The Beach. The Camp. The Community.

The Europe Refugee Crisis has been marked by three stark images; the beach, the camp, the community. People arrive at the beach. They are then moved to a camp. Finally, they are integrated into the community. These three phases help us better minister to refugees:

The Beach

The beach is a short but critical period. It is the moment of first contact. People are terrified, shocked, or dazed. Physical needs are paramount. They may be wet, tired, hungry, or dehydrated. Some may even need immediate medical attention. How do you respond? Knowing a few simple things can help you step into a “beach” situation with confidence and make a positive impact on lives that desperately need help. At the beach, working with relief organizations and effectively networking with ministry partners is critical.

The Camp

After landing on the beach, people are typically moved to a camp to await resolution of their situation. Though the appearance of camp varies by location, the term encompasses any place or situation where refugees anchor while their status is finalized. The camp can vary in terms of the amount of time. At this point, imminent danger of death has passed, but it remains critical to understand what is involved in this step. Many well-intentioned but misinformed Evangelicals were banned from refugee sites because they did not clearly understand the dynamics of this stage in refugee resettlement.

During the Europe Refugee Crisis, temporary solutions ranged from government-sponsored, well-prepared facilities to open areas equipped with tents. For those not in government-sponsored sites, the camp may have been an abandoned dwelling where refugees moved in and began living. Regardless of the situation, no one wants to be in a camp. They want to spend as little time there as is necessary, yet all refugees have a great deal of unstructured time when in camp.

The Community

Community refers to the integration of refugees into the local community after moving beyond the camp. At this point refugees have attained legal recognition, need to learn the national language, and get on with “living.” Though still processing their past, they understand they need help to move on in the future. This phase presents a unique opportunity for churches. All over Europe, churches have been revitalized by deciding to engage with nearby refugee populations.

Craig and Dana Mathison started in missions in 1985. They currently serve in the North Atlantic and Canada area.

Ready. Set. Go! National Church Leadership. . . Prepare For The Unexpected

You get word that your country is on the cusp of crisis. Perhaps a thousand migrants will cross your border by morning. Are you prepared to respond?

In 2015, we found ourselves in this very situation. As workers in North Macedonia, our mandate was to work with the national church to plant more churches. That year, migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran crossed into Macedonia, traveling poorly highways and carrying all that remained of their worldly belongings. Our focus had to change. We teamed up with the national church to provide food, clothes, water, and spiritual guidance. A response team was formed, though they struggled to stay on top of the situation. The number of migrants and the sheer volume of needs were overwhelming. For a year, we were all overworked and under-managed and were not as effective as we might have been. It was necessary to be constantly available for problem-solving, ministry, and crisis intervention. We did our best while ministering in a chaotic situation.

Crises often occur with little or no warning, and the result is chaos on every level. But this should not keep us from responding. We learn things that will help us in the future when something on this scale reoccurs. We want to be able to tap into all available resources, assets, and possible sources of leadership with expertise in crisis management.

Now we are working to improve the system by intentionally building solid relationships with the pastors and national church leaders. Because we have taken the initiative to build deep relationships with the pastors and leaders of the national church, they now see us as trustworthy and capable. This relationship has given us a seat at the table in planning for the next crisis. As we express concerns about possible scenarios that might develop, our insights are values and acted upon. We have been invited to join the national response team to plan and prepare together. This cooperative relationship allows each group to bring their greatest strength to the planning process. We are working together to be ready for the unexpected and to prepare a basic response plan that can be acted on whenever the need arises.

Tim Bentley first came to North Macedonia as a short termer. He and his wife, Elle, returned as a career missionaries and were there in 2015 when over one million refugees passed through.

Healing Grace

Last month, Aidan came home upset, telling us that a girl in his 4th grade class had been hospitalized due to a strange virus which in the span of one day had paralyzed her legs. In our family time that night, we prayed for her healing. The next morning, the girl’s mom wrote in the parents’ group chat that at the exact moment we were praying, all the strength, “miraculously” came back into her daughter’s legs.

When I told the mom about how we had prayed for her daughter, she said she doesn’t believe in God, but that even the doctors couldn’t explain what had happened. In fact, her “paralyzed” daughter had jumped out of bed and walked down the hall to the nurses’ station, shocking them all! Praise God that his grace is abundant and not just to the ones who kneel.

Charles & Amanda Gravely and their children, Aiden, Gabriel, and Theo serve as missionaries in Belgium.

The Light We Carry | Join the Movement | Edition 30

*Shelby works with Students for Christ (SFC) which is similar to Chi Alpha (XA) in the US, a university outreach organization.*

As I witness lives being transformed, the cost continues to seem smaller and smaller. Who was I to keep the good news I received on Iowa State’s campus to myself? I was reminded recently why He has broken my heart for Europe and the call in which we all carry to be a light in the darkness.

A few weeks ago, I had one of our SFC girls tell me, "You probably don’t realize from being surrounded by light in XA and etc how much light you carry, but that’s not something I had ever seen in Europe (because all she’s witnessed is darkness) and if you didn’t come then I or people who are meeting you now may have never experienced it.” She went on to tell me from being a witness of Jesus in my life and in our SFC team that she has received that “light." She feels a call to take it with her to everyone she meets as well.

Walking in obedience with Jesus could not be sweeter! I feel so honored to partner with Him, taking His light and love to those who have had not witnessed it before.

Let's pray into Luke 10:2, "He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field..."

If you are interested to carry your light to Europe please email our pipeline rep at: europepipeline@ag.org.