As media attention has slowly faded, so have the thoughts of many people toward the refugee crises in Europe. However, AGWM missionaries in Europe are still at the front lines, engaging with refugees from countries such as Guinea, Morocco and Syria.
Multi-National Team Working with One Purpose
Oasis Center is a ministry that aims to develop connections and community among the immigrant/refugee population in a major city of Europe. Classes are offered to the community in English as well as the language of the country, art, and also homework help is given to children after school. The center also operate kids clubs and camps. The core team represents multiple countries: Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, Columbia, Finland, the United States and of course, local citizens. From various agencies and sending organizations, a unified team has been formed to reach out to the refugees and help them with their spiritual and emotional needs to settle well in the country. But that's not all! There are volunteers that help teach the classes from Canada, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Venezuela, England, Ecuador, Honduras, and more! Although the team comes from these many different countries, all members have the same purpose: following the words of Jesus to love our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as we would ourselves.
Oasis Center is a ministry that aims to develop connections and community among the immigrant/refugee population in a major city of Europe. Classes are offered to the community in English as well as the language of the country, art, and also homework help is given to children after school. The center also operate kids clubs and camps.
The core team represents multiple countries: Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, Columbia, Finland, the United States and of course, local citizens. From various agencies and sending organizations, a unified team has been formed to reach out to the refugees and help them with their spiritual and emotional needs to settle well in the country. But that's not all! There are volunteers that help teach the classes from Canada, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Venezuela, England, Ecuador, Honduras, and more! Although the team comes from these many different countries, all members have the same purpose: following the words of Jesus to love our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as we would ourselves.
Reaching out to Refugees in Europe
Many of our AGWM personnel are involved in ministry and outreach to the refugees coming into Europe in droves. This is in addition to their particular long-term ministry focus to which they have been called. One missionary writes: The wife and children of Ahmed have finally arrived and they are so happy to be back together after five long years apart. We help them as much as we can and translate to Arabic over Google on our phones. On Easter Sunday they will have dinner with us and we will do an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids in our garden. The German language is hard for him and he needs the language certificate to be able to work. One thing we have noticed is that the Syrians love to play games. I created a memory game with words in Arabic and German and that is a great tool. It is a good way to have fellowship and interact even with small language skills and they learn German in the process. For some of the new ones (especially ladies) communication means typing on the smart phone using Google translator. That can end up funny at times but at least one gets an idea of what they mean!
A couple from Albania that received Jesus as Savior have since been sent back to Albania since all the Balkan countries are considered safe countries of origin. They were of course sad they could not stay, but what a grace that they found Jesus while here! We contacted missionary colleagues in Albania who were able to connect them with a local pastor in their home town and they have met together. That is team work in the Kingdom of God where everyone has a part to play!
Another young man from Rwanda barely survived the genocide in his country as a child and lost his whole family in the atrocity. He still has nightmares from that time. He comes to church on Sundays and we were able to connect him with a German fellow from our church, who will train him as a beekeeper. If he does well they would be willing to hire him. God is showing him how much He cares for him!
Many of our AGWM personnel are involved in ministry and outreach to the refugees coming into Europe in droves. This is in addition to their particular long-term ministry focus to which they have been called.
One missionary writes: The wife and children of Ahmed have finally arrived and they are so happy to be back together after five long years apart. We help them as much as we can and translate to Arabic over Google on our phones. On Easter Sunday they will have dinner with us and we will do an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids in our garden. The German language is hard for him and he needs the language certificate to be able to work. One thing we have noticed is that the Syrians love to play games. I created a memory game with words in Arabic and German and that is a great tool. It is a good way to have fellowship and interact even with small language skills and they learn German in the process. For some of the new ones (especially ladies) communication means typing on the smart phone using Google translator. That can end up funny at times but at least one gets an idea of what they mean!
A couple from Albania that received Jesus as Savior have since been sent back to Albania since all the Balkan countries are considered safe countries of origin. They were of course sad they could not stay, but what a grace that they found Jesus while here! We contacted missionary colleagues in Albania who were able to connect them with a local pastor in their home town and they have met together. That is team work in the Kingdom of God where everyone has a part to play!
Another young man from Rwanda barely survived the genocide in his country as a child and lost his whole family in the atrocity. He still has nightmares from that time. He comes to church on Sundays and we were able to connect him with a German fellow from our church, who will train him as a beekeeper. If he does well they would be willing to hire him. God is showing him how much He cares for him!
Students for Christ Connect 2014
“LIFE-CHANGING!" is one of the most common responses given to the Students for Christ (SFC) annual CONNECT conference held each summer, the goal of which is equipping university students across Europe to reach their campuses with the life-changing power of Jesus’ message to mankind.
"Life-Changing!" is one of the most common responses give to the Students for Christ (SFC) annual CONNECT conference held each summer, the goal of which is equipping university students across Europe to reach their campuses with the life-changing power of Jesus' message to mankind.
This summer students came from approximately 20 nations, mainly from the European zone, but with some representing their motherlands in Africa and Asia. After a week of bonding together in small groups, intense collective worship and prayer times, relevant teaching regarding campus ministry in the 21st century and planning sessions for the academic year ahead, these collegians and national workers left with a proverbial toolbox filled to help them engage their fellow classmates regarding the claims of Christ on each one’s life.
Impactful testimonies always abound as God, through His Spirit, meets the students while at CONNECT:
• several girls who came together from one country are “on fire after a life-changing experience” according to their leader.
• a student from a sensitive country had a deeply transforming experience with the Holy Spirit.
• one student felt that God was calling him to go and plant a new Students for Christ group in a university city where no SFC chapter exists.
• repeatedly, the comment came to the organizers how exceptionally rich was the multi-national fellowship of the body of Christ.
Truly, Connect ’14 was Life-Changing!
From newsletter of Blair and Dina Bonin