The IAFR Blog

Field notes, perspectives, stories, news & announcements

Bienvenue in LIlle!

A French class outing to an art museum in Lille.

"Bienvenue en classe." I welcome my students.

The French classes we teach for asylum seekers in Lille are always at maximum capacity. I am surprised to see my friend Gio among the students today. He messaged me just two weeks ago that he had finally received his kidney transplant. I am pleased to see he is looking well. He meets my eyes and smiles.

Beyond Language

Our students' fluency levels vary, so we offer several different class levels. I teach the more basic classes. My teammate SJ and our dedicated French volunteer Susanna, a young mom from our church, teach our more advanced French classes. Susanna generously gives her time every Thursday to assist our students in their learning journey and provide a warm and supportive environment. Her presence is an encouraging reminder of the power of community and the impact one person can make.

Beyond language learning, our primary aim is to create an environment that empowers and encourages our friends. Although all of our students are already multilingual, French is not easy for all of them, and learning a new language can be especially difficult for our students with limited literacy. We do our best to make our classroom environment a place of hope as they learn. We also provide educational opportunities on French culture, which is helpful for integration and cultural adjustment.

La Piscine

Our class visited La Piscine, a local art museum, for a class fun day. We were a vibrant mix of seven nationalities, each bringing their unique perspective to the experience. L., who has an educational background in art, gave a lecture as we tour the galleries, viewing the busts and paintings. She did so in English. We probably should have spoken in French, but it was a fun day, and everyone was happy, so I decided to not worry about it. We went back to speaking French when we returned to the classroom.

"We feel cozy with you."

My greatest joy in teaching French classes is seeing the doors opened to foster meaningful connections with our asylum-seeking neighbors. Hailing from Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, they come from diverse backgrounds and have unique stories of loss and resilience. As these friendships extend beyond the classroom, we receive their hospitality and extend ours, whether it's Gio and his friends treating us to a lavish Georgian meal or L. and A. joining our weekly small group to discuss spiritual things.

Their words, "We feel cozy with you," warm our hearts, reminding us that being present to each other in a foreign place can help provide a crucial sense of belonging amid uncertainty.

CLICK HERE to learn more about our work in Lille, France!

- Brett McNew with Rachael Lofgren

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Bea and JJ

JJ and Sammy

My first son Sammy was born around the same time we were seeing news headlines of kids in cages at the Southern Border. With my own child in my arms, God suddenly opened my eyes to the humanity of these families seeking refuge.

They weren't people with a greater pain tolerance than me. They weren't just distant people with distant bad news. God brought their suffering home to me in a new way, and my heart broke open to their stories of displacement and trauma. Realizing these are moms with babies just like me and that there is nothing essentially different between us, the way God loves us, or what a good life would look like for us changed my perspective.

So Far Away

I remember seeing everything happening around displacement at that time and saying,

"As a follower of Jesus, I need to do something to make a difference, but the border is so far away."

I loved my home in Minnesota and didn't know how to follow God in loving displaced neighbors right where he had put me. Then God put Bea in my path, and we became friends. She was an asylum seeker in my community, staying at IAFR's Jonathan House while she waited for her asylum hearing.

Backyard Birthdays

Bea's son JJ was born the day before Sammy, so we were in very similar stages of parenting. I started volunteering with Jonathan House. I babysat JJ for Bea while she went to classes. Our friendship deepened, and our sons became buddies as they grew old enough to play together. We had a birthday party for Sammy and JJ in the backyard of Jonathan House.

Joining Jonathan House

Knowing and loving Bea and JJ made my heartbreak about distant headlines personal and even more painful - but this holy heartbreak was now tempered with the joy of true friendship and of growing alongside my new friends.

Eventually, I joined IAFR to work full-time at Jonathan House, our community of shelter, hope, and healing for asylum seekers in the Twin Cities. Today, I lead Jonathan House's ministry, and we are working to increase the number of families with children that we can support on their journey to safety.

When I think about why...

When I think about why I do what I do, I think about Bea and JJ. For me, they represent all the beloved human families who seek refuge in a world of violence and increasing displacement. These families are just like mine, trying to live lives of joy, connection, and purpose. God delights in them and wants to see them thrive, and so do I.

I didn't have to go far from home to follow God's invitation into love - God brought these beloved people right here, to my hometown, and my sense of "home" is deeply enriched by them. God has blessed me and my family through relationships with people seeking refuge, and I will always be grateful for the beauty they bring into my community - the laughter, the love, and, yes, the birthday parties!

Join the Keychain Collective!

We invite you to join us in widening the doors of hope for asylum seekers in Minnesota with a recurring gift. Click the link below to learn more!

CLICK HERE to learn more!

- Bethany Ringdal with Rachael Lofgren

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