Ordinary Eve
Refugees
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy”. (Proverbs 31, v 9)
“Do not ill-treat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt”. (Exodus 22, v 21)
Do you ever listen to the news and wish you hadn’t? The other day I switched the radio on while dozing in bed - trying to put off getting up. The newsreader/harbinger of doom announced there had been another earthquake in Indonesia and a young girl had been raped in her bed. My immediate response was to pull the duvet over my head and try not to think about it, but the first thing I should have done was pray.
Head in the sand
How many of us Christians have our heads in the sand (or under the duvet in my case) when it comes to what is going on in the world? The sheer scale of the suffering can be so depressing that sometimes we would rather not know about it. And what about all the stories that have gone out of the news, that no-one on TV seems to mention anymore? What happens to the African farmers affected by climate change, the children who are the victims of AIDS and the people who have become refugees as a result of a war?
Serbia
I have just come back from a 10 day trip to Serbia with a Christian organisation called Oak Hall. They have been making regular trips there since the early '90s and have witnessed the carnage caused by the Balkans Wars and the NATO bombing.
Just to give some background, Serbia has 275,000 refugees, who were forced to move from other parts of Yugoslavia such as Croatia and Bosnia, plus there are 220,000 internally displaced persons, mainly from Kosovo (Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees www.unhcr.ch). Yet before booking my place, I really hadn’t paid much attention to the refugee problem in that part of Europe. The Balkans War had been eclipsed in my mind by more recent conflicts.
Trauma that doesn't end
Oak Hall takes aid out for refugees living in the north of the country around Belgrade and Novi Sad. These people are living in poverty after fleeing their homes and leaving their land, animals and jobs. As if the trauma of war not bad enough, most of the ones that we visited still have not been re-housed or sent home after 6-10 years. The Serbian government has provided some ‘temporary’ accommodation e.g. a former psychiatric hospital where dozens of families live together cheek-by-jowl.
The refugees we met were gracious and generous, often inviting us back into their one-roomed homes for coffee. As I sat trying to converse, I realised that a family of 7 was living in a space smaller than my bedroom. If it were not for Oak Hall and other Christian organisations, these people would be virtually forgotten about.
Sacrifices
Oak Hall have also set up a Bible School in Belgrade to train Serbs in theology, evangelism and church-planting. It was such a privilege to meet these students and to accompany them on visits to the refugee centres. Most Serbs are poor by European standards so to go into unpaid Christian work is quite a sacrifice. Their passion for telling people about Jesus and the vision they have is really inspiring, and I realised that each one of these students has a Godly call for their life.
Encouragement and positivity
So what are the positives from going on a short trip like this? Speaking from my own experience, it has opened my eyes to a situation and I can now help raise awareness in the UK. I can pray for specific issues and encourage others to do so. Although meeting these people was humbling and distressing at times, I returned home encouraged rather than depressed. The Gospel is being preached over there and Christians are making a difference. It has given me a fresh perspective on my own circumstances and made me more willing to give. If anyone would like to find out more about going to Serbia or how to help please contact Oak Hall on office@oakhall.co.uk.
Ideas on how to become more informed, or rather -
“ don’t just sit there – do something!”:
Pick up The Rough Guide to a Better World – a free booklet available in UK Post Offices. It is an excellent source of information on development work, fair trade, volunteering and charitable giving.As well as newspapers, read magazines that highlight issues and countries that have gone out of the news e.g. The New Internationalist, Christianity, and Tear Times.Support your church’s missionaries by reading their newsletters and praying for them.
