The United States and Canada have welcomed more than 50 million immigrants, many of them from countries closed to Western missionaries. In response to this great opportunity, in 2016, SEND launched its newest field: Diaspora | North America. Below, one of our diaspora workers shares about her developing relationship with a refugee named Princess.*
Many refugee women arrive not speaking English. They don’t have cars and they do have small children, so we study English together at their homes. Recently, Princess and I have been reading children’s books together. Little Bear and Richard Scarry were well-loved, and then I brought Princess the story of Joseph.
Praise God, Princess was prepared to connect with this account.
“This is a story of a prophet! My mother learn a little Arabic because she wanted to read about prophets,” Princess said. “She teached me some! There is another prophet — Job. I like him. He had bad things happen. He was very patient.”
Seeing Princess’ excitement, my husband offered to bring her more stories of the prophets — stories that are both in her own language and in a digital format that she can send to her mom, who lives in a closed country. Thanks to modern technology, they can discuss these stories via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Princess’ eyes lit up! “My mom would be too happy! Oh, and I can listen in my language and then say the story in English and you can correct my English!”
Because they’ve witnessed horrific deeds performed in the name of God, many refugees feel nervous about pushy “religion.” They need to see real love, true care, and good friendships. We’ve spent a year building a relationship with Princess through prenatal classes, birthing, nursing struggles, landlord troubles, sewage floods, and moving apartments — living life together — and now SHE has the idea of studying Bible stories.
Yes, I think we can do that!
Thank you, Lord, for bringing the unreached to our neighborhoods. May Princess and other refugees come to trust the living God.
*Not her real name
Reprinted from SEND International's 2016 Annual Report.
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