From the first stories of the earliest people, we’ve found it hard to lift our eyes. We’re afraid of what we’ll see, yet God coaxes us, calling us to look up. The Almighty called Abraham to look up and see the Land He would give him and the ram He would provide in place of his son. And when Isaac and Rebekah lifted their eyes, they saw God’s provision of a mate who would be part of a much bigger divine plan. (See those examples here)
Sometimes, we’re afraid that when we look up from our own need, we may see the needs of others. Our hearts threaten to burst with the weight of it. Which is exactly why God wants us to lift our eyes. When we look, we see the great needs of the world and the greater supply of the Father.
Today I want to share Part 1 of an interview with a partner working in Europe. I have a lump in my throat as I prepare to post it for you. Adele and Jason Rice live where it’s hard not to lift their eyes and see the pain of the current refugee movement across Europe. We can lift our eyes and look at the world’s pain, because we know God sees, He cares, and He answers. He will show us what our response needs to be. He will keep working out of the storehouse of His provisions and the wealth of His love, even when we have reached our limitations. He is adequate to answer the needs we see when we look.
Look with me?
What puts you in a position to see the refugee crisis up close?
After Hungary closed its border with Serbia, Croatia began transporting the refugees to its border with Hungary. Hungarian trains would then transport them to the Hungarian/Austrian border, an hour from our home. Unfortunately the refugee corridor changed again as Hungary closed its border with Croatia at midnight on October 16th. As of the last train arrival on Saturday afternoon, we are no longer able to help them directly during their travels, but we are currently looking into possibilities for ministry at refugee centers and transit areas.
Can you describe the scope of the problem in your region?
When a train of 1,400-1,700 refugees would arrive at the aid station, it was if a wave was coming to shore. The wave would arrive with the younger, faster men at the front; then crest with the arrival of families, older people, and women. On average, 7-10,000 refugees were crossing the Hungarian/Austrian border every day, with some days topping 12-14,000.
How do the people in your area feel about the flood of refugees?
The response in central Europe is not overly welcoming to refugees. Often this is fueled by fear, which is being propagated by politicians. Many believe their culture and Christianity are under attack. That said, there are volunteers who are organizing themselves, donating, and helping.
Have you talked with refugees? What kind of people are you finding?
Yes, we have gotten the opportunity to speak to some. The majority of refugees seem to be Muslim, but we did meet Christians as well. Many of the Christians we met specifically mentioned they were fleeing their homes because they feared death at the hands of ISIS. Men make up the majority of the group, but there were also a good number of women and children, and some elderly. Over the last week, we seemed to be seeing even more families with children. When profession came up, they always had a job that required some level of expertise and/or education. Those who mentioned their occupation also told us that was one reason why they left – their business had been taken away or destroyed
Are there a lot of organizations helping where you are? What are they doing?
At the beginning there were only two aid organizations helping, but as time went on, NGO’s and civic organizations began helping as well. The primary need was food and water, so everyone worked to make these things available. Some agencies provided sandwiches, while others provided fruit, granola bars, baby food, etc. Even with multiple organizations and independent volunteers, there were times when there was not enough water and/or food for everyone. Some also provided clothing – particularly needed items were socks, shoes, coats, and winter items.
How is the church in your region involved?
Seven individuals/families from our church provided physical help along the border and/or donated money, food, or clothing items. What challenges do they face? The church as a whole was not actively involved, but we are grateful these individuals/families stepped forward and did what they could to help.
Tomorrow I’ll share part 2 of my interview with Adele. She’ll answer questions like:
- Where are the refugees going?
- What do they need most?
- What emotional needs do they have?
- Are they all Muslim?
- What about the women?
- How do we even pray?
- What can I do?
Let’s trust God enough and love people enough to lift our eyes and see what God will do.
As a regular reader of your blog I found this post particularly interesting. I’m a Brit so it’s a little closer to home but I just wanted to add two things if I may. Firstly, it’s not a European refugee crisis. It’s global and so many countries, Great Britain and the USA included, are part of the cause. We are all part of this. Secondly, if people do want to help, Habitat for Humanity are working in Lebanon and Macedonia in particular working both in transit centres and longer term solutions. http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/refugeecrisis thank you for raising this important issue on your blog!
Thank you so much for your thoughts. It is a “little” closer to home to you, yes, but as you explain so well, it is going to be close to everyone’s “home.” In fact, we have had our first Syrian families arrive in my region of the US. I really hope these posts may help prepare people to consider how this crisis impacts all of us and how we can all be part of the response. We must be. I wrestled with whether or not to call it “European” for exactly the reason you point out, but I landed there since I’m focusing on the current impact in Europe. Europe seems to be absorbing the earliest waves. As a US citizen, I pray we grasp the important truth you mention: we are part of the cause. Thank you, too, for sharing the link for Habitat. I will share that on my Facebook page. There are so many great organizations leading the way, and the experience of those who have been on the ground and involved is invaluable when a crisis overtakes. Thank you for sharing! I’m about to take off for some travel, but I have some other info I hope to share in the next several weeks; it will be from another person’s perspective. I would love to learn more from you about the impact in your area and how these events are landing on the people there. Just use the contact button on the site if you would like to share more. I appreciate your insights!