Refugee Missionaries
At the share conference last week, I met a missionary who works in Poland. He told us of one of his colleagues in Poland who became a Christian in the 1980’s when he was a refugee in Austria! This caught my interest because I began working with refugees in the 1980's in Austria!
I asked further and he explained that missionaries at the camp where his colleague lived had led him to the Lord. He immigrated to Canada where the Lord called him to return to Poland. He went to Bible school and today works as a missionary in Poland church-planting and teaching at a seminary.
While there were a few other missionaries reaching out to refugees during the 80's in Austria, as far as I know we were the only ones working inside one of the camps. The team I was part of held endless chapel services, bible studies, english classes and kids clubs for hundreds of refugees who passed thru.
this reminds me again of how God uses refugee ministry to reach the nations.
Below left: our chapel service in 1988. Below right: A refugee family in 1988 with myself and our team leader (who is now the director of IT's refugee ministry.)
I asked further and he explained that missionaries at the camp where his colleague lived had led him to the Lord. He immigrated to Canada where the Lord called him to return to Poland. He went to Bible school and today works as a missionary in Poland church-planting and teaching at a seminary.
While there were a few other missionaries reaching out to refugees during the 80's in Austria, as far as I know we were the only ones working inside one of the camps. The team I was part of held endless chapel services, bible studies, english classes and kids clubs for hundreds of refugees who passed thru.
this reminds me again of how God uses refugee ministry to reach the nations.
Below left: our chapel service in 1988. Below right: A refugee family in 1988 with myself and our team leader (who is now the director of IT's refugee ministry.)
posted by Paul at
7:50 PM
2 Comments:
thanks for sharing this, paul! that is so encouraging to hear!
By
Tom, at 9:18 PM
We never know when we reach out to someone what a major effect that will have on their life. Rarely do we have the opportunity to learn - sometimes years later -- that we DID touch that person and change their life. How fortunate you are to have been able to learn -- twenty-some years later --the very positive influence you had on that refugee!
By
Anonymous, at 4:23 PM
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