Tag: IAFR Canada

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2020 IAFR Conference

A view of some of the participants in the online version of the 2020 IAFR Conference – photo: Tim Barnes, IAFR

It wasn’t the context we wanted. Many of us were grieving that we were unable to meet in-person…we weren’t able to give a hug, take a walk, share a meal…the list goes on.

But we pulled it off. More than 40 of us from across the globe met a few hours each day this week. We listened to those who carry the story of forced displacement. Reports were given about what God is doing around the IAFR world. Meeting in breakout groups, we shared, listened and prayed. And through the presentations and bonus sessions, we became better “reflective practitioners”.

Here’s hoping that we can gather together next year. In the meantime, my friends and colleagues, show up each day to help people survive and recover from forced displacement and keep on being “rebels for the kingdom”.

What a great few days!

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Mondays

IAFR Leadership Team (Tom Albinson – US, Tim Barnes – US, Laura Dobrowlski – Canada, Rob Perry – Canada) – Photo Credit – IAFR

After a week of meetings near Minneapolis with our Canadian colleagues and then a weekend that saw 12-14 inches of snow in our Central Illinois area, Monday was a day to dig out…literally and figuratively.  Mondays also means connecting with the IAFR Service team, the small group of people who serve the organization and its members.  As we met today in our online call, updates were shared, as well as burdens and challenges.  Our call also provided a time to declare our weekly priorities and where we might need input or help from one another.

There are a lot of balls in the air, such as responding to inquiries about IAFR, helping with projects that are being launche, providing training for new staff, preparing for travel to ministry sites or to present at gatherings…just to name a few.  2019 is off to a fast and good start.

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A New Year

It’s a new year and I am working on ramping up my IAFR blog.  Most of my December was spent in a cold and flu-induced fog, leading to a lost month.  But I’m back and ready to push into all the opportunities and challenges that a turn of the year provides.

So this week finds me near Farmington, Minnesota, in meetings with the leadership of IAFR Canada.  Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center (the picture is from this past August), is like a second home for IAFR US.  It’s our go-to venue for conferences and off-site meetings.  The facility provides a wonderful setting to work through all the ins and outs of working internationally to help people survive and recover from forced displacement.  The displacement challenges continue to heat up around the world and close to home.  

We believe that IAFR is uniquely positioned to be a conduit of hope and help.  Pray for us as we plan, listen, and work together to respond to all that God is calling us to do!

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Canada

Sharing a meal with friends at a transitional home for asylum seekers – photo credit – IAFR

The time with our Canadian colleagues was very productive last week.   In the midst of reporting and planning, excellent times of prayer and personal sharing also took place.  Part of our time was spent envisioning what IAFR might look like 3, 5, or 10 years from now.  At the speed of our world, that is not an easy exercise.

But I have to say that the best part of our time up North, was our dinner on Thursday evening.  We gathered at a transitional home for those who are seeking asylum in Canada.  Current and former residents joined us for a wonderful meal of Persian food.  Together, we were people from Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sudan, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.  It was such a rich time of fun, conversation, and hope.

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Travel Day

Today is a travel day.  Tom Albinson and I are headed to Toronto for the next couple of days to meet with our colleagues at IAFR Canada.  We, together with the leadership of IAFR Canada form the IAFR International Roundtable, which meets in person twice a year and monthly by video call.  

The next two days will be spent in prayer, reporting, planning, and working on those things that help IAFR better carry out our mission.  Prayers appreciated.