“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” Matt. 25:35
Moving to a new country is difficult, especially for a refugee. The faces, places, language, smells, sights, and sounds are unfamiliar. There is an identity crisis as you realise that who you have always been doesn’t fit easily in a new land. You must be flexible, change, and die to what has been known in order to embrace what is unknown. One word can make all the difference in a person’s adjustment to a new country… welcome.
When my family moved to Malaysia, Nura was a welcomer. From the first week we arrived, she insisted that we have dinner at her home. Usually, dinner in her home meant she actually wanted us to stay all day and eat all our meals there. Though she herself had not been welcomed in this country, she exemplified the welcome she never received.
Recently, Nura was resettled to the US, and by divine providence, she was resettled to a city which I happened to be travelling through for just 5 days! This time, the roles were reversed, and it was OUR great joy to be the welcomers, waiting with flowers and hugs to greet Nura and her family as they exited customs at the airport.
Nura was weeping, and when I asked if she was sad, she said, “No, I am so, so happy.” For the first time in her life, Nura and her family can legally reside in a country without fearing for their lives. They can legally work, send their kids to school, and have the chance to become citizens of the US. For the first time in their lives, they are welcome.
- Pray for Nura and her family’s adjustment to life as resettled refugees in America.
- Pray that resettled refugees are welcomed by the Body of Christ into their new countries.
- Pray that many more Rohingya will experience the welcoming arms of Christ.