Written by World Relief Chicagoland Director of Operations, Isoken Aiwerioba

Fear is not my future, Sickness is not my story, Heartbreak’s not my home, Death is not the end, You are (Jesus).. A friend recently reminded me of the lyrics of the song Fear is Not My Future by Maverick City.

When we sang it in church months ago, we sang with naïve confidence that we were children of God and had no fear, no sickness, no heartbreak that could be bigger than God. Afterall, He said he is the God of all flesh and nothing is too hard for him.

Fast forward to June, rumors were whirling around of a possible sending of the National Guard and ICE agents for raids in Chicago. A city known as a place of refuge waited and prepared.

First, we heard the ICE agents were around but in far suburbs. The city roared with joy at the news that the National Guards were no longer coming. Yes! God has done it! Then came the stories of ICE agents being in multiple suburbs, then the city, on multiple streets, everywhere all at once! People said they waited at immigration meetings to pick up people before they could see judges, went to stores, and were even rumored to be on buses.

As the rumors grew, so did the panic, a blanket of fear had come upon the immigrant communities, documented, undocumented, black, brown, and even white. There seemed to be no pattern to the chaos. Neighbors rallied round to help, sightings were being passed around. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

The next rumor was that green card holders and citizens were being carried along with undocumented people because the ICE agents did not ask when breaking down doors to an apartment building. Citizens who were not native English speakers were afraid that they would not be able to explain before being whisked away. A Pastor advised his congregation to stop coming to church as they did not know when they will be raided. ICE agents in full militia outfits were seen on the streets. It felt like a movie about a war-torn country.

A lot of immigrants are refugees of some sorts. Some are refugees for obvious reasons like war and displacement. Others are refugees for more covert reasons like the search for a better life.

America was and is seen as the ultimate place to go to when fleeing a home country that no longer functions properly. It was Utopia, the land of the free, the ultimate dream. For many immigrants, settling here not only created a better life for them but also for their families, villages and countries.

For the refugees, that journey is harder. They have fled from persecution, from pain, from fear and sometimes the gruesome death of loved ones. Many, before their own eyes. They waited for months and maybe years in a country different from theirs before being settled in America. Tears flow copiously as they hug loved ones or total strangers who have come to the airport to pick them under a banner of welcome. Fathers see adults who were children when they last saw them, having been separated for years and sometime decades.

Now that fear has returned with vengeance. Will they be sent back to their home countries? Will their documents be taken back from them? Will the new lives they have been blessed with vanish into thin air?

As the fear continues to squeeze our hearts every morning, we put on a smile and remind ourselves that the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof, the people and they that dwell therein. Surely the God of the poor and the foreigner, sees. Surely, he will come through for them.

For those who remain silent as these things go on, there is an African parable that says, “he who throws stones in the market does not know if it will hit his relative”. Somehow, somewhere, there is a connection.  Whether a friend, a neighbor, a fellow church member, the mother of your daughter’s friend in elementary school or even the girl your son fell in love with, there is a connection.

Hello peace, hello joy, hello love. Hello strength, hello hope, It’s a new horizon. Those are lyrics of the same song. It’s a new horizon not because anything has changed, not because we know what tomorrow holds but because we know the one who holds tomorrow. There is a peace that comes from knowing God is still in control, that slowly but surely chips away at the fear until all of it is gone. Replaced by a peace that God gives and no one can take away.

Hello peace, hello hope, it’s a new horizon.

The post Fear Is Not My Future…God Is appeared first on World Relief.

When you walk into the Thursday evening ESL class at the apartment of one of our Sudanese families, you’ll likely be greeted with warmth, laughter, and the joyful energy of children running in and out. At the center of it all is Lyn Lindell, a dedicated World Relief volunteer whose heart for teaching and problem-solving has shaped her life’s work. 

A Lifelong Educator at Heart 

Lyn’s journey into teaching began in the 1960s, when special education was still an emerging field. She got her degree from Peabody Vanderbilt and spent the next 30 years teaching preschool special education. Along the way, she also volunteered at community centers, helping neighbors who didn’t speak English find their footing. 

“I’ve always believed learning is the key to life,” Lyn reflects. “ESL keeps your mind open, not just to the needs of others, but to the perspectives of others.” Even in retirement, she never stopped teaching, from tutoring her grandchild to discovering the ESL community that eventually led her to World Relief. 

“ESL keeps your mind open, not just to the needs of others, but to the perspectives of others.”

Joining World Relief 

Lyn began volunteering with World Relief in September of last year, right as Sophia, a Sudanese mother of four, and her daughters arrived in Spokane. What started as an assignment to support one family quickly expanded: 

“There’s no way to work with just one family when the Sudanese community is such a tight-knit group,” Lyn laughs. She now teaches multiple Sudanese families, focusing on practical English skills that empower women to find jobs, access childcare, and navigate daily life. 

Her presence has made an impression. “Sometimes they’ll ask, ‘This is your job, isn’t it?’ and when I tell them I volunteer, their mouths drop. They had no idea so much of what World Relief does is because of volunteers.” 

The Joys and Challenges of Teaching ESL 

Language barriers mean that she and her students don’t always know one another’s backstories. But that hasn’t stopped meaningful relationships from forming. “We joke together, we share little things we know about each other, and we learn just by watching one another interact. You pick up so much more than words.” 

Her Thursday classes often focus on essentials like greetings, telling time, or writing down a name and address. But the moments that stand out most to Lyn aren’t about lessons completed, they’re about relationships formed. “It always warms my heart, every time I go, to be so warmly welcomed. The children, although shy at first, run up and call my name. It’s so genuine.” 

An Invitation to Others 

For Lyn, volunteering with World Relief has been an extension of a lifelong calling to teach, connect, and learn. With our Sudanese families, she gives her time and skills freely. In return, she receives something just as valuable: the gift of shared humanity. 

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to help someone learn English, navigate a new city, or simply feel welcomed, Lyn’s story is a reminder that ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact. The friendships built, the laughter shared, and the practical support given are life-changing, not only for newcomers, but for volunteers too. 

World Relief relies on people like Lyn to come alongside families who are rebuilding their lives here in Spokane. And there’s a place for you too. 

Want to learn more about what these Sudanese families are coming from? Check out what’s happening in Sudan: https://worldrelief.org/blog-whats-happening-in-sudan/

The post Lyn’s Story: A Volunteer’s Heart for Teaching and Community appeared first on World Relief.

by Jane Register, Development Director of World Relief SoCal //

“Every day is a fight. Put yourself in my shoes and ask yourself what you would do?” – Yousif, asylum seeker

Two and a half years ago, Yousif, his wife, and their young son arrived in the United States after fleeing Afghanistan. They came full of hope, believing they had finally found safety — a place where they could worship freely as Christians, something they had only dreamt of while living in fear under the Taliban regime.

For the first time in their lives, they were able to openly read their Bibles, attend church services, and pray in public without fear of punishment or death. But today, 2.5 years later, their future remains painfully uncertain.

Fleeing for Their Lives

In Afghanistan, Yousif and his family lived under constant threat. As Afghan Christians, practicing their faith publicly was punishable by death. For years, they gathered in secret, worshiping in an underground church behind locked doors.

When Kabul fell to the Taliban, their lives became even more dangerous. Yousif’s previous work with the U.S.-backed Afghan government marked him for persecution and certain death if discovered. With no choice but to flee, Yousif, his wife, and their infant son began a harrowing journey, eventually arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum.

A New Beginning

Upon arrival, World Relief Southern California came alongside Yousif and his family through:

• Host Home Program, providing temporary housing.
• Good Neighbor Team, connecting them with a local church that has walked faithfully with them ever since.

Yousif quickly applied for and received his work permit, a milestone that brought hope and dignity. But finding a job proved overwhelming. The layers of loss and trauma he carried made even the first steps feel impossible.

Through World Relief SoCal’s Job Readiness Program, Yousif gained the skills and confidence to apply for positions. His perseverance paid off — he received multiple offers and was ultimately promoted to a salaried role with benefits, beating out 62 other applicants.

For a moment, it felt like a breakthrough.

Living in Fear

But even with a steady job, Yousif’s life is marked by anxiety. Their asylum case remains undecided, and their son’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — a safeguard for vulnerable immigrants — was recently revoked.

Each day, Yousif worries about what could happen if he’s stopped by immigration enforcement.

“What if I encounter an ICE agent?
Will they believe me when I explain that I have a work permit and a pending asylum claim?
That I am a Christian fleeing for my life, not a criminal?
What if they don’t?”

Out of fear, his wife and son rarely leave their home. Their 4-year-old longs to play with other children, but isolation has become their reality — hiding once again, this time in the U.S.

Yousif shared that even simple moments, like attending his men’s Bible study, bring complex emotions. Sitting openly at a restaurant with his Bible, he realized he may need to return to studying Scripture behind closed doors, just as he did in Afghanistan — not because of religious persecution, but because of the vulnerability of being visibly immigrant.

The Weight of Waiting

Alongside everyday concerns — paying bills, caring for his family, navigating the high cost of living — Yousif bears the heavy uncertainty of his family’s future.

“Every day is a fight,” Yousif shares. “I am fighting for my right to live, for our right to live, every single day. If you were me, would you not escape from a country that is trying to kill you? Would you not fight for your son? Where can we go and be safe?”

Returning to Afghanistan would mean certain death for Yousif, his wife, and their son. Yet here in the U.S., they live in a fragile in-between — welcomed by some, feared by others.

Yousif wonders, “Will my Christian brothers and sisters in the U.S. support policies that would send me back to be killed? Do they see me as their brother in Christ? As a human being?”

His words echo the lament of Psalm 13:1:

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.”

How You Can Help

This is a critical time for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants in our nation and in Southern California, where immigrants make up over 28% of the population.

World Relief Southern California is honored to walk alongside families like Yousif’s, providing:

• Legal services to navigate the complex asylum process.
• Housing and community connections through local churches.
• Job readiness support to restore dignity and stability.
• Advocacy for policies that protect both national security and the God-given dignity of every person.

But we cannot do this work without the faithful partnership of people like you.

You Can Take Action Today:

1. Advocate – Add your voice in support of compassionate and just policies.
2. Pray – Stand in prayer for asylum seekers and vulnerable families.
3. Give Monthly – Provide steady, reliable support that families like Yousif’s can count on.

A Call to the Church

As followers of Jesus, we are called to see the image of God in every person and to stand with our brothers and sisters facing fear, persecution, and displacement. Yousif’s story is not just about one family — it’s a call to the Church to embody the love of Christ in tangible ways.

Together, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, offering welcome, advocacy, and hope.

*A pseudonym has been used to protect the safety of individuals mentioned. 

The post Everyday Is a Fight: Yousif’s Ongoing Journey for Safety and Hope appeared first on World Relief.

“You’re Talking About Me”

Across the globe, 1 in 67 people has been forced to flee their home because of persecution, conflict and violence, according to the UN Refugee Agency. 

And, a report by World Relief and Open Doors found that 1 of 7 Christians worldwide has experienced persecution or discrimination on account of their faith.

At the intersection of these statistics stands Durmomo Gary.

He has experienced both — religious persecution and displacement. “When you talk about the global crisis, persecution and resettlement, you’re talking about me,” said Durmomo, a Sudanese refugee who fled his homeland because of religious persecution and was resettled in the U.S. by World Relief.

Today, Durmomo serves as a pastor and a board member at World Relief, advocating for those who’ve been forced to flee their homes. And he juxtaposed the politicization of displacement with his personal experience during an event co-hosted by World Relief at Trinity Baptist Church, New York, during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 

The venue being a church was significant. Over 81 years ago, believers in Boston’s Park Street Church responded to the enormity of need in Europe in the wake of World War II by fasting, praying and putting aside savings in small glass jars to help people devastated by war. Faith in action is contagious. Other churches joined the effort and out of this groundswell of support, World Relief was born. Since then, as a Christian humanitarian aid organization, we’ve engaged in the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. 

Today, the crisis devastating families across the globe is forced displacement. 

The numbers are staggering. Over 123 million people have been forced to flee their home because of persecution, conflict and violence — 40% of them children. It’s a crisis that a group of United Nations officials, member state representatives and faith leaders convened at Trinity Baptist Church to highlight and to discuss coordinated, inclusive solutions. 

Compounded Crises & Hope Kindled

The global displacement crisis is compounded by funding shortfalls. “Up to 11.6 million refugees and others forced to flee risk losing access to direct humanitarian assistance from UNHCR,” said UNHCR New York Director Sivanka Dhanapala. He called attention to the “second crisis” that families fleeing war and persecution now face — “the loss of support they rely on to survive after they have fled to survive.” 

World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene highlighted “how desperate and dire the situation is today” — one that’s getting worse as resources for those displaced continue to shrink.

But in the midst of this storm, there’s hope. 

That hope is kindled when faith-based actors and organizations step into the gap, offering aid and welcome. 

“Faith-based organizations play a very fundamental role in the response, of course by welcoming refugees into communities, by providing direct assistance and raising awareness on who refugees are,” said Sivanka. He recognized the deep rootedness of faith-based actors in communities and their presence “before, during and after a disaster.”

Today, the need for such actors is even greater as other support systems crumble. Myal spoke of the encouragement he received on seeing faith communities stepping into the gap. During his 2024 visit to Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he was confronted by the enormity of displacement in the country. In the town center was a heavily populated displacement camp — but there was also something else. A unified response as religious leaders of the host community and displaced population came together to meet needs and build resilience. The spirit of welcome and of restoration is at the core of faith-based organizations and communities. 

Welcome.US Vice President of Community Building + Engagement Krista Kartson has seen people of faith step up to welcome the displaced, both in the U.S. and overseas. She recalled witnessing people of different faith traditions care for displaced people in Iraq. “They stood up to care for their communities, not only for their own faith traditions but also for other faith traditions. And it was very important to them to represent their faith in their welcome and in their service to their communities … to say ‘my faith says to love’,” she said. In the United States, faith communities across the country have welcomed refugees through private sponsorships. An estimated 2 million Americans agreed to sponsor nearly 800,000 newcomers in three years. Welcome.US estimates that these individuals and communities leveraged over $7 billion in their resources and time to welcome newcomers.

Changing the Narrative

While the discussion highlighted the plight of refugees and other displaced communities it also recognized their inherent strength, dignity and ability to positively contribute to host communities. 

“No human being should be forced to flee from their homes,” said Galen Carey, vice president of government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals. “And no human being should be turned away.” He highlighted the courage it takes to even flee and the positive results of welcoming refugees into a country. “Refugees are blessings not burdens,” he said, which struck a chord with members of the audience like Nina Dee Irizarry. 

To Nina, the idea of refugees bringing value was a “beautiful reframing” of the narrative. “Reframing not only the human experience and determination that these people bring but [that] they bring such a value that would elevate a country rather than bring a country down … I think that’s an important, a great takeaway,” she said. 

And it is the heart of welcome and the power of one person’s bold “yes,” that the discussion highlighted. As Brian Newby, lead pastor of Trinity Baptist Church said, “It is important for us to continue to amplify refugee voices. Do for the few what you wish you could do for the many.”

Today, World Relief remains committed to engaging this unprecedented crisis in partnership with the church.

Will you join us?

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Shreya Shukla Thornton is the Senior Content Manager at World Relief. With a Ph.D. in communication and over 15 years of experience in the field, she enjoys developing content strategy and forging a connection through storytelling.

The post When Faith Meets Those Forced to Flee appeared first on World Relief.

by Kelly Hill //

“I saw the presence of God in every single step of my journey — all the way. I felt the presence of God when I was escaping from Afghanistan … The same thing in the Panama jungle … We just prayed and God saved us.”

 — Yousif, an asylum seeker at the U.S. southern border

Headlines and soundbites about the U.S.-Mexico border abound. However, it can be easy to lose sight of the real people who arrive at our southern border in search of a more secure future. 

Their stories are varied and diverse, and every person — no matter where they come from or where they are hoping to go and why — is a precious reflection of the image of God. 

Yousif* is one such person, and this is his story of seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Miraculous Escape

The Taliban’s return to power in 2021 was like a death sentence for Yousif and his young family. 

He and his wife, who had welcomed their first child not long before the fall of Kabul, are Afghan Christians. Their Christian faith and Yousif’s job with the U.S.-backed Afghan government put their lives in grave danger nearly overnight. 

At first, they hid and prayed in their home for two days. One night, the Taliban tore through their neighborhood. They had nowhere to run, so Yousif and his wife fell to their knees and prayed for God’s protection. Miraculously, the Taliban inexplicably bypassed their home. 

With their faith strengthened, they made the difficult calculation that, even if they got caught while on the run, their chance of survival was higher than staying in place. 

They put their trust in God’s protection, and their miraculous journey of escape began.

Journey to the U.S. Border

The roads to Kabul airport were already controlled by the Taliban, so the family traveled by bus to Pakistan. They then caught a flight to Brazil — one of few countries offering humanitarian visas to Afghans at the time. 

They had planned to stay in Brazil, but as immigrants, they soon began feeling unsafe there too.

What came next was a series of what Yousif describes as “escapes” from country to country on their way to seeking asylum at the U.S. border. For two months, Yousif traveled with his wife and their infant child by foot, boat and bus.

They faced many dangers along the way. “You’re not sure about anything,” he explained, “The only thing you can do is just trust God.” 

And God did help them.

While traveling in the jungles of Panama, Yousif’s son started crying. He and his wife stopped to give him some milk, thinking they could easily follow the path of the group they were traveling with. But just five minutes later, they had lost sight of the others. 

Alone, they tried to find their way back through dense vegetation, but as the day went on, they couldn’t seem to catch up. So they began to pray, asking God to rescue them. Towards nightfall, they saw glimmers of light in the jungle — fires burning where the group had stopped to camp!

“I saw the presence of God in every single step of my journey — all the way. I felt the presence of God when I was escaping from Afghanistan. God protected me … The same thing in the Panama jungle … We just prayed and God saved us.” 

Seeking Asylum

Finally, Yousif’s family made it to the U.S. border, where they are now applying for asylum. But their future is still uncertain. 

“When I got to the United States, I thought that it’s over,” he said. “We got here and we’re blessed … but when we were faced with this complicated process of immigration … sometimes, even now, I just want to give up.”

Despite Yousif’s excellent English and education, the process of applying for asylum has felt overwhelming. But once again, he found he wasn’t without help. Through a few God-ordained connections, Yousif was put in touch with our World Relief team in Southern California.

World Relief staff and volunteers have come alongside his family to provide legal assistance, temporary housing and a supportive community.  

What’s more, Yousif and his wife have found a new church home where, for the first time in their lives, they can freely worship the God who has rescued them over and over again. 

At the time of writing, Yousif’s case has yet to be decided, but he trusts that God has not left him without a defender and an advocate. That God was with his family in Afghanistan and he remains with them now. 

“When I find myself in these hard times,” Yousif explained, “I think about the story of Joseph and Jacob in which they are hated by their brothers but loved by their father … We see that God works in [their] lives and they become a powerful example of how a godly person overcomes adversities.”

You Can Help Displaced Families

In Yousif’s story of seeking asylum, we see a powerful testimony of how God is at work in the lives of those hoping to find safety at our borders. He has been walking ahead of and alongside Yousif’s family in each step of their journey, and now, we at World Relief have the honor of walking with them, too. 

We’re proud to serve alongside asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants as they rebuild their lives in the U.S. while advocating for compassionate border policies which protect both national security and the God-given dignity of every person. 

Today, as we face the greatest global displacement crisis in history, this support and the work we do to address displacement around the world is more important than ever. 

Will you join us in helping families like Yousif’s build secure, flourishing futures after displacement?

*A pseudonym has been used to protect the safety of individuals mentioned. 

Originally posted by World Relief on May 29, 2024

The post Seeking Asylum at the U.S. Border: Yousif’s Story appeared first on World Relief.

Migration is central to the human story and to God’s story. In partnership with IVP, we invite you to reflect on what it means to cultivate a heart of a migrant and to see God’s mercy at work through movement, change and belonging. The following piece is adapted from Migration, Session 2 “Manifesto”.

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God wants to cultivate the heart of a migrant in each of us. 

Most of us are drawn to a sense of home. But, sometimes, moving is necessary. No matter our reasons for leaving, it is a significant and emotional transition.  

God is no stranger to these feelings. In Scripture, we rarely see people staying put. Abraham, Joseph and his brothers, Naomi, Ruth, the disciples, and Paul all left familiar settings for new horizons at various points in their lives (Genesis 12:1-9; 37:12-28; 46:1-7; Ruth 1; Matthew 4:18-22; Acts 8:1-8; 13).  

Migration has always been part of the human story, and it is central to the ultimate Story. Jesus was born away from his parents’ home (Luke 2:1-7); fled as a young boy to another region (Matthew 2:13-15); lived his adult life constantly on the move (Matthew 8:18-20); and told his disciples to spread the good news to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:6-9). He had a particular ethnicity, homeland, and language, yet he didn’t solely experience life within those boundaries. Jesus had the heart of a migrant.  

Do we have this same heart? Would we allow God to cultivate the heart of a migrant in us? Jesus shows us that our belonging comes in following wherever God leads, seeking our sense of home wherever we end up. 

Migration today may look different from Bible times, and it often leads to particular political debates. But theologian Jules Martínez-Olivieri explains that although migration has historically been an extremely fluid concept, affected by changing borders, changing laws, and changing push-pull factors, migration has always been central to the human experience. And God shows a special love for his people when they are on the move. 

Essay Excerpt:  

“Immigrants as the Face and History of Globalization” by Jules Martínez-Olivieri 

“Humanity is fundamentally a story of migration” (Laila Lalami, Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America, [New York: Pantheon Books, 2020], 70). 

These are the words of Moroccan American novelist and essayist Laila Lalami. Migration is an essential element of the life of peoples and a reality that shapes human history and redemptive history.  

People migrate for different reasons. Sometimes they have a choice about moving; other times they are forced to move. With voluntary migration, people have reasons to either leave a place (push factors) or reasons to be attracted to a place (pull factors). Humans have been moving in response to these push and pull factors for millennia. 

There are many types of borders beyond geopolitical boundaries: ideological, cultural, political, ethnic, spiritual, economic, etc. Thus, our main criterion for identifying the migrant border crosser cannot be reduced to those who simply lack residency or legal documentation in a territorially bounded sovereign country. Rather, we need to see that migration, in many forms, has always been a human reality. 

The Fact and Fluidity of Borders  

Nevertheless, the concept of borders is a perpetual sociopolitical fact with an awful history of abuse and suffering designed to protect the welfare of geographically, racially, or ethnically defined nation-states. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first time in the United States that a “federal law proscribed [prohibited] entry of an ethnic working group on the premise that it endangered the good order of certain localities”. This law not only placed requirements on Chinese people trying to immigrate to the United States but also placed new requirements on Chinese who had already arrived. As economic competition and struggle increased, anti-Chinese animosity became the scapegoat for moneymaking and political gains.  

Geopolitical boundaries also change over time. The US-Mexican border was not always where it is today. In 1821, the year Mexico declared its independence from Spain, its territory included California, Texas, and the land in between. However, after the Mexican-American War in 1848, 55 percent of Mexico’s territory was ceded to the United States. Mexico had ended slavery by 1830; nevertheless, when White Americans formed the independent Republic of Texas, they reinstated slavery. “By the time the US annexed the territory,” journalist Becky Little explains, “its enslaved population had grown from 5,000 to 30,000”.

(Little, “The Violent History of the U.S.-Mexico Border,” History.com, www.history.com/news/mexico-border-wall -military-facts)  

Being an immigrant is not an objective status; it’s a fluid designation that changes when territories change. 

Migration Necessitates Change—for All of Us  

Currently, there are more than 272 million international migrants in the world. Migration plays a major role in the economy, politics, and social structure of the majority of countries in the world. This also involves the convergences of cultures, traditions, aesthetics, art, music, values, food, and human needs. The increased interconnectivity caused by migration facilitates the need for—and catalyzes—the innovation of ideas, culture, and technology.  

US immigration policy, which has not been significantly updated in thirty-five years, is an area in which innovation is sorely needed. Over 10 million undocumented immigrants reside in the United States right now. Authorized immigration to the United States is generally limited to three different routes: (1) employment (where, in most cases, an employer must petition for the worker), (2) family reunification, or (3) humanitarian protection. Unfortunately, many aspiring residents are not eligible for these options, despite the fact that most immigrants to the United States have left their homeland, family, and friends due to severe economic hardship, violence, and dangerous political instability. In past times, migration was a natural respite for such conditions.  

What Migration Means for Christians 

 As Christians, we cannot reduce immigrants to geopolitical conceptions. We commit atrocities and dehumanize those who are our neighbors when we see migrant foreigners as a threat, a risk, or an unknown to our “sacred” political, economic, geographical, and cultural realities and traditions.  

A more humane and theological approach centers the plight of those who suffer a forced disconnection from their family, the deprived who transit to another land, and those who come seeking relationships that enhance their capacity to flourish. 

Through migration, our values, faith, and churches are renewed. The reality of the migrant experience challenges us as Christians to be more just and charitable. We come to realize that, as the Jesuit priest Jon Sobrino beautifully states in his book The Principle of Mercy, “In the beginning was mercy.” This mercy for the foreigner compels us to embody Jesus, announce the kingdom of God, and denounce everything that harms the vulnerable as anti-kingdom. This is achieved only when the suffering of others is internalized and becomes a joyful orthopathos, a passioned identification with the other for whom God’s love is extended through us. Through migration, God changes our hearts. 

God wants to cultivate the heart of a migrant in each of us. 

BENEDICTION 

Throughout history, recitations of shared beliefs have helped reinforce our connection to one another, no matter where we are from. To close, read the benediction. 

Lord, help us to honor and more deeply understand our own migration stories. Help us to celebrate the mosaic of cultures, lands, and experiences that make us each unique. Foster in us the heart of a migrant: full of faith, courage, and hope in your good plans for us. Help us to find ultimate belonging in you and the family of God. 

In the words of the author of Hebrews, we pray for the heritage of our faithful ancestors: 

“They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16). 

Lord, may it be so for us. Amen. 

For further reflection, click on the link below and listen to the poem by Frank Espinoza on the generational effects of migration. 

“Welcome to My Vida” – Frank Espinoza  

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Adapted from Migration by Alexis Busetti and Dorcas Cheng-Tozun. ©2025 by Made for PAX. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. www.ivpress.com. 

Alexis Busetti (MHR, MDiv) is currently pursuing a PhD in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. She hosts the That Makes Total Sense! podcast and is committed to journeying toward the heart of God, exploring his generosity and justice, seeking out how to live it every single day. Alexis lives in Houston with her husband, Seth, and their four amazing children. ABOUT Alexis Busetti

Dorcas Cheng-Tozun is an award-winning writer, editor, speaker, and nonprofit professional. She has been the editorial director of PAX, the director of communications for d.light, a social innovation instructor, and a communications consultant for social-benefit companies around the world. A Silicon Valley native, Dorcas has also lived in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Nairobi, Kenya. Dorcas and her husband have been married for nineteen years and have two sons. ABOUT Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

The post Migration: Experiencing God’s Care for Immigrants appeared first on World Relief.

When was the last time you felt overwhelmed? Last month? Last week? Yesterday? Maybe you feel overwhelmed right now. 

Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to raise your hand. But if you’ve recently felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. In a 2023 Gallup survey, 49% of U.S. Americans reported frequently experiencing stress. The American Psychological Association found that 58% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 34 felt that “most days their stress is completely overwhelming,” followed by 46% of adults aged 35 to 44. 

From devastating headlines of global crises to the struggles and heartbreaks we all face in life, the reality of living in a broken world weighs heavy today. At World Relief, we engage with the world’s greatest crises on a daily basis — and we understand. The weight of the world’s brokenness is overwhelming … if we try to bear it alone. 

In our 80+ years of experience responding to urgent crises, we’ve learned how essential it is to engage in crises, whether global or personal, in community with others and in reliance on God. As Paul writes in Galatians 6, we are meant to “carry each other’s burdens.” That’s why we are committed to working in and through local churches. 

It’s also why we’re committed to walking alongside you! Whatever circumstances you find yourself in today, we want to come alongside you as your sisters and brothers in Christ to help you face crises near and far. 

Here are 10 Bible verses for when you feel overwhelmed. We hope they encourage you and lead you to greater trust and comfort in God’s promises and presence.

Verses about God’s presence in the midst of overwhelm

Psalm 61:1-3: Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge … 

Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” 

Psalm 46:1-3: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 

Verses about God’s comfort in difficult times

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Verses about God’s promises to heal brokenness

John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

Revelation 21:3-5: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

Verses to help us respond in times of crisis

Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

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When the world feels heavy, hope still rises. Read powerful stories of compassion, courage, and community that remind us what’s possible when we show up for one another.

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Kelly Hill is a Content Manager at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences. 

The post 10 Bible Verses for When You Feel Overwhelmed appeared first on World Relief.

“Jesus Was a Refugee.” Recently, I’ve seen that message all over — on billboards, TV ads, on t-shirts, debated on social media and beyond. Much of this messaging is part of a broader campaign called He Gets Us that aims to help people recognize that Jesus was a human being who can identify with us in our humanity. 

That’s a powerful reality for the more than 32 million refugees in our world today, a number unprecedented in recorded history. Jesus “gets” them because, early in his human experience, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that he was forced to flee the threat of Herod’s persecution. He was carried by Joseph and Mary to Egypt, beyond Herod’s dominion, where they would be safe from the genocide inflicted by a jealous ruler on the little boys of Bethlehem. 

Many of today’s 32 million refugees know viscerally what it means to awaken in the middle of the night and to flee with what little they could carry, as an angel instructed Joseph to do. To feel danger just behind them. To complete a grueling journey only to arrive in a new land and a new culture with the ongoing grief of the loss of one’s homeland. Jesus presumably lived all of that in his fully human flesh as a small child. And millions today find solace in that reality. He gets them.

But was Jesus really a refugee?

We now have formal legal definitions for the term “refugee” in both U.S. and international law: refugees are those outside of their countries of origin who are unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership in a particular social group. But, of course, these definitions did not exist when the holy family made their journey.

Some, especially on social media, have vehemently insisted that Jesus was not a refugee — perhaps defensive at the implication that their preferred refugee and immigration policies to keep most, if not all, refugees out might actually have harmed the incarnate God.

But while it is clear from the biblical text that Jesus was displaced by a credible threat of persecution, it’s fair to ask just how he would fare under our contemporary policies — as theologian Glenn Butner Jr. does in a new book, Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity.

Butner argues that Jesus largely satisfies the contemporary legal definition of a refugee, but it’s debatable whether the journey to Egypt took him “outside of his country of origin,” since Egypt and Bethlehem were both part of the Roman Empire. Perhaps it’s more precise to characterize the holy family as “Internally Displaced Persons” — those, including more than 60 million people in our world today, who have been forced to flee their homes but remain within the boundaries of their countries.

Would Jesus have faced the barriers many families fleeing persecution face today? 

Perhaps Jesus was actually an asylum seeker: asylum seekers profess to meet the definition of a refugee. They say that they’re afraid of persecution on account of one of the enumerated grounds — but they’re not ensured protection under the law unless and until they have demonstrated (to the satisfaction of the governing authorities of the country where they hope to find refuge) that they indeed qualify. Sometimes they lack documentary evidence of the credibility of their fear. Would Joseph have cited an angelic message as his evidence that persecution was likely for little boys in Bethlehem? Would that have satisfied an Egyptian immigration judge?

Fortunately for our Lord and Savior and his earthly parents, there’s no evidence in the biblical text that they faced any barriers to finding refuge in Egypt. But the Gospel of Matthew gives us very few details about their experience there. We’re left to speculate: were they welcomed, seen as a potential threat or simply ignored? Did Jesus learn to speak his first words with a different accent than his parents? Did Joseph easily find work, or was he told that he would be “stealing” a job from an Egyptian carpenter?

Decades later, in one of his final sermons before his crucifixion, Jesus commends certain individuals for having welcomed him when he was a stranger. The disciples are confused: “When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?” (Matthew 25:38). They did so, Jesus says, when they welcomed one of “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus identifies himself perpetually with the vulnerable and the stranger — which, at least early in his life, he himself was.

Does Jesus’ story shape how we respond to refugees and other immigrants?

Whether Jesus would satisfy the precise legal definition of a refugee or not, what’s clear for those of us who profess to follow him today is that an unprecedented crisis of forced migration — with more than 100 million people forced from their homes, experiencing displacement similar to what Jesus experienced as a child — presents an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate love for Jesus himself.

At World Relief, it’s our great privilege to partner with local churches both across the United States and in various other parts of the world to welcome and care for refugees and others who have been displaced. From our U.S. refugee resettlement program’s foundations in the 1970s, we — and the tens of thousands of church-based volunteers who have partnered with us — have resettled more than 300,000 individuals, motivated by Jesus’ challenging words in Matthew 25. As Evelyn Mangham, the cofounder of World Relief’s refugee resettlement program said, the Christian response to an unprecedented global refugee crisis is “simple”:

“Respond to what Jesus said, that’s all: ‘I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger’ — refugee — ‘and you took me in… Inasmuch as you did unto of the least of these my brethren, you did unto me.’ It’s simple obedience.”

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Find out how World Relief Western Washington is advocating for and welcoming refugees and other vulnerable immigrants.

Myal Greene has a deep desire to see churches worldwide equipped, empowered, and engaged in meeting the needs of vulnerable families in their communities. In 2021, he became President and CEO after serving for fourteen years with the organization. While living in Rwanda for eight years, he developed World Relief’s innovative church-based programming model that is currently used in nine countries. He also spent six years in leadership roles within the international programs division. He has previous experience working with the U.S. Government. He holds B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University and an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Global Leadership. He and his wife Sharon and have three children.

The post Was Jesus a Refugee? appeared first on World Relief.

In recent months, debates around American policies towards immigrants and refugees have become increasingly divisive. With so many voices and opinions, it can be hard to cut through the noise. But as Christians, we have a powerful tool to do just that — the Bible. 

When it comes to discerning God’s heart, and how we can best align with it, we turn to Scripture. While you won’t find the words “refugee” or “immigrant” in many Bible translations, Scripture has much to say about “the foreigner,” “the sojourner” and “the stranger.” In the NIV translation, the word “foreigner” alone is mentioned over 140 times!

At World Relief, we believe the Bible gives us a clear mandate to care for, walk alongside and seek justice on behalf of refugees and other immigrants experiencing vulnerability. Here are 21 Bible verses that teach us how to respond to refugees and other immigrants. We encourage you to read them prayerfully and study them carefully as you discover God’s heart for your immigrant neighbors. 

The Bible Tells Us That “The Foreigner” is Near to God’s Heart 

In the Bible, we find many verses describing how we should treat “the foreigner,” or the immigrant, who lives in our communities. In these verses, we see that God shows special care and concern for foreigners in response to the unique vulnerabilities people face when outside their homeland. 

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:9-10

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:9-10

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. — Deuteronomy 10:18-19

I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. — Job 29:16

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. — Psalm 146:9 

In the Bible, God Himself Takes Up the Cause of Refugees and Immigrants

Throughout Scripture, God’s people are commanded to treat foreigners fairly and justly. Many of these verses speak directly to upholding the legal rights of “the foreigner,” even saying that God himself will testify against those who deprive foreigners of justice.

The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you. — Exodus 12:49 

Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other. — Zechariah 7:10

When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:33-34

The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you. — Numbers 15:15-16

And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. — Deuteronomy 1:16

Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. — Deuteronomy 24:14

Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. — Deuteronomy 24:17-18

“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” — Deuteronomy 27:19

If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. — Jeremiah 7:5-7 

This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. — Jeremiah 22:3

“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. — Malachi 3:5

You can walk alongside families forced to flee their homes.

The Bible Shows Us That Jesus Identifies With Refugees and Immigrants

John 1:14 says that in Jesus, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Strikingly, Jesus’ early life was marked by displacement when his family was forced to flee violence in their homeland and seek safety in Egypt — an experience many refugees can relate to today. As God’s embodied Word, Jesus identifies deeply with the “stranger.”

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt … — Matthew 2:13-14

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in … Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?” … The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” — Matthew 25:35-40

The Bible Describes All People as God’s Image Bearers, Created and Loved by Him

From the very beginning, the Bible tells us that God created all people in his own image. That means every person, no matter where they are from, what language they speak or what their journey has been, is loved by God and deserving of dignity. Refugees may be culturally different from those in their host community, but there is beauty, harmony and unity in difference. In these verses, we see that God himself has inspired the diversity of the earth, and that one day we will worship him alongside people of every tribe and tongue. 

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them … — Genesis 1:27-28

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. — Acts 17:26-27

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” — Revelation 7:9-10

As you can see, the Bible is full of verses that testify to God’s deep care and compassion towards “the foreigner” — those who would be described today as refugees and immigrants. If you’re like us, these verses inspire and move you to more fully reflect God’s heart towards your refugee neighbors. And that conviction is needed now more than ever. 

For many refugees, this is a critical time. As more people have been forced to flee their homes globally than ever before in history, U.S. policies are making it difficult for those at greatest risk to find safety. 

Will you join us in prayer and action on behalf of our refugee and immigrant neighbors? Click the link below to get our free prayer guide. Then, learn more ways you can help. 

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Kelly Hill is a Content Manager at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences. 

The post 21 Bible Verses About Refugees appeared first on World Relief.

Maybe you’ve heard about them on the news. Or you’ve read stories of people like Karungu, Nadiwa, and Mahasen. Perhaps you’ve even met them in your own community — refugees forced to flee their home countries due to war, persecution and violence. 

However you got here, you feel compelled to respond. You want to find ways you can help refugees. And we want to help you do just that.

For over 45 years, we’ve been connecting people like you with opportunities to walk alongside refugees and displaced people around the world. With recent cuts to federal funding for U.S., your help is needed now more than ever. Here are seven ways you can help refugees today. 

WAYS YOU CAN HELP REFUGEES 

1. Pray for Refugees

As followers of Christ, we believe prayer is an essential part of our response to suffering and a powerful act of solidarity. Join us in praying for refugees and those forced to flee their homes around the world. Pray also for leaders as they make critical decisions that impact the lives of millions of people. And pray that the church, in the spirit of Matthew 25, would rise up and respond with love and generosity towards those in need. 

To help you pray for refugees and other immigrants experiencing vulnerability, we’ve created a free prayer guide.

2. Give Monthly to Organizations Like World Relief Western Washington

Consistent, monthly giving is one of the most impactful ways to help refugees. At World Relief Western Washington, monthly donors — members of The Path — provide the steady support needed to respond during crises and walk alongside refugees in the U.S. and abroad long after the headlines fade. Your generosity helps families access housing, food, education, job training, legal services and more.

3. Raise Awareness of Important Refugee Issues

June is World Refugee Awareness Month — the perfect time to speak up, share stories and spotlight the real experiences of refugees around the world. Yet, our support for refugees shouldn’t stop here. Whether on social media, at your church or among family and friends, you can amplify refugee voices and build awareness that leads to action. 

One easy way to share the latest stories and updates is by following us on social media. You can find us on: Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

4. Volunteer Your Time and Talents

In communities across Western Washington, we rely on volunteers to welcome and walk alongside refugees and other immigrants. Volunteers help their immigrant neighbors by tutoring them in English, providing transportation, assisting with job training and more. Perhaps most importantly, volunteers can become trusted friends as they invest in mutually transformative relationships. 

Learn more about our volunteer opportunities.

5. Advocate for Compassionate Policies

At a time when support for refugee resettlement is at risk, the need for advocacy is urgent. And your voice really can make a difference. We also know contacting your representatives can feel intimidating, so we’ve created easy tools to help you speak up on important issues impacting refugees and other communities experiencing vulnerability around the world. 

Check out our latest petitions and sign-on letters, including our call-to-action tool that makes it easy for you to call your decision-makers — one of the most effective ways to advocate! 

6. Mobilize Your Local Church

On the pathway to belonging, local churches can play a crucial role in the lives of their refugee neighbors. We partner with faith communities by providing training, consultations and support as they discern how to best love and serve refugees and other immigrants. 

Learn more about how you can mobilize your local church. 

7. Stay Informed and Connected

For more ways to help refugees and others experiencing vulnerability around the world, join our mailing list! We’ll send updates on the latest opportunities and stories from our community right to your inbox.

Together, we can ensure refugee families receive the care and support they need in this critical time.

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Kelly Hill is a Content Manager at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences. 

The post 7 Ways to Help Refugees appeared first on World Relief.

by Luke Nelessen

This year has been full of so many changes for our team at World Relief Wisconsin, but I never anticipated milking a goat as part of my job. Well, that’s not quite what happened. Yet, I did milk a goat! And it was kind of related to my job. Let me explain.

Late in the spring, I heard that our Chippewa Valley team would be losing a few team members. As a regional coordinator working across the state of Wisconsin, I wondered if this would be an appropriate time to move to Eau Claire for a while. Just a month or so. Perhaps I could support the team as they transitioned to a smaller crew.

I started praying, “God, what do you think of this idea?”

When I shared the idea with Gail, our regional director, she liked the suggestion but noted that we didn’t have a budget for relocation. If I were to move, I would need to plan for rent on my own. I asked Jodi, our church and community engagement specialist in Chippewa Valley, if it would be useful if I lived in the Eau Claire area for a time. She thought it would be helpful, and she had even joked a few days prior about the idea of me moving there.

I continued praying, “God, would you provide a place?”

While I was praying, I felt a strange peace about the whole idea of moving to Chippewa Valley. I don’t usually feel that when I’m praying about the future. I’m usually prone to worry over details of plans to come. Yet, the peace felt so sure, that I started to tell people, “I’m going to be in Eau Claire for the month of June” before I even had a place to stay.

I asked others to pray.

During a monthly meeting with prayer partners across the state, I asked Julie, the one attendee this month, “Would you pray that I would find a place to stay in Eau Claire?” Then, per usual, we prayed for immigrants, World Relief, governing officials, pastors and churches.

Toward the end of prayer time, Julie’s husband joined us. When we had finished praying, Julie exchanged glances with Vince before they turned to me with big smiles, “Can you milk goats?”

God answered our prayers.

So, God provided a place for me to stay in Eau Claire in exchange for a few farm chores. My contributions on the farm are marginal and my help to the Chippewa Valley office has been modest. Amidst all the changes and uncertainty, God gave peace and provision.

P.S.  If you would like to support Julie’s goat milk soap business, check out their featured products.

Learn more about World Relief Wisconsin’s advocacy work.

Luke Nelessen serves as the advocacy coordinator for World Relief Wisconsin, encouraging church leaders to follow Jesus’ teachings and seek justice and mercy for the vulnerable and suffering.

The post God’s Provision in Uncertainty appeared first on World Relief.

In recent months, debates around American policies towards immigrants and refugees have become increasingly divisive. With so many voices and opinions, it can be hard to cut through the noise. But as Christians, we have a powerful tool to do just that — the Bible. 

When it comes to discerning God’s heart, and how we can best align with it, we turn to Scripture. While you won’t find the words “refugee” or “immigrant” in many Bible translations, Scripture has much to say about “the foreigner,” “the sojourner” and “the stranger.” In the NIV translation, the word “foreigner” alone is mentioned over 140 times!

At World Relief, we believe the Bible gives us a clear mandate to care for, walk alongside and seek justice on behalf of refugees and other immigrants experiencing vulnerability. Here are 21 Bible verses that teach us how to respond to refugees and other immigrants. We encourage you to read them prayerfully and study them carefully as you discover God’s heart for your immigrant neighbors. 

Want to learn more about refugees? Read the stories of refugees like Karungu, Nadiwa and Farrah. 

The Bible Tells Us That “The Foreigner” is Near to God’s Heart 

In the Bible, we find many verses describing how we should treat “the foreigner,” or the immigrant, who lives in our communities. In these verses, we see that God shows special care and concern for foreigners in response to the unique vulnerabilities people face when outside their homeland. 

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:9-10

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:9-10

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. — Deuteronomy 10:18-19

I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. — Job 29:16

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. — Psalm 146:9 

In the Bible, God Himself Takes Up the Cause of Refugees and Immigrants

Throughout Scripture, God’s people are commanded to treat foreigners fairly and justly. Many of these verses speak directly to upholding the legal rights of “the foreigner,” even saying that God himself will testify against those who deprive foreigners of justice.

The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you. — Exodus 12:49 

Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other. — Zechariah 7:10

When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:33-34

The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you. — Numbers 15:15-16

And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. — Deuteronomy 1:16

Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. — Deuteronomy 24:14

Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. — Deuteronomy 24:17-18

“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” — Deuteronomy 27:19

If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. — Jeremiah 7:5-7 

This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. — Jeremiah 22:3

“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. — Malachi 3:5

You can walk alongside families forced to flee their homes.

The Bible Shows Us That Jesus Identifies With Refugees and Immigrants

John 1:14 says that in Jesus, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Strikingly, Jesus’ early life was marked by displacement when his family was forced to flee violence in their homeland and seek safety in Egypt — an experience many refugees can relate to today. As God’s embodied Word, Jesus identifies deeply with the “stranger.”

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt … — Matthew 2:13-14

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in … Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?” … The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” — Matthew 25:35-40

The Bible Describes All People as God’s Image Bearers, Created and Loved by Him

From the very beginning, the Bible tells us that God created all people in his own image. That means every person, no matter where they are from, what language they speak or what their journey has been, is loved by God and deserving of dignity. Refugees may be culturally different from those in their host community, but there is beauty, harmony and unity in difference. In these verses, we see that God himself has inspired the diversity of the earth, and that one day we will worship him alongside people of every tribe and tongue. 

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them … — Genesis 1:27-28

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. — Acts 17:26-27

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” — Revelation 7:9-10

As you can see, the Bible is full of verses that testify to God’s deep care and compassion towards “the foreigner” — those who would be described today as refugees and immigrants. If you’re like us, these verses inspire and move you to more fully reflect God’s heart towards your refugee neighbors. And that conviction is needed now more than ever. 

For many refugees, this is a critical time. As more people have been forced to flee their homes globally than ever before in history, U.S. policies are making it difficult for those at greatest risk to find safety. 

Will you join us in prayer and action on behalf of our refugee and immigrant neighbors? Click the link below to get our free prayer guide. Then, learn more ways you can help. 

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Kelly Hill is a Content Manager at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences. 

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