helping Nana to lead
One of the leaders I support and guide is Nana. Nana and his family are refugees from the Ivory Coast. Nana leads the FCR team (Fellowship of Christian Refugees). Their vision is to equip refugees for service in local churches and beyond. The vision is for refugees to reach refugees. If we can give Christ to refugees then we can reach the world.
Most of my first month back in Austria has been spent helping Nana to form a business plan for this vision. We have met several times and gone over many of the questions that come up. I'll be the first to say I'm not a business expert...
But I know from experience, it is really hard to sit down with a refugee to have a bible study over a cup of coffee when you know that they have to find a new place to live within a few days, the means to pay for it and are in deep depression about the whole thing.
So, the reason, I am into business plans and a lot of other questions is because I want to turn over every stone possible in order to empower refugees to reach refugees. Refugees are probably the best ones equipped to figure out the existential questions. My job is to support (assist) this and then to connect this life with the practice of their faith. I think this is exactly what is going on in the diaspora communities which we read about in the later epistles of the New Testament.
Last week, I visited the FCR team to take part in their seminar to train refugee leaders. There were 15 african refugees taking part in this. With the help of team funds, they traveled from every part of Austria where they are living as refugees to study learn and pray together.
Most of my first month back in Austria has been spent helping Nana to form a business plan for this vision. We have met several times and gone over many of the questions that come up. I'll be the first to say I'm not a business expert...
But I know from experience, it is really hard to sit down with a refugee to have a bible study over a cup of coffee when you know that they have to find a new place to live within a few days, the means to pay for it and are in deep depression about the whole thing.
So, the reason, I am into business plans and a lot of other questions is because I want to turn over every stone possible in order to empower refugees to reach refugees. Refugees are probably the best ones equipped to figure out the existential questions. My job is to support (assist) this and then to connect this life with the practice of their faith. I think this is exactly what is going on in the diaspora communities which we read about in the later epistles of the New Testament.
Last week, I visited the FCR team to take part in their seminar to train refugee leaders. There were 15 african refugees taking part in this. With the help of team funds, they traveled from every part of Austria where they are living as refugees to study learn and pray together.
posted by Paul at
2:52 PM
1 Comments:
I agree that studying both the NT diaspora and the OT exiles can give us a good understanding of how our forefathers went about living as faithful followers of Yahweh.
Great job working with Nana. In some ways I think this kind of empowerment heralds where we ought to be moving when it comes to living well in the world with refugees.
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