.
In June of 1995, I was sitting in a make-shift refugee camp in Osijek, Croatia, filled with refugees from Bosnia who had lost everything in the war. It was here that God first impressed upon my heart the reality that in a world where man has turned from God there will continue to be hatred, oppression and violence of all kind that leads to many vulnerable and needy left in distress. And as God’s people we get the privilege of entering into His grand plan of redemption and are able to be His expression of love and mercy by reaching out and entering into their suffering and meeting needs.
A refugee is someone who flees their own land to a place of shelter and safety because of persecution and threat to life. God’s people have known them as the strangers and aliens among you. God made it clear that from the beginning those who know and walk with Him would recognize the special place they have in His heart. God’s people were once oppressed by human leaders—God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.(Deuteronomy 10:17-18)— God has also instructed us that we are to love them in the sense of being willing to work for their well-being even if it means sacrificing our well-being to that end. Jesus also told us that He is in the person of the stranger among us and to love them is to love Him— For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. (Matthew 23:25)
God’s plans are perfect, He has orchestrated that our government leaders would invite many refugees from all corners of the earth to come and find refuge and shelter in our country, among us. Today, the refugees among us are in deep distress. They have left difficult lives and much pain with hope of a new start. But instead they face hopelessness as most are not able to find work in our current economic situation. Basic needs such as housing and clothing are lacking and the essential tools to help them survive here, like help with language and job training are deficient.
The A2J community has recently acquired a 4-unit property and in partnership with the International Rescue Committee offering affordable housing to refugees. The property is right in the middle of our community and we look forward to building relationships with our new refugee friends as we help them in this crucial transition period. We will help them in areas such as; how to work their appliances, how to use public transportation, language acquisition and other fundamental areas that are needed for them to succeed in life here. We plan to invite them into our daily life; of eating, praying, studying, and serving together. We believe as we serve them and enter into each other’s lives they will encounter the living Jesus in us. We also know God has much to teach us through them and this is a crucial element in God’s purpose.
God has a great plan in bringing thousands of refugees to Phoenix every year. We are actively asking God to allow us to partner with Him. We know that God’s heart is near the broken and needy and that when we enter into this we most authentically enter into the heart and purposes of God. We also know that God has called us into a revolution of proclaiming the Good News of a new kind of life found in Jesus to every nation— people of every kind—and they are now more and more coming to us.
Recently the property was vandalized and most of the windows and doors were broken, on top of this there are other repairs needed to make this an amazing living environment. We are inviting our friends, and family to join us in this ministry. One way to do this is by donating money and/or your time for the work and repairs. We are estimating that the work needed to be done will cost between $5000 and $7000 depending on how many volunteers who donate their time. We are setting aside Saturday March 21st and Saturday March 28th as work days for the house. We need all kind of help from the unskilled to the skilled. Would you consider donating money and/or time? Financial gifts can be made out to Antioch Network and mailed to the AN office: PMB # 149, 9524 W. Camelback RD.; Ste 130, Glendale Arizona 85305. Please mark refugee property in the memo. You will receive a tax donation for all gifts. Please contact me via email or phone if you have any further questions and also please contact me if you plan on donating time or money. Thanks!
We are grateful,
Ryan & Noleen Thurman
ryanmthurman@yahoo.com cell # 602-791-4892
Here is a list of things that need to be done to the property:
Refugee Property
- 3 AC units serviced
- Water heater installed
- Dry wall work (hole in wall)
- Door frame repaired (from door being kicked in)
- Ceiling fans installed
- Light fixtures fixed
- Windows replaced (12 of them)
- Doors replaced (7 of them interior and exterior)
- Interior painting
- Exterior painting
- Toilet(s) replaced
- Bathroom sink replaced
- Outside motion lights installed
- Insulation added to attic
- Interior cleaning
- Landscape work
- Weed pulling
- Fixing watering system
- Thinning out cactus population
- Trimming trees and bushes
- Insect spraying
