Month: May 2018

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Grief

There are some days that grief comes in this work.  I received a message over the weekend from one our pastor friends in a refugee camp.  His sister-in-law and her family had been deliberately burned to death in their dwelling in the country from which my friend and his family had run.  

A country in Europe is drafting laws that would make it a crime, including jail time, for giving a cup of water or a sandwich to an asylum seeker in this country.

In our own country, we are separating children from their parents at the border and apparently losing track of where some of the children have been placed.  Many of these coming across the border are fleeing for their lives from violence and murder in the countries from which they come.

All these could be politicized.  That is not my intent.  I grieve that we have lost touch with the fact that all these are real people, created in the image of God, the same as you and I.  

Lord, have mercy.  

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Privacy

Privacy is the word this month.  With the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) going into effect tomorrow, everyone is scrambling to update their privacy policies.  And of course, IAFR is no exception. 

My job for the day was putting the finishing touches on our new and updated Privacy Policy.  Not exciting work but required work so everyone in IAFR can keep carrying out our vital mission. 

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TED


(photo by Tom Albinson/IAFR)

One of our IAFR convictions are that refugees are more than people in need.  In fact they have much to contribute and are people from whom we can learn.  This has certainly been true in my IAFR journey.

I am so excited that others are discovering the same thing.  A friend of mine posted a link this morning that announced that a TEDx gathering will be taking place in Kakuma Refugee Camp next month.  If you are unfamiliar with TED Talks, they are short, powerful talks (less than 20 minutes) on a variety of topics, shared at events around the world and online.  I have been a fan of Ted Talks for a number of years, finding them a great source of learning, encouragement, and challenge.

Kakuma Refugee Camp, one of the locations where IAFR serves, currently hosts more than 185,000 refugees from numerous countries.  The speakers for this event will be current and former refugees and others who are interested in impacting the refugee situation.  The event will be live streamed and I plan to watch. 

If you are interested in finding out more about this event, you can find it here.

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Knowledge

I have many opportunities to talk about my work with IAFR.  When people find out what I do,  they are often naturally curious about the refugee situation and how IAFR is working in that space. Many are not aware of or are misinformed about the issues.

Someone once said that knowledge is power, which is one of the reasons that we created the IAFR Toolbox.  This may sound like an advertisement (okay maybe it is a little) but the Toolbox is a great resource to increase your knowledge about the millions of people who have suffered displacement.  And knowledge can often lead to action.

Check out the IAFR Toolbox here.  And let me know if you have questions or feel free to share in the comments what stood out to you.

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Board

 (sorry Kristel…I don’t have a picture with you in it yet)

Once a month by video conference and once a year in person, the women and men of the IAFR US Board meet together.  These are people committed to the vision, mission, and integrity of IAFR.

Yesterday was our monthly board meeting, a fitting end to a week of meetings that led to refocusing, encouragement, and renewal.  I am grateful for these women and men who bring their experience, energy, insight, and support to the work of IAFR.  Thank you for all that you bring to this vital work!!

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Connecting

Wrapping up my time in Minneapolis IAFR office.  One of the highlights of today, was connecting with some of our teammates around the world.  We have a once a month IAFR video call for all that are able to join us.  Hearing updates, communicating organizational happenings, and praying together is always so encouraging. 

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Whiteboard

A big part of leadership, is discerning the direction to go and then moving people, resources, etc in that direction….going from “here to there”.  I actually like both parts; the discerning and the moving.  I also like whiteboards to try to capture thoughts, ideas, and direction.

That is what this week is about, as the IAFR US Executive team and the Service team meet in Minneapolis…discerning, planning, and moving.  I am also reminded this morning, as we jump into day 2, that this is not a frivolous exercise.  We are talking about millions of people who have been forcibly displaced.  People who are desperate for hope.  The challenges are large and the obstacles  many.  

But we have a big God and a great global team.

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Next Week


High speed internet access and close to an airport. That was my agreement when I joined IAFR nearly 4 years ago. I appreciated the opportunity to work remotely from home and not disrupt the family with a move at that point. And four years later, I still do.

But early Monday morning, I will make my way to the airport and head to the IAFR US office in Minneapolis for the week. There is much we can do through video chatting, messaging, and email. But there are some times you need to be in the same room, face to face, with a whiteboard in front of you. This is one of those times and I am really looking forward to it!!

Prayers appreciated for wisdom, clear thinking, and spirit-led discussions.

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Stuck

This week, I received this message from one of the people I have connected with in Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi.

“I still survive in Dzaleka refugee camp with my family. My prayer request to you is to help my family to leave this camp because we have many problems from home country until now.” 

A refugee camp, by nature, is to be a temporary place.  Yet, people are often displaced more than 10 years, and often 20 or more years.  If you are a praying person, would you pray for strength and comfort for those stuck in a “temporary” space and that solutions might be found.

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Gathering

Today I am thinking about our team scattered around the world and in North America.  We now have over twenty team members giving themselves in service to those who have been forcibly displaced. Each one is having a significant impact in their locations. 

We gather our team together each year for a few days of refreshment, spiritual encouragement, training, learning, and connecting with each other.  Our gathering this year will take place in August, just south of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

So today I am working on some of the details of the IAFR Annual Conference.  And I am having lunch with our Spiritual Director for the week, my good friend Pastor Marty Hunt, to discuss his role with us.  I am already excited about August.