Helping people survive and recover from forced displacement

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Photo: A boy outside of his tent in Kakuma refugee camp

IAFR is a Chris an missions a ency workin interna onally to help people survive and recover from forced dis-placement. We do this in partnership with the Church as she has a unique and cri cal role to play in the lobal refu ee crisis. We also stren then re ional and lobal networks that seek the welfare of refu ees. Several of our staff serve in unpaid leadership roles with World Evan elical Alliance, the Global Diaspora Network of the Lausanne Movement and the Refu ee Hi hway Partnership.

White dots = Ac ve IAFR ministry loca ons

We live in a me of great upheaval. The world has not seen so many forcibly displaced peo-ple since World War II. Their numbers grow as people con nue to fl ee hatred and violence (e.g. wars, failed states, persecu on and gross viola ons of human rights). Solu ons to dis-placement remain elusive.

Some people consider refugees and asylum seekers to be a threat. Others see opportunity to exploit them for fi nancial or poli cal gain. Many view them as people to be pi ed.

We believe that they are our fellow human beings, made in the image of God, spilling out of the deepest and darkest wounds in the world today. And while they are vulnerable, they are more than people in need.

This is the mission fi eld of IAFR. We call it the Refugee Highway - the well-worn routes peo-ple travel in search of sa ey and peace.

We partner with refugees in ways that affi rm dignity and demonstrate respect while helping them survive and recover from forced dis-placement.

We partner with the Church in ways that break the isola on of refugees and extend hospitality, hope and healing.

I am most grateful for every prayer, dona on, volunteer and missionary that joins with us in pursuing this urgent mission.

all for one.Tom Albinson, President, IAFR

Our Mission on the Refugee Highway

“I was robbed o place.” Her eyes swelled with tears as the asylum-seekin Chris an Somali mother spoke of her profound loss. She has spent the past 20 years tryin to fi nd a place in the world that she can call home.

Solu ons to forced displacement are hard to fi nd. By no fault of their own, refu ees are o en dependent upon humanitarian a encies to meet their essen al needs for shelter, water, food and medical care. Yet even when these needs are met, they o en feel that they’ve been stripped of di nity and stru le to keep hope alive.

Humanitarian a encies acknowled e that they are not well equipped to restore di nity and create hope. Yet these needs are as essen al to life as the air we breathe. It’s hard to keep breathin without them.

This is the mission of IAFR - to help people survive and recover from forced displacement by restorin di nity and stren thenin hope.

We believe that the church is called by God to play an important role in the world’s escala n refu ee crisis by fulfi llin her divine mandate to love the orei ner (Levi cus 19:34) and welcome the stran er (Ma hew 25:34-36).

A worldview that includes the belief that God sees, hears and cares for us is essen al to hope. The Church proclaims Jesus as the ul mate expression of this reality.

Churches are already established alon much of the Refu ee Hi hway. At their best, these communi es of faith, hope and healin embody exactly what is need-ed to help refu ees recover and rebuild their lives.

The IAFR Con nuum o Response (le ) iden fi es six ways churches can help restore di nity, stren then hope and help people recover from forced displace-ment.

Biblical Perspec veFrom the divine banishment of Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23,24) to the fi nal book of the Bible penned by John while in exile on the island of Patmos, stories of forced displacement run throu hout Scrip-ture.

The forei ner is o en men oned in the Bible to ether with the fatherless and the widow - vulnerable people for whom God deeply cares. What forei ner is most like the widow and the fatherless, if not the refu ee?

God’s word repeatedly calls us to love and care for refu ees in tan ible ways. We are to be sure that their needs for shelter, food, and clothin are met. We are to extend hospitality and seek jus ce on their behalf as well.

Poli cal persecu on forced Jesus and his fam-ily to fl ee in the ni ht to E ypt when he was a youn child. Upon their return, they did not feel it was safe to o back to their hometown in Judea and se led elsewhere (in Nazareth).

Jesus personally iden fi es with refu ees and asylum seekers. They can also iden fy with him.

We are livin in a century marked by a lobal refu ee crisis. Followers of Jesus Christ will do well to rediscover the God- iven privile e and responsibility to seek the protec on and wel-fare of forcibly displaced people in the world.

For by servin them, we serve Jesus.

Photo: AA SSSuddudddananaaa esese e momothheereereerereee rrrrreadiingng hhererer BBBibiblele ini Kakuma refufufuf gegegeee cacaammpmpmpp, KeKeeKKennynynn aa

• In 2009 there were 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.• In 2019 there were 71 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.• About 1 of every 108 people alive is forcibly displaced.• The majority of the world’s refu ees are women and children.• 4 of every 5 refu ees are hosted by developin na ons.

Photo: Dzaleka refugee camp, Malawi

He says he’s from Burundi, but he’s never lived there. His parents were refu ees in Rwanda when he was born. He fl ed to Con o when the enocide broke out. War in Con o forced him to later fl ee to Tanzania. He ul mately ended up in Kakuma refu ee camp (Kenya) for 20 years before his family was rese led to the USA. While in the camp, Gatera became a believer and then a pastor. His leadership was instrumental in the development of an associa on of over 160 churches in the camp that work to ether to help people survive and recover from displacement. He’s a missionary with IAFR today.

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Refu ee churches play an cri cal role in helpin people survive and recover from forced displacement. These faith communi es transcend their circumstances in worship to-

ether. Hope is stren thened as they remember that God hears our cries and promises to always be with us. They help people fi nd meanin in loss and suff erin . They work relessly to further the kin dom of God amon their fellow refu ees and in their sur-

roundin host community. It is a joy to partner with these brothers and sisters.Photo: A church in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya

Many people take lon and dan erous journeys to seek refu e in Europe. No one knows how many have died a emp n to cross deserts, seas and mountains in their a empt to fi nd safety and peace. Many are tryin to escape violence and hatred in their homeland. Few na ons roll out the welcome mat for refu ees. Condi ons in Europe are o en tou h. We are partnerin with churches in Europe to meet asylum seekers and refu ees in ways that restore di nity and stren then hope.

Photo: Visi ng aaaasyluuumm sseeeekekekk rsrssrs iiiinnn LiLLilll e, Frararancncee

Some assume that once an asylum seeker or refu ee reaches the USA that their stru -

les are over. But the new challen es they face are as unexpected as they are over-whelmin . IAFR is partnerin with local churches to extend a welcomin and suppor ve community to these weary friends. We are also developin a network of houses that off er temporary shelter to asylum seekers as they are not permi ed to work or access social services for the fi rst 6-12 months in the USA.

Photo: An IAFR home for asylum seekers in the USA

Life in a refu ee camp is hard. The enviroments are o en remote and harsh. Everythin is in short supply. Everyone has suff ered unspeakable loss and trauma. The future is uncertain. It’s easy to feel for o en by the rest of the world. IAFR is partnerin with refu ee churches in ways that deepen faith, stren then hope and affi rm their di nity. We know that these faith communi es play a cri cal role in helpin people survive and recover from displacement. We et behind their ideas to care for others - includin their ini a ves to help the surroundin host community.

Photo: An IAFR Team consults with church leaders in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya

A er 20 years of runnin their School of Mission (KISOM) out of abandoned and dilapidated buildin s (le ), our refu ee church partner opened their new buildin (above) in 2019. The school is an essen- al part of equippin pastors and church leaders from the camp and surroundin host community.

IAFR counts it a joy to have helped them buy the land and build the school. This is but one example of how we are helpin keep faith and hope alive in the harsh condi ons of Kakuma, Kenya.

IAFR resources like this Map of the Refu ee Hi hway (2018) are used interna onally to off er an informed overview of refu ee reali es alon with biblical perspec ve. The map and other tools are updated annually and made available at no cost from the IAFR online Toolbox. See www.IAFR.or /toolbox.

IAFR is a sou ht out ministry expert when it comes to missions in humanitarian space (i.e. refu ee contexts). We have trained and consulted with churches, missions and other a encies servin in Afri-ca, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. Interested in learnin about trainin and con-sul n opportuni es? Contact us at trainin @iafr.or .

Photo: An IAFR short-term team from Wheaton College visits with refugee friends in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya

We are drillin a well, buildin shelters, churches and schools, housin asylum-seekers, trainin church leaders, providin educa onal resources and scholarships, sponsorin youth camps, sup-por n youth ministries, openin welcome centers, catalyzin business start-ups, teachin En lish, providin medical care, assis n individuals with pressin needs, and most importantly, spendin me visi n with our uprooted friends - but we can’t show up in these life- ivin ways without our enerous fi nancial partners!

We are acutely aware of the fact that we can’t accomplish the mission of helpin people survive and recover from forced displacement without you! It takes all of us - fi nancial partners, intercessors, ad-vocates, volunteers and full- me missionaries. Thank you for your part in brin in hope to the refu-

ee hi hway!-Tom Albinson, Founder/President

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Photo: Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya

10 Year Perspec ve: 2009 - 2018

The number of refugees, asylum-seekers and inter-nally displaced people increased by 29 million people between 2009 - 2019.

Solu ons to forced displacement are failing as the popula on of uprooted people rises.

It is in this context IAFR is helping people survive and recover from forced displacement.

Interna onal Associa on for RefugeesHelping people survive and recover from forced displacement

IAFR Financial Offi ce:

IAFRP.O. Box 1405

Wheaton, IL 60187

or give online at www.IAFR.org/donate

fi nance@iafr.org | 630.580.5754

IAFR Main Offi ce:

IAFR1515 East 66th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55423

USA

info@iafr.org | 612.200.0321

www.IAFR.or

All content and photos ©2019 Interna onal Associa on for Refugees. All Rights Reserved.