Alongside Refugees

JUNE 26, 2023   |   3.5 MINUTE READ
MARTHA RITCHIE, MISSIONARY IN VIRGINIA

“Turn left,” Nadira* tells me. So I turn left down the hallway. “Go downstairs,” she says when we come to the stairs; then, when I reach the bottom of the stairs, she says, “turn right.” I follow her directions as she speaks them. We take turns doing this to learn many actions and words.

For a native English speaker, these might seem like simple directions. But for Nadira, who had begun learning English only a few months before the exercise, this was huge.

The Call to Help Refugees

When Samaritan’s Purse put out the call to local churches, asking for volunteers to sponsor Afghan refugees in the area, I immediately wanted to get involved. I imagined what a difficult cultural transition it would be to move from Afghanistan to America under such difficult circumstances. As a missionary who served in Kenya for six years, I have such a heart for people moving to a new country and trying to learn the culture and language, because I have experienced that firsthand. I wanted to help however I could.

Thinking Outside the Box

The church I partnered with had seven other volunteers, but no one to teach English. Although I didn’t have any formal training in  English as a Second Language (ESL), I had been trained in how to learn a language prior to going to serve in Chogoria, Kenya. There was no language school in Chogoria, so we sought to establish one. This would allow our missionaries to learn the language in the community they would be serving. Two missionaries who were trained in the Growing Participator’s Approach to language learning came to Chogoria and trained local Kenyans in how to teach Kiswahili to missionaries using these methods. They have trained many missionaries since that time.

We took those same methods I had learned in Chogoria and adapted them to teaching English to our Afghan friends. We also found that entire lesson plans had been shared by SIL.org to teach English to newcomers. It can be found on their website and used by anyone to help others learn English, and it is especially helpful from day one. This method uses a lot of props, pictures, and actions to teach, such as plastic animals, household items, and going outside when learning words connected to nature. If  you move your body while you’re learning, you learn much more quickly.

Working with Nadira

One of our students is a refugee named Nadira. As we started working with her, we quickly realized that God supernaturally gifted her to learn languages. She learned the entire English alphabet in three weeks while in a refugee camp, then learned how to read words in English in another three-week period at a second refugee camp. It has been really fun to teach her English, and it makes me wonder what God is up to  with Nadira because she has these giftings.

Nadira has become more than a student to us; she’s a friend. We’ve shared our cultures with each other. We’ve taught each other how to cook different dishes. We’ve talked about Christmas and Ramadan. I want to share the hope of Jesus with Nadira and be the friend that she will call when she needs someone. She’s taught me so much about loving others and being the body of Christ.

The language difference isn’t the only barrier refugees like Nadira face. There are a million ways to minister to these families, from picking them up from the airport and helping them get social security cards to taking them to get their hair cut or to the grocery store. The eight of us volunteers are just looking for ways to walk alongside refugees as they adapt to life in America.

Why Are You Doing This?

I still remember one woman I met at J1 Cafe, so named for the work/study J1 Visa many international students come to America with. In our region, different churches come together each week and provide a meal every Tuesday night for 100–300 summer international workers from around the world. One night, I ended up sitting by a woman from Romania. I was telling her all about the area and told her that I’d be glad to help her if she had any questions. “I do have one question,” she said. “Why are you doing this?”

“Well,” I said, “because I’m a follower of Jesus. Jesus says for us to love our neighbors, and you’re here. You’re our neighbor. And we just want to show you the love of Jesus.”

My kids have talked about how nervous they feel at these dinners, walking into a room full of people they don’t know. “I feel that every week, too,” I tell them. “But if you just walk through the discomfort, soon you’ll be sitting across the table from a friend, not a stranger. And you’ll get to have conversations you’d never get to have if you didn’t walk through that front door.”

The advice I give my kids is the same advice I’d give anyone who wants to reach others with Christ’s love: don’t wait until you’re comfortable. Be open to the opportunities God may place in front of you, whether or not you feel qualified to fill them. And when you find yourself standing outside a room of strangers, remember, they’re only strangers on the outside. Once you walk inside, you’ll find a room full of friends.

*name changed for security

ACTION STEPS

PRAY: Lift up the many Afghan refugees who are still transitioning into American culture. Pray that God will help them to form life-giving relationships with people who can help ease that transition, and that He will comfort them during a season of unrest.

GO: Want to help refugees in the States? Don’t wait until you’re comfortable; step out in faith, knowing that God can use your skills and passions for His glory.

Check out the following opportunities:

• Assist with refugee resettlement
• Help adults gain their U.S. citizenship
• Teach English as a second language
• Work in an all-female gym
• Work in a thrift store

Author Bio: Martha Ritchie and her husband, Jim, served in Chogoria, Kenya, for six years in medical missions and member health before transitioning into roles with WGM’s Member Health team and Medsend, respectively. They are passionate about caring for missionaries both on the field and retired. Since returning to the U.S., they have been thrilled that the mission field has come to their communities They are delighted to be able to be near their four daughters, one daughter-in-law, and their two sons while still serving in missions in their own backyard and abroad.