Riding on the Jungle Tour in France
At the end of June I will take part again in the Jungle Tour bike ride in Northern France and Western Belgium. I remember one of the days from last year.
After riding for 4-5 hours, we turned off the road and onto a tractor path not far from Calais, France. Parking our bikes, we followed a ravine further between two fields, and came to an encampment of about 30 refugees living under tents and tarps. They were expecting us and several volunteers who assist them had brought a large kettle of stew. I sat down on the edge of the field with a plate of stew and met Habib.
Habib (Name and details are changed) was in his 20's and his family was killed in the war when he was a child. He has lived pretty much as a refugee ever since with various relatives around the world. Now in France and alone he was trying to make it into England. Each night he would join others as they tried to stow away in trucks bound for Calais and across the channel to England.
Habib said, "You never know what will happen. Usually the police find us before we cross the channel. …I have tried over 20 times now. When the police find us they often take us somewhere far away in the countryside and release us. Then we take all day to walk back and try again."
I left my email address with Habib and promised my prayers. He must have made dozens of further attempts. However, in the winter, 8 months later, he wrote me for the first time to say that he was in London. I have suggested and prayed that he try to connect with a local church, but I haven't heard anymore from him.
There is still time to register and get involved with the IAFR Jungle Tour team. Check out this short term opportunity with IAFR.
