and instead rides his bike thirty minutes to and from work. He has also begun to study for his GED and driver’s license. Not only is he diligent in his work and studies, but he is also kind and gentle.
I cried this morning as my husband and I read of the lives of the Burmese refugees. I put myself in the shoes of a mother, watching her 25 year old son leave for a far away place. I thought of this young man who has no family member to wrap their arms around him and comfort him at a moments notice. I thought about how cold and rainy it was last night as he rode his bike home from work, somewhere around midnight. And I pray! I pray he will stay healthy. That he will not be mugged, as he lives in a community notorious for crime. But most of all I pray he will see Christ as we give ourselves to serve him. That he will know the peach that passes understanding, and the hope of life, far better than just coming to America.
I think it is comical now; what I have been led to believe witnessing was all about. I could fill a chapter in a book. I am beginning to understand that my witness is the love of God in me for my fellow man. It begins with the tangible things I can do. Like buying a pair of long underwear so John can stay warm on his nightly bike trip to and from work.
I have so much in my heart to write about. I want to write more about my new friends and what I have learned about the love and witness of Christ. And mostly, I want my ramblings to entice others to join me on this journey of being a true disciple of Jesus Christ as we give ourselves away in the building of His glorious kingdom with people from every tribe and tongue! And in America, these people are moving into our backyard!
Kelly’s Two Cents
For two long Americans have thought the organized church, or the government, should be the solution to the problems in our nation and our world. Instead of addressing the real problem these organizations have only applied band aids. Where there has been world hunger, the government has sent food. Where children have been abandoned, orphanages have been opened, and food supplied. Where there is joblessness, ongoing handouts have been given. While these and many other programs are good ideas, they have only addressed the symptom and hardly ever dealt with the illness. We all know the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach him to fish and he eats for the rest of his life.” Organizations usually begin with good intentions, but as they grow more people are needed to run them and more money is needed to keep them afloat. Unfortunately, this seems to lead to only “giving a man a fish” with so little time or money to “teach him to fish”. With these ideas in mind I am learning why the Body of Christ in it’s simplest form is far better equipped to handle these challenges than any organization.
While my personal journey has taught me much about the organizations we rely upon for answers, it has taught me even more about my own selfish nature! I have given more excuses in my 20 + years of being a Christian. I would easily throw my hands up and “surrender all” to His Lordship, but then I had children, ball games, family, youth group, a job, grandchildren (soon I hope), and on and on the list goes. These were not bad things, they were just my things. I don’t remember many times when I really just asked Jesus what He wanted me to do! AUGH!! As far as the needs of the world goes; well, I was faithful to give my tithes and offerings, and to pray for laborers. I even went on a couple of short term missions trips! But in three short years everything has changed. I left the organized institution of religion and found other disciples of Jesus Christ on the same path as me. I also found the Spirit of Christ in strangers in my own back yard.
My prayer is that through this blog many others will be hooked into the idea of serving the Lord right where they live today. Refugees are flooding into this country and are being disbursed into communities across the nation. The world and its organizations cannot handle the needs that are present in society. They only know how to apply a band aid. We, the church of Jesus Christ, have the answers! So, in the weeks to follow we hope to share with you our struggles and our triumphs as we learn to serve the strangers among us, by loving our Lord with all that is within us, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. It’s funny how I’ve read so many of these words so many times and now, suddenly, they have become life!
kim’s intro
our house church is involved in serving burmese refugees in the hampton roads area. this is how we started,–i hope this encourages you to step out and get involved:
I belong to a house church and we had been praying about how to get involved in our neighborhood and in the nations. We began last year by supporting 10 orphans in Burma. My husband and I are good friends with the founders who visited our house church earlier this year. While here, they invited our church to join them on a trip to Burma to visit our 10 orphans, to put hands and feet to our monthly pledge. They also inspired us to bless the nations by getting involved with refugees here in our own town. After they left, I made a phone call to the Refugee and Immigrations Office of Hampton Roads. I talked to the director and explained that we were interested in getting some information about refugees in our community. When I asked which people group in our area had the greatest need she promptly replied “BURMESE.” So, orphans in Burma, a trip to Burma, and now we were going to adopt two refugee families from Burma only 5 miles from our house!
it has been several months now since we have been meeting with these lovely people. initially it was somewhat awkward but i have to say that now we are best of friends. we have been involved in every aspect of their lives. it has been one of the best experiences for our house church. a simple act of obedience in serving has turned into great relationships with these families. we have gone from “meeting” with them to “visiting” with them. we have had the best of times and hilarious times in developing our communication skills.
you will never experience anything like this–the privilege of being the “Light and Love of Christ” to the “stranger in our land”.
i would like to encourage you to get involved—more stories next time
kim
