This image is licensed under Creative Commons License.In the spring of 2011 the Arab world underwent extraordinary unrest and revolution. Historians have entitled this revolution, "The Arab Spring."
During this time many Arab countries including Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen replaced their governments with a new democracy. Other countries reacted in protest and demonstrations. The worse country affected by the unrest was Syria.
The Arab Spring uprisings inspired protests in Syria, followed by Syrian Army intervention. As Syria descended into civil war, it becomes quickly divided into a complex patchwork of shifting alliances and territories between the Assad government, rebel groups, ethnic groups, and Islamic extremists. US and Russia supported confliction allegiances, which escalated the disorder in the region. Taking advantage of the chaos, various rival extremist groups added to the disaster resulting an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Following the extensive destruction of their country, Syrians were forced to flee their homeland for survival. Fleeing the Arab world many refugees have risked their lives in search of a better life.
The UN Refugee Agency has reported, “We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 21.3 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.”
Millions of these refugees have ended up in refugee camps. With Europe and the western countries feeling they are at a saturation point with receiving the refugees, countless lives have ended up stuck in massive refugee camps.
There contrasted by pain of broken lives and new religious freedoms many of these refugees are seeking for more than just a new life and a new home. Miraculously thousands have now turned to Jesus Christ!
A Day of Opportunity
Without a question the influx of these refugees is stressing the western world. News reports are full of reports of how this crisis is harming the western world. It is not the intent of Sharing His Harvests ministries to contest or support these reports.
For us we see it as a golden opportunity to share Jesus Christ. When the history of the Church is told, what will our children read that was the of the church’s response to this international crisis. By far the Muslim world represents the largest unreached people group on earth. For centuries the Church has been slow in evangelizing the Islamic word. Could it be that God, in His desire for these people to be reached, has now started bringing them to us?
Winston Churchill once said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” The entire world recognizes this refugee crisis as the largest humanitarian catastrophe of the century. We believe It’s up to the church to seize this opportunity for the glory of God.
Do something!
In sizing this opportunity for Christ, the ministry of Sharing His Harvests has felt the call to send a family to Greece to work with directly he Refugees. (For the purpose of international anonymity the name and picture of the family is not mentioned here.)
This family will be working directly with the refugees in Greece in one of the largest refugee camps. In addition to a very demanding schedule of providing humanitarian aid in the camp, this family will also have the opportunity to minister to many of the new believers. Over 100 have been converted from this camp alone.
Sending a family will allow a ministry to the various needs of the refugee families. From acting as house parents to the large volunteer staff, to playing games with the refugee children, our missionary family will be providing many crucial roles.
