Germany (MNN) — For many readers, the refugee crisis is nothing new. However, for some refugees, things are only just getting started.
Matt Morrison of e3 Partners said that even now, some refugees are just arriving in camps around the world. That’s why the team of an upcoming e3 Partners trip to Berlin is going to work with new arrivals.
“The German government does not allow them to take jobs or work yet. They’re not allowed to necessarily really integrate into society, and they obviously don’t have a lot of money,” said Morrison. He describes the camps as “a kind of purgatory” as men, women, and children wander the city waiting to hear if the government can legally consider them refugees.
(Photo courtesy of e3 Partners)
Morrison said living for someone living with constant uncertainty, it means a lot for another person to simply sit and listen to them.
“They’re kind of honored when someone wants to actually hear their story; when someone actually does care enough,” said Morrison. “They enjoy just someone being there to kind of help them pass the time while they anxiously wait to find out if they’re going to get to stay or not.”
The e3 Partners team will work with the refugees for just over a week, but Morrison said that’s plenty of time to make a difference to the refugees and team members alike. “I can tell you, spiritually, it’s like drinking through a fire hose. It’s a lot to take in,” Morrison said. “There are things I saw and things I heard and stories I heard that I could not shake for a while. I was not myself when I came back, but I can honestly say that it gave me a much more honest perspective of who these people are and what they’ve been through.”
As intimidating as the situation may seem, Morrison said the clash of cultures presents a unique opportunity. “God has taken the snowglobe of cultures and just kind of shaken it,” he explained. “They’re flooding out of regions where it’s traditionally been very difficult to reach them, and now they’re in the open environment of Europe and even the United States.
(Photo courtesy of e3 Partners)
“What it’s allowing us to do is to minister to these people who otherwise it would be very difficult or even impossible to touch.”
If you want to join a trip, we can connect you. “You may not feel like you have a lot to offer these people but you will be amazed what God will do with just your presence there and your faithfulness to His call.”
Even if you don’t decide to go, the team needs your prayer so the refugees will be open to hearing God’s truth. “The only true answer to the problems of our world, no matter what they are, is Jesus,” said Morrison. “He’s the one who makes all things new. He’s the one who came to defeat death. And He’s the one who will return again one day.”
