Today, on World Refugee Day, we reflect on the 26 million refugees around the world, forced to leave places like Syria, Iraq, Myanmar, Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. Hearing about global unrest can make us feel hopeless and helpless, but when we narrow our focus onto individual stories, we can clearly see God’s hand at work.
Since South Sudan’s civil war began in 2013, four million people have been driven from their homes, and two million refugees have sought shelter in settlements in surrounding countries. With thousands living in each of these settlements, refugees face long waits for treatment. Each year, Dr. Katie, a medical doctor, medical school professor and Global Teams field partner, takes a medical and evangelical team to serve the refugees living in these settlements.
In May 2019, Dr. Katie’s team returned to a settlement they previously visited. In 2018, Dr. Katie’s team treated Samuel, a teenage refugee suffering from several tropical illnesses. When the team returned to the camp this May, they saw Samuel, who is now not only healthy, but a follower of Christ. The team had also prayed with and provided routine medical care for a woman who had been struggling with infertility. During this return trip, the team met the answer to the woman’s prayers– a beautiful, healthy baby boy!
Dr. Katie’s team provided care to 3,500 patients each day for four days. The team treated 1,000 for malaria, dewormed 800, and treated 900 for ulcers and stomach distress. Daniel, a medical student, met with an elderly woman suffering from pain as a result of complicated medical issues. Daniel was unsure of the best treatment for her, so he prayed. The woman’s pain was immediately relieved! The woman then asked Daniel to pray with her family members, and about 15 gave their lives to Christ. Dr. Katie notes, “Even Jesus prayed as he was healing people. The power of prayer was evident throughout this mission!“
You don’t have to travel across an ocean to get involved with refugees. Global Teams has refugee ministries in Florida, Minnesota and Maine. If you live in Central Florida, email Gabriel Ipasu at gabrielipasu@gmail.com. For other locations in the United States, email us at contactGT@global-teams.org for more information.
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