Servinghrrefugees’s Weblog

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!

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